cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Crystal Structure of a Secreted Insect Ferritin Reveals a Symmetrical Arrangement of Heavy and Light Chains

Ferritins are iron storage proteins made of 24 subunits forming a hollow spherical shell. Vertebrate ferritins contain varying ratios of heavy (H) and light (L) chains; however, known ferritin structures include only one type of chain and have octahedral symmetry. Here, we report the 1.9A structure of a secreted insect ferritin from Trichoplusia ni, which reveals equal numbers of H and L chains arranged with tetrahedral symmetry. The H/L-chain interface includes complementary features responsible for ordered assembly of the subunits. The H chain contains a ferroxidase active site resembling that of vertebrate H chains with an endogenous, bound iron atom. The L chain lacks the residues that form a putative iron core nucleation site in vertebrate L chains. Instead, a possible nucleation site is observed at the L chain 3-fold pore. The structure also reveals inter- and intrasubunit disulfide bonds, mostly in the extended N-terminal regions unique to insect ferritins. The symmetrical arrangement of H and L chains and the disulfide crosslinks reflect adaptations of insect ferritin to its role as a secreted protein.
Mothers, Daughters, and the Socialization of Political Women

Using biographical data from what we call a focused sample of 36 elite women, the conjugal power structure of their parental families is examined to assess its impact upon the development of political women. The results revealed that the mothers of elite political women scored higher on indices of independence both within the family structure and outside the home than did the mothers of elite nonpolitical women. The fathers of the elite political women tended to show more respect and love for their wives than did the fathers of the elite nonpolitical women. The fathers of elite political women also tended to view their work as interesting and fun rather than as just a job. The elite political women were also less likely to have brothers, particularly older brothers, than the nonpolitical women. This finding suggests that female involvement in politics is not necessarily derived from cross-sex-role preferences. The study suggests that in terms of political socialization, the father's behavior and achievements are not as critical for his daughter as they are for his son. Their importance for the daughter must be filtered through the effect the father and his behavior have on the mother and the sex-role ideology held by the family.
Impact of closed versus open venous reservoirs on patient outcomes in isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Data were collected retrospectively on 1681 consecutive isolated coronary artery bypass graft patients at Millard Fillmore Hospital (Buffalo, New York, USA) undergoing coronary artery bypass. No patients were excluded. There were 616 patients in the open circuit group and 1065 in the closed circuit group. Patients in the closed circuit group exhibited a trend towards a higher incidence of most pre-existing comorbidities, with acute myocardial infarction, pre-existing cerebrovascular disease and the incidence of extensively calcified aortas all being significantly higher. Significantly different postbypass outcomes favored the closed circuit group, with levels of sepsis of 1% for open and 0% for closed and respiratory failure of 4% for open and 1% for closed. The length of stay approached significance with a p-value of 0.057 (open 9.85 days and closed 7.53). Use of an open circuit was a significant, independent predictor for increased use of units of packed red blood cells and total units of blood products...
Travel Demand Modeling for Regional Visioning and Scenario Analysis

Regional visioning and scenario analysis projects are becoming an increasingly important focus in the modeling of regional travel demand. This report summarizes model enhancements that have proved useful in these types of projects from experience in the regions of Baltimore, Maryland; Chicago, Illinois; and Austin, Texas. The enhancements focus on key goals in regional visioning and scenario analysis projects, including increasing sensitivity to microscale effects on land use, that affect a response by choice riders to high-quality transit service and that account for induced travel from increased roadway capacity.
New Technologies. Old Stories: The Forgotten Voices of Uranium Mining in Rural Wyoming

This paper presents the oral histories of those individuals lost in the aggrandized narratives surrounding uranium mining and early nuclear weapon development in the United States. Analysis of these interviews yielded two overarching tropes: (1) the romanticism of mining; and (2) greed or a production at all costs mentality. A critical anthropological lens propagates conflict, human rights abuses, and scholarly engagement as key areas to address when researching such mining issues. The tropes in this paper focus on these issues while identifying an additional area of study: colonialist tendencies promulgated by extractive industries. This paper, in particular, provides evidence of nuclear colonization on rural non-indigenous Wyoming lands. These findings are significant as they broaden the scope for future anthropological mining research while unearthing additional areas of the American West impacted by nuclear colonization.
Equations of blowups of ideals of codimension two and three

Abstract Access to the defining equations of blowup algebras is a natural pathway to the study of these algebras. In this paper, a generating set is found for the equations of Rees algebras for certain classes of codimension two ideals. From the equations, the Rees algebras are seen to be Cohen-Macaulay. For related classes of codimension three Gorenstein ideals, information is given regarding the degrees of the generators of the ideal of equations. The results depend on the parity of the dimension of the base ring.
Racial/ethnic differences in voluntary and involuntary job mobility among young men

Abstract Using the 1979–1994 waves of the NLSY-79 data, this study investigates racial/ethnic differences in the rates of voluntary and involuntary job mobility among young men. We find that there is no significant difference among racial/ethnic groups in the likelihood of voluntary job changing. However, blacks do suffer from job instability in that their likelihood of leaving jobs involuntarily is much higher than that of whites or Hispanics. Within the Hispanic population, Mexicans are more likely to experience involuntary job separation compared to whites, though they are not as likely to do so as are blacks. The results confirm the importance of separately analyzing the mechanisms and processes of voluntary and involuntary mobility in order to understand better the disadvantages of some groups in career development.
An Interdisciplinary View and Analysis of “Constructivism” in Kinesiology

Discussions related to constructivist learning theories have become more prevalent within various subdisciplines of Kinesiology. This discourse, however, has typically been placed within the context of K-12 education. The purpose of this article is to examine constructivist theories (cognitive and social constructivism and situated learning theory) within the context of higher education. We first place “constructivism” within the context of education in general, and then examine through relevant literature its uses within kinesiology. We then describe examples of “constructivist” pedagogy and learning within our program and higher education in general. Ultimately we urge further discourse related to constructivist learning theories within higher education subdiscipline fields in Kinesiology.
Germination response of grassland species to plant-derived smoke

Abstract In fire-prone ecosystems, many species require signals such as heat or smoke to cue seedling establishment to the relatively favorable post fire environment. Grassland ecosystems are often maintained by recurring fire and many grassland species are considered well adapted to fire. Despite this, smoke-induced germination has been studied much less in grasslands than in shrublands subject to crown fire. We tested 15 species native to the southern Great Plains and Edwards Plateau of Texas for smoked-stimulated or heat stimulated germination. Smoke and heat treatments were followed by either a true wet stratification or a dry cold period. Four species exhibited smoke-stimulated germination while the others exhibited no response or were inhibited by smoke. In two of the species that showed a positive response, smoke acted as a substitute for wet cold stratification. Heat treatments proved lethal to all species tested.
Stiffness after total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Stiffness is an uncommon but disabling problem after total knee arthroplasty. The prevalence of stiffness after knee replacement has not been well defined in the literature. In addition, the outcomes of revision surgery for a stiff knee following arthroplasty have not been evaluated in a large series of patients, to our knowledge. The purposes of this study were to define the prevalence of stiffness after primary total knee arthroplasty and to evaluate the efficacy of revision surgery for treatment of the stiffness. METHODS: We defined a stiff knee as one having a flexion contracture of 15° and/or <75° of flexion. Two separate groups were evaluated. First, the results of 1000 consecutive primary total knee replacements were reviewed to determine the prevalence of stiffness. Second, the results of fifty-six revisions performed because of stiffness, sometimes associated with pain or component loosening, after primary total knee arthroplasty were evaluated. RESULTS: The prevalence of stiffness was 1.3%, at an average of thirty-two months postoperatively. The patients with a stiff knee had had significantly less preoperative extension and flexion than did those without a stiff knee (p < 0.0001). There were no significant differences in age, gender, implant design, diagnosis, or the need for lateral release between the patients with and without stiffness. The second cohort, of knees revised because of stiffness, were followed for an average of forty-three months. The mean Knee Society score improved from 38.5 points preoperatively to 86.7 points at the time of follow-up; the mean Knee Society function score, from 40.0 to 58.4 points; and the mean Knee Society pain score, from 15.0 to 46.9 points. The mean flexion contracture decreased from 11.3° to 3.2°, the mean flexion improved from 65.8° to 85.4°, and the mean arc of motion improved from 54.6° to 82.2°. The arc of motion improved in 93% of the knees, and flexion increased in 80%. Extension improved in 63%, and it remained unchanged in 30%. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of stiffness in our series of 1000 primary knee arthroplasties was 1.3%. Revision surgery was a satisfactory treatment option for stiffness, as the Knee Society scores improved, the flexion contractures diminished, and 93% of the knees had an increased arc of motion. However, the results suggest that the benefits are modest.
Experimental observations in support of the dynamic-segregation theory to explain the reactive-element effect

The addition of reactive elements can have a significant effect on the oxidation behavior of alumina- and chromia-forming alloys. A model has been developed to explain the effects associated with the addition of reactive elements that is based on the segregation of reactive-element ions to scale grain boundaries and the metal-oxide interface. Reactive-element ions use these interaces as pathways for diffusion from the metal substrate to the gas interface of the scale. The driving force for this outward diffusion is the oxygen potential gradient across the scale. Doping of the scale grain boundaries results in scale growth primarily by inward oxygen diffusion, while doping at the metal-oxide interface slows the growth of interfacial voids and thus improves scale adhesion.
Congenic strain analysis reveals genes that are rapidly evolving components of a prezygotic isolation mechanism mediating incipient reinforcement.

Two decades ago, we developed a congenic strain of Mus musculus, called b-congenic, by replacing the androgen-binding protein Abpa27 a allele in the C3H/HeJ genome with the Abpa27 b allele from DBA/2J. We and other researchers used this bcongenic strain and its C3H counterpart, the a-congenic strain, to test the hypothesis that, given the choice between signals from two strains with different a27 alleles on the same genetic background, test subjects would prefer the homosubspecific one. It was our purpose in undertaking this study to characterize the segment transferred from DBA to the C3H background in producing the b-congenic strain on which a role for ABPA27 in behavior has been predicated. We determined the size of the chromosome 7 segment transferred from DBA and the genes it contains that might influence preference. We found that the ‘‘functional’’ DBA segment is about 1% the size of the mouse haploid genome and contains at least 29 genes expressed in salivary glands, however, only three of these encode proteins identified in the mouse salivary proteome. At least two of the three genes Abpa27, Abpbg26 and Abpbg27 encoding the subunits of androgen-binding protein ABP dimers evolved under positive selection and the third one may have also. In the sense that they are subunits of the same two functional entities, the ABP dimers, we propose that their evolutionary histories might not be independent of each other.
Computer-mediated focus group sessions: naturalistic inquiry in a networked environment

This article reports on a naturalistic research study exploring faculty attitudes about the use of technology in the college classroom. The data collection method consisted of a series of synchronous, computer-mediated focus group sessions using a group support system. Participants in the four focus group sessions were faculty employed at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The researchers found that the computer-mediated format for the focus group method of inquiry improved the objectivity of each session, reduced the influence of a sensitive topic on participation and enhanced the management of participant discussion. Furthermore, the electronic format improved the accuracy of the data collected by capturing every voice and every comment in ‘real time’. The primary disadvantage of the computer-mediated method was the reduced ability of the researcher to guide the discussion and request elaboration on any given topic.
Enhancing the understanding of asthma

The chromatin signature of genomic enhancers in CD4+ T cells distinguishes asthmatic patients from healthy subjects.
Control system design for the SPICES smart structure demonstrations

In this paper we focus on topics related to the control system design to the control system design for the SPICES demonstrations: (1) The hierarchical control system, its motivation and design; (2) SRI's SWAPS (neutralized feedforward) design methodology, its necessity in the SPICES high frequency demonstration, and its properties; and (3) simulated performance of preliminary designs of the vibration control loop for the demonstrations.
Selectivity in stripping of alkali-metal cations from crown ether carboxylate complexes

Abstract The potential of crown ethers (macrocyclic polyethers) as the next generation of specific extracting agents for metal ions was markedly enhanced by the introduction of crown ethers which bear pendent proton-ionizable groups (1–5). It has been shown that metal ion extraction does not require concomitant transfer of an aqueous phase anion into the organic medium (6). For potential practical applications of these proton-ionizable crown ethers in which hard aqueous phase anions (chloride, nitrate, sulfate) would be involved, this factor is of immense importance. In addition, the combination of ion binding cavities possessing fixed dimensions with protonionizable groups creates novel bifunctional chelating agents. A final factor is the case with which extracted metal ions may be stripped from the organic phase by shaking with aqueous mineral acid.
Instabilities at driven contact lines

A physical explanation of the mechanism for the fingering instability at driven contact lines is presented. Semi-quantitative predictions for the growth of the fingers as a function of time, the most unstable wavelength, and the initial growth rate are deduced. These predictions are compared with recent experiments.
Inheritance of mitochondrial DNA in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.)

Restriction fragment analysis was used to examine the inheritance of lentil mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in F1 and F5 progeny from intrasubspecific (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris) crosses and in F1 progeny from intersubspecific (Lens culinaris ssp. orientalis x L. culinaris ssp. culinaris) crosses. Southern blots of digested parental and progeny DNA were hybridized to heterologous maize mtDNA probes specific to coxI and atp6 genes. Two restriction fragment polymorphisms separated L.c. ssp. culinaris ‘Laird’ and ‘Eston’ from L.c. ssp. culinaris ‘ILL5588’, and one restriction fragment polymorphism distinguished L.c. ssp. culinaris ‘Laird’ and ‘Eston’ from L.c. ssp. orientalis ‘LO4’. Twelve of 13 f1 progeny and all F5 progeny from the intrasubspecific crosses, and all F1 progeny from intersubspecific crosses had only maternal mtDNA restriction fragments. One f1 plant from an ‘Eston’ x ‘ILL5588’ cross inherited mtDNA fragments from both parents. Nuclear DNA inheritance was biparental in all F1 progeny.
Role of Human Cytomegalovirus Tegument Proteins in Virion Assembly

Like other herpesviruses, human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) contains a unique proteinaceous layer between the virion envelope and capsid, termed the tegument. Upon infection, the contents of the tegument layer are delivered to the host cell, along with the capsid and the viral genome, where they facilitate the initial stages of virus replication. The tegument proteins also play important roles in virion assembly and this dual nature makes them attractive potential targets for antiviral therapies. While our knowledge regarding tegument protein function during the initiation of infection has been the subject of intense study, their roles in assembly are much less well understood. In this review, we will focus on recent studies that highlight the functions of HCMV tegument proteins during assembly, and pose key questions for further investigation.
Interactions of Ro 15-1788, CGS 8216 and diazepam on head-turning in rats☆

Ro 15-1788 (10 mg/kg, ip) and CGS 8216 (10 mg/kg, ip) significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of diazepam (5 mg/kg, ip) on electrically induced head-turning in rats. Neither antagonist alone, at the dose level which blocked diazepam, had any intrinsic activity in this model. The specificity of the interaction between CGS 8216 and diazepam was further confirmed by the lack of antagonism by CGS 8216 of muscimol's inhibitory effect on head-turning. These results provide additional evidence that the inhibition of head-turning induced by diazepam is mediated via the benzodiazepine binding site. Furthermore, this model provides a functional expression of the interaction between the benzodiazepine recognition site, the chloride ionophore, and the GABA receptor complex.
X-ray microscopy with synchrotron radiation.

X-ray microscopes, using synchrotron radiation sources, are allowing high resolution studies into the structure and chemistry of whole hydrated single cells.
Psychosis associated with hypopituitarism

Psychosis is one of many possible psychiatric disturbances associated with endocrinologic abnormalities. Previous reports linking psychosis with hypopituitarism have been limited. Furthermore, such reports suggested that the psychotic symptoms were more accurately part of a delirium. We report two patients with hypopituitarism who presented with psychotic symptoms, in the absence of an altered sensorium. They were assigned functional psychiatric diagnoses on initial presentation. Their symptoms abated after correction of underlying hormonal abnormalities. The evaluation and treatment of psychiatric disturbances associated with hypopituitarism are discussed.
Hypochlorous Acid Converts the γ-Glutamyl Group of Glutathione Disulfide to 5-Hydroxybutyrolactam, a Potential Marker for Neutrophil Activation

In healthy cells, glutathione disulfide (GSSG) is rapidly reduced back to glutathione (GSH) by glutathione reductase to maintain redox status. The ratio of GSH/GSSG has been used as an indicator of oxidative stress. However, hypochlorous acid (HOCl) generated by the myeloperoxidase-H2O2-Cl− system of neutrophils converts GSH to irreversible oxidation products. Although several such products have been identified, yields of these compounds are very low in biological systems, and they cannot account quantitatively for thiol loss. In the current studies, we use liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to demonstrate that HOCl and chloramines oxidize GSSG to two irreversible products in high yield. The products, termed M-45 and M-90, are, respectively, 45 or 90 atomic mass units lighter than GSSG. The reaction pathway involves chloramine and aldehyde intermediates, and converts the γ-glutamyl residues of GSSG to 5-hydroxybutyrolactam. Importantly, M-45 and M-90 were resistant to reduction by glutathione reductase. Moreover, the monohydroxylbutyrolactam M-45 accounted for >90% of the endogenous GSH oxidation products generated by activated neutrophils. Because the reaction pathway involves chlorinating intermediates, hydroxylbutyrolactams are likely to be specific products of HOCl, which is generated only by myeloperoxidase. Therefore, our observations implicate M-45 as a potential biomarker for myeloperoxidase activity in vivo.
Immunosurveillance and Immunoregulation by γδ T Cells

Whereas the vast majority of T cells express a T-cell receptor (TCR) composed of alphabeta heterodimers, a smaller population expresses a gammadelta TCR. In contrast to alphabeta T cells, gammadelta T cells show less TCR diversity, are particularly enriched at epithelial surfaces and appear to respond to self-molecules that signal potential danger or cellular stress. In addition, various subsets of gammadelta T cells have shown antitumor and immunoregulatory activities. This review considers what has been discovered about the important cutaneous functions of gammadelta T cells through the study of mutant mice and offers perspectives on the roles of gammadelta T cells in human disease.
Elastic properties of intermediate valence, Kondo and stable valence RAl2 compounds

Abstract Measurements of ultrasonic velocities and pressure volume behavior show that, compared to integral valence rare earth dialuminides, the intermediate valence compound, YbAl2, is mechanically soft and the Kondo compound, CeAl2, is much less so. These results show that in the case of intermediate valence the degenerate electronic configurations strongly effect the elastic properties while for the Kondo case, where the electronic configurations are nondegenerate, there is little effect.
An aneurysm and a primordial vessel: Two rare birds in the same tree.

0967-5868/$ see front matter 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2007.12.014 DOI of question: 10.1016/j.jocn.2007.12.016 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 507 255 5123; fax: +1 507 284 5209. E-mail address: white.brad@mayo.edu (J.B. White). aly generally arises from the posterior genu of the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery and then courses posteriorly either around or through the sella before anastomosing with the basilar artery (Fig. 1). The presence of one of these findings has no bearing on the prevalence of the other.
A SIMPLE ADAPTATION OF THE WENT COLEOPTILE ASSAY METHOD FOR AUXIN

THE FOLLOWING iS a brief account of a simplified adaptation of the Went method for auxin assay using the Avena coleoptile as a test object. It utilizes battery jars in place of specialized seed-holders, supporting blocks and water troughs, and introduces an innovation in the manner of taking shadowgraph records of the reacting plants. It is inexpensive, and may effectively be used in laboratories without special equipment. For some time in this laboratory, oats have been grown in 400 cc. beakers according to the method described in an earlier paper (Kaiser and Albaum,
Absorption of water in the active layer of reverse osmosis membranes

Abstract The absorption of water in commercially available reverse osmosis membrane active layers (FT30 by Filmtec and LF10 by Nitto Denko) is investigated by a combination of measurements of water mass uptake and biaxial stress as a function of relative humidity. The experiments are enabled by bonding the active layers of the membranes to either a quartz crystal microbalance or a glass cover-slip using polyimide as an adhesion layer and subsequently removing the porous polysulfone support layer with an organic solvent. Membranes from these two suppliers behave similarly. Water mass uptakes of the active layers are approximately 12% of the mass of the active layer when the relative humidity is changed from 0% to 95%. This degree of water absorption produces a compressive biaxial stress of ≈ −20 MPa. The changes in water mass uptake with relative humidity resemble a Langmuir adsorption isotherm when the humidity is low and the Flory–Huggins theory when the humidity is high. By combining the measurements of water mass uptake and biaxial stress, we estimate that the specific volume of water in the active layers is ≈ 0.28 cm3 g−1. The self-diffusion coefficient of water in the polyamide active layers of FT30 (DS = 0.8 × 10−9 m2 s−1) and LF10 (DS = 1.2 × 10−9 m2 s−1) were calculated from the water mass uptake measurements, water permeability values reported in the literature and assuming the solution–diffusion mechanism for water transport. These values for DS are a factor of 2–3 smaller than the self-diffusion coefficient of liquid water (DS = 2 × 10−9 m2 s−1) and comparable to theoretical estimates of DS in the active layer of FT30 membrane using the free-volume model.
Bioleaching of gold pyrite tailings with adapted bacteria

Abstract Auriferous sulfide ores often contain very finely disseminated gold and other precious metal particles inside the sulfide crystals. The encapsulation of precious metal particles gives rise to the refractory nature of such ores to current extraction methods. As a result, these fractions are frequently lost in the tailings. This work investigates the feasibility of pre-treating these refractory tailings with bioleaching before using standard extraction techniques such as cyanidation. Leadville gold ore tailings containing auriferous pyrite were first concentrated by froth flotation. The pyrite concentrate was treated for different periods of time with 12-weeks-adapted Thiobacillus ferrooxidans before cyanide leaching. The bioleaching of the concentrate before cyanide leaching increased the gold extraction from 32 to 95% and that of silver from 48 to > 98%.
Fields in Strip-Lines for Film Memory Application

This paper is of a semitutorial nature in that the transverse fields in a transmission system of the type existing in magnetic thin-film memories are shown to be obtainable by solution of the two-dimensional Laplace equation. The solution is carried out for the symmetrical shielded strip-line having a zero-thickness center conductor. Application of the specific results, which have not appeared before, is discussed briefly and some normalized plots are included.
Synthesis of 7-3H-(IS, 4S)-4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-N-methyl-I-I-naphthalenamine hydrochloride (7-3H-Sertraline)

The preparation of the title compound, a selective serotonin uptake inhibitor with antidepressant properties in man, is described. The preparation of the 7-bromo precursor via a stereoselective seven-step sequence from (1R)-7-bromo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-N-methyl-1-naphthalenamine is described. The radiochemical purity of the product obtained after reduction with tritium was greater than 99 % and the specific activity was 17.6 Ci/mM.
On Popovski’s method for nonlinear equations

Abstract Two different modifications of Popovski’s method are developed, both are free of second derivatives. In the first modified scheme we traded the second derivative by an additional function evaluation. In the second method we replaced the second derivative by a finite difference and thus reducing the order slightly and reducing the number of evaluations per step by one. Therefore the second modification is more efficient.
NPY and NPY receptors in airway structural and inflammatory cells in allergic asthma.

Abstract Purpose Neuropeptide Y (NPY) level is elevated in allergic asthmatic airways and activation of NPY receptor-1 (NPY-Y1) on antigen‐presenting cells (APCs) is essential for T cell priming. Paradoxically, NPY-Y1 modulates hyper-responsiveness in T cells, suggesting a bimodal role for NPY in APCs and T cells. Therefore, determination of the temporal and spatial expression pattern of NPY and its receptors in asthmatic airways is essential to further understand the role of NPY in allergic asthma. Methods Lungs were isolated from control and acute and chronic stages of OVA-sensitized and challenged mice (OVA). Stains, including H&E, PAS, and trichrome, were used to determine the severity of lung pathology. The expression patterns of NPY and NPY-Y receptors in the airways were determined using ELISA and immunofluorescence. Cytokine levels in the BALF were also measured. Results NPY levels were undetectable in the BALF of control mice, but significantly increased in the OVA group at day 80. Levels of IL-4, TGF-β1 and TGF-β2, significantly increased and peaked on day 45 and decreased on day 80 in the OVA group, exhibiting an inverse correlation with NPY levels. NPY expression was localized to macrophage-like cells in the peri-bronchial and peri-vascular areas in the lung tissue. NPY-Y1 and -Y5 receptors were constitutively expressed by both structural and inflammatory cells in the lung tissue. Conclusions NPY produced by activated macrophage-like cells may be involved in regulating cytokine production and cellular activities of immune cells in asthma. However, it remains unclear whether such an increase in NPY is a defensive/compensatory mechanism to modulate the effects of inflammatory cytokines.
A proposed method to predict preterm birth using clinical data, standard maternal serum screening, and cholesterol.

Objective The objective of the study was to create a predictive model for preterm birth (PTB) from available clinical data and serum analytes. Study Design Serum analytes and routine pregnancy screening plus cholesterol and corresponding health information were linked to birth certificate data for a cohort of 2699 Iowa women with serum sampled in the first and second trimester. Stepwise logistic regression was used to select the best predictive model for PTB. Results Serum screening markers remained significant predictors of PTB, even after controlling for maternal characteristics. The best predictive model included maternal characteristics, first-trimester total cholesterol, total cholesterol change between trimesters, and second-trimester alpha-fetoprotein and inhibin A. The model showed better discriminatory ability than PTB history alone and performed similarly in subgroups of women without past PTB. Conclusion Using clinical and serum screening data, a potentially useful predictor of PTB was constructed. Validation and replication in other populations, and incorporation of other measures that identify PTB risk, like cervical length, can be a step toward identifying additional women who may benefit from new or currently available interventions.
Conformational change in the DNA associated with an unusual promoter mutation in a tRNA operon of Salmonella.

Abstract We describe two novel types of mutations which decrease transcription of a tRNA operon in Salmonella typhimurium. One mutation consists of a 3 bp deletion at position −70 from the transcription start site. The second mutation is a single bp insertion between the −10 region and the transcription start site. The region around position −70 shows unusual physical properties. DNA fragments carrying the wild-type version of this region exhibit abnormally low electrophoretic mobility in polyacrylamide gels. This anomalous electrophoretic behavior is corrected if gels are run at high temperature or if the fragments contain the 3 bp deletion at −70. Our results indicate the existence of an unusual DNA conformation, probably involving DNA bending, in the region preceding the tRNA operon promoter. This structure is apparently disrupted by the 3 bp deletion. The transcriptional defect of the −70 mutant suggests a role for the unusual conformation in promoter function.
Technology, Narratives, Vignettes, and the Intercultural and Cross-Cultural Teaching Portal

This article presents information on the history and role of Web-based tools and vignette use in education by providing a definition of a vignette and other Web-based collaboration tools. After providing background on the use of vignettes and case-based scenarios in teaching and learning, the author discusses how Web-based tools may be used to examine how educators perceive and solve a particular classroom interaction involving two children. The author presents an example of how data can be gathered through the use of Web-based cultural learning portals.
Remarks on James's distortion theorems

If a Banach space X contains a complemented subspace isomorphic to l1 and if e > 0, then there exists a subspace Y of X and a projection P from X onto Y such that Y is (1 + e)-isometric to l1 and ∥P∥ ≤ 1 + e. A stronger result for c0 is proved for Banach spaces whose dual unit ball is weak sequentially compact.
Capillary electrophoretic separations of enantiomers using cyclodextrin‐containing background electrolytes

The 1996 primary literature papers which deal with the separation of enantiomers using cyclodextrins are reviewed here. Though the majority of the papers still use the neutral native cyclodextrins or the neutral derivatized cyclodextrins as resolving agents, there was a significant increase in number of separations which relied on charged cyclodextrins, both weak electrolytes and strong electrolytes, as resolving agents. Also, there was an increase in the number of papers which reported binding constants and correlated them with other physical or chemical characteristics of the analytes. Several successful minor enantiomer determinations were presented, pushing the reliable quantitation levels below 0.1%. Work continued on the simultaneous use of neutral and charged cyclodextrins to improve separation selectivity or peak resolution.
Biological Effects of Utah Valley Ambient Air Particles in Humans: A Review

The Utah Valley provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the health effects of particulate matter (PM) in humans. The area has had intermittently high particle levels with the principal point source being a steel mill. Due to a labor dispute, the mill was shut down. The closure and reopening of the steel mill allowed for an examination of potential correlates between epidemiological observations and measures of the biological effect of PM with experimental cell and human exposure. Epidemiologic investigation demonstrated an association of both the closure of the steel mill and the reduction in exposure to air pollution particles with changes in morbidity and mortality. Changes in these parameters were not fully accounted for by variation in the mass of PM. Metal content, in vitro oxidative stress, and release of pro-inflammatory mediators by cultured respiratory epithelial cells were all elevated in those aqueous extracts collected from the Utah Valley while the steel mill was open. Similarly, inflammatory injury in the lower respiratory tract of humans after instillation of aqueous extracts of filter PM was increased in those volunteers exposed to particles collected while the mill was open. These results indicate that equal masses of PM can induce disparate lung injuries suggesting that particle components may be relevant in assessing health effects after their exposure. Specifically, metals can participate in the biological effects of PM collected from the Utah Valley. In addition, correlates between findings of epidemiological studies and the biological effects of PM in cell and human investigation were demonstrated.
Plasma-Based Indoor Air Cleaning Technologies: The State of the Art-Review

The negative impact of the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on indoor air quality has motivated researchers to develop different air treatment technologies. Although, building mechanical ventilation systems can provide a comfortable thermal indoor environment, they are not capable of removing the VOCs effectively. Thus, other components must be integrated with them to be able to carry out this function. Plasma-based air treatment techniques are a series of processes in which a high voltage discharge is used for elimination of VOCs. Development of plasma-based methods, and their capabilities for chemical gas decomposition, has motivated designers to employ these methods for indoor air purification. This paper addresses the outcomes of a critical literature review on plasma-based air cleaner technologies, thermal to non-thermal plasma and plasma catalyst, and their application for indoor environment VOCs removal. The reaction mechanism, effect of different parameters on the performance of the method, and abilities and limitations of these methods are discussed. Different types of reactors and the most common used catalysts are classified. The role of the presence of the catalyst in improving the non-thermal plasma efficiency is reviewed. Finally, the scope of the future work to enhance the performance of this method for application in sustainable buildings is discussed.
An Efficient Post-Deployment Key Establishment Scheme for Heterogeneous Sensor Networks

Establishing pair-wise keys in wireless sensor networks is a challenging task due to the hostile environment and limited resources in sensor nodes. Many key management schemes have been proposed for sensor networks. However, most existing schemes are designed for homogeneous sensor networks where all of the nodes have the same or similar capabilities. Research has shown that better performance can be achieved by forming a heterogeneous sensor network. In this paper, we present an efficient post-deployment key management scheme designed for heterogeneous sensor networks. The scheme does not assume any prior knowledge about sensor deployment and location. Our scheme takes advantage of a few powerful high-end sensor nodes and achieves efficient and effective key establishment in a sensor network. The performance evaluation shows efficiency and effectiveness measures for our scheme.
FINE: A fault injection and monitoring environment for tracing the UNIX system behavior under faults

The authors present a fault injection and monitoring environment (FINE) as a tool to study fault propagation in the UNIX kernel. FINE injects hardware-induced software errors and software faults into the UNIX kernel and traces the execution flow and key variables of the kernel. FINE consists of a fault injector, a software monitor, a workload generator, a controller, and several analysis utilities. Experiments on SunOS 4.1.2 are conducted by applying FINE to investigate fault propagation and to evaluate the impact of various types of faults. Fault propagation models are built for both hardware and software faults. Transient Markov reward analysis is performed to evaluate the loss of performance due to an injected fault. Experimental results show that memory and software faults usually have a very long latency, while bus and CPU faults tend to crash the system immediately. About half of the detected errors are data faults, which are detected when the system is tries to access an unauthorized memory location. Only about 8% of faults propagate to other UNIX subsystems. Markov reward analysis shows that the performance loss incurred by bus faults and CPU faults is much higher than that incurred by software and memory faults. Among software faults, the impact of pointer faults is higher than that of nonpointer faults. >
Consensus of information in distributed control of a diffusion process using centroidal Voronoi tessellations

For the diffusion control problem, this paper considers spraying control via a group of networked mobile robots equipped with chemical neutralizers, known as smart mobile sprayers or actuators, in a domain of interest having static mesh sensor network for concentration sensing. The major contribution of this paper is the investigation of the problem of information sharing and consensus when using centroidal Voronoi tessellations algorithm to control a diffusion process. The information is shared not only on where to spray but also on how much to spray among the mobile actuators. Benefits from using information sharing and information consensus seeking are demonstrated in simulation results.
Women After the Utopia: The Gendered Lives of Former Cult Members

Research on former members of cults, also known as new religious movements, often focuses on psychological issues. Little has been written about the everyday lives of former members, and rarely has gender been placed at the center of analyses. Based on participant observation at ex-cult reunions and in-depth interviews, this analytical ethnography examines the everyday lives of women who are former members of a religious cult. Their experiences and concerns are analyzed with a focus on four qualitative themes: identity, roles, interactions, and contexts. The salient issues that emerge are alienation, depression, spiritual confusion, changing wife and mother roles, limited friendships, sexual abuse, lack of education and work history, and health concerns. The minority status of cult survivor is proposed as a core concept, and the implications of this study for intervention and future research are discussed.
Strategic subversions of the sacred: The cultural psychology of religious identities

Traversa’s (2012) study on the Italian Islamic and Catholic women demonstrates that religion is a liberating force rather than the source of entrapping female subjectivities. In this commentary, I situate the participants’ interview responses within the larger debates about modernity, secularism and religious identity. I argue that the Italian and Catholic women’s narratives are a response to the cultural secularization of global modernity. The secular doctrine deploys a new vocabulary of self—where meaning making is detached from the sacred and divine and becomes primarily articulated through the triumph of reason. The participants’ encounter with global modernity and contradictory discourses of religion create ruptures and uncertain social conditions in their lives. I examine how Italian Muslim women strategically use religion to subvert the meaning of hijab, Islam and patriarchy, and the Italian Catholic women challenge orthodox views about abortion, God, and the Catholic Church. I argue that the relig...
Constructing Consensus Ontologies for the Semantic Web: A Conceptual Approach

Organizational knowledge typically comes from numerous independent sources, each with its own semantics. This paper describes a methodology by which information from large numbers of such sources can be associated, organized, and merged. The hypothesis is that a multiplicity of ontology fragments, representing the semantics of the independent sources, can be related to each other automatically without the use of a global ontology. That is, any pair of ontologies can be related indirectly through a semantic bridge consisting of many other previously unrelated ontologies, even when there is no way to determine a direct relationship between them. The relationships among the ontology fragments indicate the relationships among the sources, enabling the source information to be categorized and organized. An evaluation of the methodology has been conducted by relating numerous small, independently developed ontologies for several domains. A nice feature of the methodology is that common parts of the ontologies reinforce each other, while unique parts are deemphasized. The result is a consensus ontology.
The changing role of medical education in the face of pressure to reform health care

Medical education, like health care policy, is at a major crossroads in terms of rethinking the content of education and the changing role of the physician in society. This paper reviews the current state of medical education — both undergraduate medical education and continuing medical education. It then focuses on changes that must be made, including developing new strategies that are educationally sound, acceptable to busy practitioners, acknowledge patient and physician preferences, acknowledge the practice environment, and begin in medical school and continue for the professional life of the physician.
Cognitive Processes in Perceptions of Social Support

University students with different perceptions of the social support available to them read about social interactions in which they imagined themselves as either the potential recipient of support, the provider of support, or an uninvolved third party. When they took the perspective of either the provider or a third party, their judgments of the provider's supportiveness increased with the support they perceived to be available to them personally. This difference was absent, however, when they imagined themselves as the recipient. Participants with a recipient's perspective had relatively better recall of behaviors that were inconsistent with their perception of the support available to them outside the laboratory, whereas those who took other perspectives did not. The cognitive processes that mediate these and other effects are discussed, and their implications for the stability of perceived support availability are evaluated.
Sweat electrolyte concentrations obtained from within occlusive coverings are falsely high because sweat itself leaches skin electrolytes

d. b. dill's ([12][1]) 1930s observations of humans working in desert heat made him skeptical of the high sweat chloride concentrations reported in the literature. At fault, he surmised, might be methods of sweat collection that “restricted opportunity for evaporation” (p. 763). For this reason
Flexural Design of Reinforced Concrete Frames Using a Genetic Algorithm

A design procedure implementing a genetic algorithm is developed for discrete optimization of reinforced concrete frames ~RC-GA!. The design procedure conforms to the American Concrete Institute ~ACI! Building Code and Commentary. The objective of the RC-GA procedure is to minimize the material and construction costs of reinforced concrete structural elements subjected to serviceability and strength requirements described by the ACI Code. Examples are presented demonstrating the efficiency of theRC-GA procedure for the flexural design of simply-supported beams, uniaxial columns, and multi-story frames.