cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of ethylenic bond position upon acyltransferase activity with isomeric cis,cis-octadecadienoyl coenzyme A thiol esters.

Abstract Coenzyme A thiol esters of the complete series of positional isomers of methylene-interrupted cis,cis-octadecadienoic acid were synthesized. Their rates of reaction, catalyzed by acyl-CoA:phospholipid acyltransferases in liver microsomal preparations from four species, ranged from 0 to 87 mµmoles per min per mg of protein. In general, acyl transfer was relatively rapid with compounds containing the cis-ethylenic bonds near the methyl end of the fatty acid chain. The commonly found 9,12-isomer, linoleate, was not rapidly esterified at position 1 of 2-acylglycero-3-phosphorylcholine, although six other positional isomers reacted rapidly at the primary hydroxyl. In contrast to the 9,12-isomer, the 8,11- and 10,13-isomers were esterified rapidly to position 1 of lecithin and slowly to position 2. The alternating activities of the 8,11-, 9,12-, and 10,13-isomers and their inverse effects at positions 1 and 2 indicate that the structure near carbon atoms 8, 9, and 10 is critical in the metabolism of polyunsaturated acids.
Maternal and postnatal dietary probiotic supplementation enhances splenic regulatory T helper cell population and reduces ovalbumin allergen-induced hypersensitivity responses in mice (HYP7P.305)

Neonatal to early childhood is the critical period for establishing a balance of T helper 1 (Th1) versus T helper 2 (Th2) mucosal immunity, which is strongly influenced by the source and establishment of gut microflora. Probiotic administration has been shown to attenuate Th2-biased cellular immunity and predisposition to food allergies. To test this hypothesis we fed a probiotic-supplemented or control diet to lactating dams with suckling pups and weaned pups until 10 weeks of age. Weaned mice were sensitized with egg allergen ovalbumin, saline or adjuvant at 6, 8 and 10 weeks of age. At 3, 6, 8 and 10 weeks, fecal samples were collected for microbial analysis, while blood samples were analyzed for ovalbumin and total plasma IgE levels. At termination, splenic T helper population subtypes were determined by FACS analysis and gene expression by PCR array. At 21 days of age, pups suckled by lactating dams fed the probiotic supplemented diet had significantly enhanced Lactobacillus acidophilus fecal counts compared to controls. Moreover, mice fed the probiotic supplemented diet had enhanced splenic naturally occurring and induced regulatory T cell populations, enhanced TGFβ gene expression and reduced expression of allergic mediator IL13 compared to controls. These results provide evidence that early probiotic supplementation may provide host protection from hypersensitivity reactions to food allergens by attenuating food allergen inflammatory responses.
Agreement, Dissent, and Democratic Fundamentals

“The civic dissensions of our generation have, by a curious paradox, generated an increasing emphasis upon the necessity of agreement upon fundamentals as an essential condition of a working democracy.”
Analytical and Numerical Analysis of Drop Impact Behavior for a Portable Electronic Device

Dynamic performance during drop impact is a great concern to semiconductor and electronic product manufacturers, especially for portable devices such as mobile phones. In this paper, the drop impact response of a mobile phone is investigated by an analytical dynamics model. In order to capture some most important affected factors, we decouple this problem to be a two-step analysis. First, finite element analysis is used to determine the effective stiffness for housing and PCB board, respectively. Second, a two-degree-of-freedom analytical dynamic model is developed to investigate the drop impact response. Such an approach allows parametric analysis to determine the important design parameters, which are important to the preliminary selection of geometries and materials of PCB boards and stiffness of housings so that the dynamic stability is maintained. Board level finite element analysis is also performed using input-acceleration model. The results are in good agreement with the analytical model results developed above. Finally, both methods are applied to evaluate the dynamic response of a commercially used cellular phone
Introduction: CRevolution 2: Origin and Evolution of the Colorado River System II

A 2010 Colorado River symposium held in Flagstaff, Arizona, in May 2010, had 70 participants who engaged in intense debate about the origin and evolution of the Colorado River system. This symposium, built on two previous decadal scientific meetings, focused on forging scientific consensus where possible, while also articulating continued controversies regarding the Cenozoic evolution of the Colorado River System and the landscapes of the Colorado Plateau–Rocky Mountain region that it drains. New developments involved hypotheses that Neogene mantle flow is driving plateau tilting and differential uplift, with consensus that multidisciplinary studies involving differential incision studies and additional geochronology and thermochronology are needed to test the relative importance of tectonic and geomorphic forcings in shaping the spectacular landscapes of the Colorado Plateau region. In addition to the scientific goals, the meeting participants emphasized the iconic status of Grand Canyon for geosciences, and the importance of good communication between the research community, the geoscience education/interpretation community, the public, and the media. Building on a century-long tradition, this region still provides a globally important natural laboratory for studies of the interactions of erosion and tectonism in the shaping landscape of elevated plateaus.
Morphological changes in cultured myotubes treated with agents that interfere with lysosomal function.

Treatment of cultured muscle cells with the inhibitors of lysosomal function, leupeptin, and chloroquine, decrease the degradation of acetylcholine receptors (AChR) and causes accumulation of undegraded receptors intracellularly. Under these conditions the number of cytoplasmic coated vesicles, i.e. structures that appear to transport this receptor within the cultured muscle cell, increases in parallel. This study investigates the effects of leupeptin and chloroquine on the morphology of cultured myotubes in order to learn more about the turnover of acetylcholine (ACh) receptors and the origin of the coated vesicles. Chloroquine causes involution of the plasma membrane, disorganization in the arrangement of sarcomeres, vacuolization, and enlargement of dense lysosome-like bodies in myotubes. The diameter of dense bodies in untreated myotubes is 0.36 ± 0.01 μm (mean ± SEM) compared with 2 ± 0.12 μm after 48 h of incubation with chloroquine. Leupeptin does not disrupt the normal architecture of sarcomeres and does not cause vacuolization of the myotubes. However, leupeptin does enlarge the dense bodies, although to a lesser extent than chloroquine (average diameter after 48 h treatment, 1.0 ± 0.06 μm, p < 0.01). Untreated myotubes appear to contain equal numbers of large and small coated vesicles. After chloroquine treatment 95% of coated vesicles are large (80–120 nm in diameter), whereas after leupeptin treatment the majority of coated vesicles are small (40–70 nm in diameter). After incubation with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) 62% ± 9 of coated vesicles in chloroquinetreated cells contain the tracer, whereas in control cells only 11% ± 4 of coated vesicles contain HRP reaction product. These observations indicate that chloroquine causes accumulation of coated vesicles and interferes with degradation of AChR by preventing fusion of lysosomes with coated vesicles originating by endocytosis.
Foldout Drawing: A Projective Drawing for Fabric Forming

Foldout Drawing argues for the agency of representation as a form of mediation between materials and design. The project uses full-scale drawings to design fabrication and form simultaneously. It demonstrates that a hybrid projective drawing, operating between notational and geometrical logics, can integrate conceptualization, visualization, and fabrication.
The normal and pathologic MRI appearance of the tibialis anterior proximal motor branch

Foot drop, the clinical manifestation of tibialis anterior (TA) muscle dysfunction, may be caused by pathologies involving selectively the TA motor nerve branches. Recently, in patients with fibular intraneural ganglion cysts, cystic involvement of the TA motor branch from the articular branch was demonstrated. However, no imaging characteristics of this functionally important TA proximal motor branch have been reported. We hypothesized that this particular TA proximal motor branch could be visualized and characterized on high-resolution clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in both normal and pathologic cases. Twenty-six consecutive high-resolution knee MRI examinations performed for routine indications such as exclusion of intra-articular pathology and four illustrative cases imaged to evaluate pathology of the common fibular nerve and its branches (specifically the TA proximal motor branch) were retrospectively reviewed. In cases without fibular nerve pathology, the TA proximal motor branch was visualized in 21 of the 26 patients. In the cases in which the nerve was not visualized, the imaging techniques could explain the nonvisualization of the branch. The involvement of the proximal branch to the TA was evident in the four patients with pathology, which included a perineurioma, a fibular intraneural ganglion cyst, a plexiform neurofibroma, and an inflammation of the nerve. In both normal and pathologic cases, the functionally important TA proximal motor branch originating from the articular branch can be consistently visualized on high-resolution MRI. This branch can be selectively affected by a variety of pathologies and its identification on imaging may help elucidate the predominant TA muscle involvement in these patients.
Comparison of short and long p-i-n germanium double-injection space charge limited diodes

Abstract It is shown for short double-injection SCL germanium diodes operating in the semiconductor regime that the characteristic is not quadratic and that the effects of the p-i and i-n regions are very significant. The device can be understood as a series connection of a p-i diode, a space charge limited diode and an i-n diode. For long diodes the effects of the p-i and i-n junctions are insignificant and the simple theory of a double-injection space charge limited diode is applicable. The high-frequency noise can always be expressed as thermal noise of the hf conductance g∞ of the device.
Molecular effects in beam-foil collision-induced alignment of He I

We have measured the alignment of beam-foil collision-excited states of He I produced by bombarding carbon foils of various (1.3 to 110 ..mu..g/cm/sup 2/) areal densities with beams of He/sup +/ and HeH/sup +/. In addition, we have measured the total light yield of several transitions in He I, He II, and H as a function of foil thickness using beams of HeH/sup +/ ions. Experiments were done with He-foil exit energies of 125, 500, 550, and 650 keV. He I alignment decreases in all cases for the thinnest foils when molecular projectiles are used. Total light intensities generally increase with thin foils (small proton-He emergent internuclear separation), but a few decrease or are independent of foil thickness. We are able to explain several features of the alignment and intensity data in terms of the formation of quasimolecular HeH/sup +/ states at or near the foil surface. Alignment reduction results from incoherent Stark mixing of the He I excited states in the field of the close proton. A calculation of the rms emergent H-He internuclear separation as a function of foil thickness and beam energy is presented.
Biopsy-diagnosed antibody-mediated rejection based on the proposed International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation working formulation is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes after pediatric heart transplant.

Background There is greater awareness of the pathologic features and clinical implications of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) after heart transplantation (HT). Yet, compared with adults, the lack of routine surveillance for AMR has limited the growth of evidence in the pediatric population. Herein, we compared outcomes of pediatric HT recipients with and without AMR. Methods All recipients ≤18 years of age with at least 1 endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) between 1988 and 2009 were included in this study. Assessment for AMR was routine. AMR severity was assigned retrospectively using the proposed 2011 ISHLT grading schema for pathologic AMR (pAMR). Outcome comparisons were made between patients with histologic and immunopathologic evidence for AMR (pAMR 2), those with severe AMR (pAMR 3), and those without evidence of AMR (pAMR 0) or without both histologic and immunopathologic findings (pAMR 1). Results Among 1,406 EMBs, pAMR 2 or higher was present in 258 (18%), occurring in 45 of 76 (59%) patients. Of the 17 episodes of pAMR 3 in 9 patients, 6 (35%) were sub-clinical. Mortality was not different between groups. Patients with at least 1 pAMR 3 episode had lower freedom from cardiovascular (CV) mortality or cardiac allograft vasculopathy within 5 years of HT than those without pAMR 3 (45% vs 91%, p Conclusions Biopsy findings of AMR (pAMR 2 or higher) are common after pediatric HT. Like cellular rejection, biopsy grading of AMR seems important to delineate those at risk of adverse events. Our results suggest that pAMR 3 is associated with worse CV outcomes. Widespread surveillance for pAMR with a uniform grading system is an important next step to further validate these findings in the pediatric HT population.
From graph to manifold Laplacian: The convergence rate

Abstract The convergence of the discrete graph Laplacian to the continuous manifold Laplacian in the limit of sample size N → ∞ while the kernel bandwidth e → 0 , is the justification for the success of Laplacian based algorithms in machine learning, such as dimensionality reduction, semi-supervised learning and spectral clustering. In this paper we improve the convergence rate of the variance term recently obtained by Hein et al. [From graphs to manifolds—Weak and strong pointwise consistency of graph Laplacians, in: P. Auer, R. Meir (Eds.), Proc. 18th Conf. Learning Theory (COLT), Lecture Notes Comput. Sci., vol. 3559, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2005, pp. 470–485], improve the bias term error, and find an optimal criteria to determine the parameter e given N.
Dissolution Kinetics of a Weak Acid, 1,1-hexamethylene p-Tolylsulfonylsemicarbazide, and Its Sodium Salt

The dissolution behavior of the acid and the sodium salt of this drug in phosphate buffers has been investigated. Data have been analyzed by relationships derived from the diffusion controlled model for dissolution of solids in reactive media. The results of this study show that surface conversion of the sodium salt to the acid occurs in the lower pH range of these studies. Calculations suggest that appreciable conversion takes place only after initial surface supersaturation ratios of about 20 or greater are achieved. Under conditions of much greater initial surface supersaturation ratios, a relatively impermeable acid surface coating is formed, and the dissolution rate is governed by this acid phase.
Dental care use by U.S. veterans eligible for VA care

Military veterans eligible for dental care in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities cooperated for a mailed survey about their dental care utilization. Subjects were selected because of their eligibility for continuing dental care in VA facilities at no monetary cost. However, only 48% reported the VA as their only or primary source of dental care; this allowed us the opportunity to compare dental care frequency by those who received dental care at no monetary cost with those who did not, as well as measure delivery system effects on dental care use. Consequently, we tested respondent-level and delivery system-level hypotheses regarding determinants of veterans' dental care use. Predisposing characteristics (dentate status, usual reason for dental visits, and the importance placed on dental care and oral health) were the strongest determinants of interval since last dental visit. Enabling determinants (current source of dental care, and having a regular source of care) were also significant, but measures of need for dental care (perceived oral health and perceived need for treatment) were not. More recent dental care use by veterans who used the VA delivery system as their source of dental care, even with dental care payment source and other determinants accounted for, suggests that the VA delivery system may have promoted more regular use compared to other systems.
Role of hydration forces in the properties of electrolyte solutions in the bulk and at interfaces

We present a theoretical approach for modeling electrolyte solutions at interfaces that reaches into the mesoscale while retaining molecular detail. The total Hamiltonian of the system includes interactions arising from density and charge density (ion correlation) fluctuations, direct Coulomb interactions between ions, and at interfaces the image interactions, ion-solid and ion-water dispersion interactions. The model was validated against its ability to reproduce ion activity in 1:1 and 2:1 electrolyte solutions in the 0-2 M concentration range, its ability to capture the ion-specific effect in 1:1 electrolytes at the air-water interface, and solvent structure in a confined environment between hydrophobic surfaces, revealing the central role of ion hydration interactions in specific ion thermodynamic properties in the bulk solutions and at interfaces. The model is readily extensible to treat electrolyte interactions and forces across charged solid-water interfaces.
Effect of Medicaid Managed Care on Racial Disparities in Health Care Access

There is substantial evidence of racial disparities in health care access and utilization. Hispanics and African Americans are less likely than whites to have a regular primary care provider, and more likely to report emergency room (ER) use (Collins, Hall, and Neuhaus 1999). African Americans and Hispanics are also less likely than whites to have a usual source of care and to have a health care visit in the last year, disparities that persist even after controlling for poverty status (Kaiser Family Foundation 2003). Spanish-speaking Hispanic patients are less likely to have an influenza vaccination (Fiscella et al. 2002), Hispanic women have lower rates of breast cancer screening than African Americans and whites, and African Americans are less likely than whites to receive preventive screening and diagnostic services for cancer (Collins, Hall, and Neuhaus 1999). The Medicaid program is a suitable environment for studying the effect of managed care on racial disparities in access and utilization because of its disproportionate enrollment of racial minorities. With spiraling costs in the late 1980s and early 1990s, many U.S. health insurance organizations tightened management of care to stem further increases in health care spending (Levit et al. 2000). State Medicaid agencies also turned to managed care under federal program waivers to help slow health care spending and to improve access to quality health care (Kaestner, Dubay, and Kenney 2002). In 2001, some version of managed care was implemented in 48 state programs and more than 57 percent of all Medicaid enrollees were enrolled in managed care programs (CMS 2002). Medicaid Managed Care (MMC) programs organize providers and control costs largely through two distinct models: Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) or Primary Care Case Management (PCCM). In HMO programs, the state Medicaid agency contracts directly with a prepaid health plan that assumes the risk of providing services through its own physician staff or contracts with physician organizations. In 2001, 70 percent of MMC enrollees were enrolled in commercial and Medicaid-only HMOs, compared with 27.3 percent in Medicaid PCCM programs (CMS 2002). In PCCM programs, Medicaid agencies contract with a primary care gatekeeper entity (paid fee-for-service plus a monthly coordination fee) that coordinates primary and specialty care. MMC plans pay physician organizations through full capitation (prospective payment for each individual patient adjusting for some measures of age, gender, or health status), fee-for-service (retrospective payment paid per service), or a mixture of the two (Robinson et al. 2004).
Invalidity of translational symmetry argument for the existence of a stark ladder in finite crystals

Abstract The usual translational symmetry argument in finite solids does not indicate the existence of a Stark Ladder. The (usually implied) use of “periodic boundary conditions”, which could have indicated a Stark Ladder, has a two fold interpretation. The Born-von Karman one is incompatible with Schrodinger's equation, while the second is incompatible with the symmetry argument.
Resolution effects in chaotic velocity field reconstruction from passive scalar data

Recently, proposals have been made for determining complete velocity fields from the measurement of one or more passive scalars. It is unclear how chaotic and/or noisy fluctuations in time-dependent experimental scalar data will affect the accuracy of these methods when the scalar data are not sufficiently resolved. Quantitative evaluations in a well-controlled experiment seem not to be available. The present note is intented to provide a first step in filling this void.
A growing interest in bacterial ether lipids

Abstract Fatty acyl ester lipids constitute major membrane components of eukaryotic and most prokaryotic cell membranes. In contrast, studies on the lipids of a variety of anaerobic eubacteria and of archaebacteria, many of which are extreme halophiles, thermoacidophiles, and methanogens, have lead to the realization that ether lipids are major components of most of these organsms 1–4 . The presence of ether lipids in organisms which live in environments similar to the Earth's earlier biosphere suggests that they may represent ancient lines of descent and that they are evolutionary relics. Increasingly the evidence appears to point toward specific roles in membrane organization and stability.
Tuberculosis of the tongue.

A tuberculous lesion was excised from the tongue of a 52-year-old man. A chemotherapeutic regimen was begun, and there has been no recurrence. Oral lesions are not commonly found in patients with tuberculosis. In this case, a tuberculous lesion was excised from the tongue of a 52-year-old man.
Global transmissivity and diffuse fraction of solar radiation for clear and cloudy skies as measured and as predicted by bulk transmissivity models

Abstract Measurements of cloudiness and of global, direct, and diffuse radiation taken over a 13 mo period at Davis, CA, are analyzed in terms of global transmission (Kt) and diffuse fraction (Kd) for clear sky conditions and for various cloudiness conditions. A number of global transmission clear sky models are compared with observations for ranges of total water column and turbidity and some are found to give representative values for the global radiation at the ground. The dependence of the diffuse fraction on global transmission is found to be best represented by linear formulae—with different dependencies found for clear and cloudy conditions. Global transmission models are also compared with observations for cloudy conditions and found to give representative values of cloud transmissivities if climatological differences in the cloudiness at the measurement site and those sites used to calibrate the cloud models are considered. These results support the use of routine instantaneous surface meteorological data to calculate the most likely instantaneous global and diffuse radiation on a horizontal surface in the absence of any radiation measurements. These calculated irradiances are best used for solar energy system dynamic modeling in which system responses to typical sequences in meteorological conditions are being examined.
Mutagen from the Gaseous Phase of Protein Pyrolyzate

A mutagenic fraction was separated by gas chromatography (gc) from the gaseous phase of protein pyrolyzate and a compound in the fraction was identified as hydrogen cyanide (hcn). Authentic hcn shows mutagenicity. It is proposed that most of the mutagenic activity in the gaseous phase of protein pyrolyzate is due to hcn.
Control of Dendritic Outputs of Inhibitory Interneurons in the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus

The thalamic relay to neocortex is dynamically gated. The inhibitory interneuron, which we have studied in the lateral geniculate nucleus, is important to this process. In addition to axonal outputs, these cells have dendritic terminals that are both presynaptic and postsynaptic. Even with action potentials blocked, activation of ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors on these terminals increases their output, whereas activation of metabotropic (M2 muscarinic) but not nicotinic cholinergic receptors decreases their output. These actions can strongly affect retinogeniculate transmission.
Nickel induces oscillatory behavior and enhanced synaptic and electrotonic transmission between stomatogastric neurons ofPanulirus interruptus

Abstract The pyloric pattern generator network of the stomatogastric ganglion uses a mixture of burst-inducing plateau potentials, synaptic transmission, and electrical coupling to produce its patterned output. This study examines the effects of two divalent, calcium channel blockers, nickel and cadmium, on voltage oscillations, synaptic transmission, and electrical coupling between the two pyloric dilator (PD) neurons and lateral pyloric (LP) neuron ofPanulirus interruptus. The in vitro stomatogastric ganglion was bathed in saline containing tetrodotoxin (TTX) to eliminate Na-spikes and the spontaneous voltage oscillations of the pyloric rhythm, resulting in a steady resting potential. Addition of 50–100 μ M Ni2+ to the TTX-saline induced voltage oscillations of similar amplitude and frequency as the endogenous rhythmic activity (before the application of TTX). 25–50 μM nickel enhanced graded synaptic transmission and electrical coupling and altered voltage waveforms, while producing little change in the input resistance measured in the soma. 10–1000 μM Cd2+ acted as a dose-dependent blocker of graded synaptic transmission, but had no other detectable effects. We propose that nickel, in contrast to cadmium, exerts a modulator-like effect deep in the pyloric neuropil.
Healing of the periodontium following mucogingival surgery.

Abstract A study was conducted on dogs to compare the outcome of mucogingival surgery with and without removal of the periosteum. The width of the attached gingiva following the surgical procedure could not be predetermined by removing the periosteum or leaving it intact. Removing the periosteum during mucogingival surgery delayed healing and caused a significant loss in the height of the alveolar bone.
Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy of Intact Nuclear Pore Complexes

No methods proposed thus far have the sensitivity to measure the transport of single molecules through single nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) in intact cells. Here we demonstrate that fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) combined with real-time tracking of the center of mass of single NPCs in live, unperturbed cells allows us to detect the transport of single molecules in a reference system of a pore with high temporal (millisecond) and spatial (limited by diffraction) resolution. We find that the transport of the classical receptor karyopherin-β1 (Kapβ1) is regulated so as to produce a peculiar distribution of characteristic times at the NPC. This regulation, which is spatially restricted to the pore, depends on the properties and metabolic energy of Kapβ1. As such, this method provides a powerful tool for studying nucleocytoplasmic shuttling at the nanometer scale under physiological conditions.
Intrinsic resistive switching and memory effects in silicon oxide

Resistive switching behaviors are described in sil- icon oxide (SiOx) systems employing vertical E/SiOx/ E( E denotes the electrode) structures. The switching is largely independent of the electrode material and attributed to the intrinsic properties of SiOx. Based on the recent experimen- tal observation (Yao et al. in Nano Lett. 10:4105, 2010 )o f a silicon filament embedded in the SiOx matrix, we further discuss the switching mechanism in light of the measured electrical phenomena. The set voltages are largely SiOx- thickness independent, consistent with the mechanistic pic- ture of point switching in the silicon filament. The multi- state switching and shifts in the set voltages with respect to the reset voltages are consistent with an electrochemical re- dox process (Si ↔ SiOy) at the switching site.
Retrospective monitoring of persistent organic pollutants, including PCBs, PBDEs, and polycyclic musks in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and sediments from New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts, USA: 1991-2005.

Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and sediments collected from 1991 to 2005 from New Bedford Harbor (NBH), MA, were analyzed for two polycyclic musks (HHCB or Galaxolide® and AHTN or Tonalide®), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). HHCB and AHTN were found in mussel tissues at mean concentrations of 836 and 376 ng/g lipid weight (lw), respectively, which were two- to seven-fold higher than those found at a reference site. Mean concentrations of HHCB and AHTN in NBH sediments were 12 and 6.3 ng/g dry weight (dw), respectively. Four- and five-ringed PAHs, such as phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene, collectively accounted for 61 % of the ∑PAHs concentrations in mussels from NBH. Mean ΣPCB concentrations in mussels from upper and lower NBH were 942 and 182 μg/g lw, respectively, and were dominated by tetra- and penta-chlorobiphenyl congeners, collectively accounting for 61 % of the ΣPCB concentrations. The mean concentration of ∑PBDEs in mussels from NBH was 277 ng/g lw, and no significant difference existed in the concentrations between upper and lower NBH. DDTs were the major OCP found in mussels, found at a mean concentration of 778 ng/g lw. The concentrations of HHCB, AHTN, ΣPBDEs, ΣPAHs, and DDTs in mussels decreased significantly (r 2 ≥ 0.56, p ≤ 0.052) from 1991 to 2005. The concentrations of PCBs and chlordanes did not exhibit a decreasing trend in mussel tissues (r 2 0.076) from 1991 to 2005. Based on the temporal trends in the concentrations of HHCB, AHTN, ∑PAHs, and ∑PBDEs found in mussels from NBH, it was estimated that between 5.5 and 12 years were required for the concentrations of these compounds to decrease by half (i.e., environmental halving time) of the levels found in 1991.
Some Thoughts on Extrinsic Linguistic Minorities

This paper defines and provides examples of a category of linguistic minorities that we call extrinsic minorities. Three case studies are summarised to illustrate the spectrum of linguistic heterogeneity of extrinsic minorities, and the linguistic consequences. These cases show a continuum of how they fit into our definition of extrinsic minorities: Russians in Latvia are the most prototypical; Hungarians in Transylvania are less prototypical; while Slovenes in Austria reflect the least prototypical case. One main conclusion is that the norm amongst extrinsic minorities is language maintenance with very slow shift, if at all. We conclude by identifying several social factors that contribute to the linguistic course of extrinsic minorities.
Trisomy 13 in bone marrow cells in acute myelocytic leukemia and myelofibrosis.

We have identified trisomy 13 in two additional patients with hematologic malignancies involving the hematopoietic stem cell: a 75–year–old female with acute myelocytic leukemia and a 64–year–old female with agnogenic myelofibrosis and myeloid metaplasia. Chromosome analysis of the direct bone–marrow preparation showed 100 % of cells with trisomy 13 in the first and 10 % of cells in the second. We also previously reported a patient with Phi negative chronic myelogenous leukemia in whom 100 % of the marrow cells showed an identical trisomy. The probability of finding three such patients in our case material was calculated to be 0.05–0.08, implying that trisomy 13 may be another nonrandom chromosomal aberration associated with malignancies of hematopoietic pluri–potent stem cell.
Role of Protein Kinase Cζ in Ras-mediated Transcriptional Activation of Vascular Permeability Factor/Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expression

Vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor (VPF/VEGF), a multifunctional cytokine, is regulated by different factors including degree of cell differentiation, hypoxia, and certain oncogenes namely, ras and src. The up-regulation of VPF/VEGF expression by Ras has been found to be through both transcription and mRNA stability. The present study investigates a novel pathway whereby Ras promotes the transcription of VPF/VEGF by activating protein kinase Czeta (PKCzeta). The Ras-mediated overexpression of VPF/VEGF was also found to be inhibited by using the antisense or the dominant-negative mutant of PKCzeta. In co-transfection assays, by overexpressing oncogenic Ha-Ras (12 V) and PKCzeta, there was an additive effect up to 4-fold in activation of Sp1-mediated VPF/VEGF transcription. It has been shown through electrophoretic mobility shift assay that Ras promoted the PKCzeta-induced binding of Sp1 to the VPF/VEGF promoter. In the presence of PDK-1, a major activating kinase for PKC, the Ras-mediated activation of VPF/VEGF promoter through PKCzeta was further increased, suggesting that PKCzeta can serve as an effector for both Ras and PDK-1. In other experiments, with the use of a dominant-negative mutant of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, the activation of VPF/VEGF promoter through Ras, PDK-1, and PKCzeta was completely repressed, indicating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase as an important component of this pathway. Taken together, these data elucidate the signaling mechanism of Ras-mediated VPF/VEGF transcriptional activation through PKCzeta and also provide insight into PKCzeta and Sp1-dependent transcriptional regulation of VPF/VEGF.
Potential Mechanisms of Photodynamic Inactivation of Virus by Methylene Blue I. RNA–Protein Crosslinks and Other Oxidative Lesions in Qβ Bacteriophage

A spectrum of oxidative lesions was observed in a bacteriophage-based model system that is very sensitive to the photodynamic activity of selected dyes. When suspensions of the intact bacteriophage Q beta were exposed to methylene blue plus light (MB + L), inactivating events, or "hits" occurred that were oxygen-dependent and that were associated with the formation of several specific lesions: (1) carbonyl moieties on proteins, (2) 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoGua), and (3) single-strand breaks (ssb) in the RNA genome and (4) RNA-protein crosslinks. Formation of carbonyl groups associated with protein in the Q beta phage preparation correlated positively with photoinactivation of the phage with increasing doses of either of the sensitizers MB or rose bengal. Strand breaks in the Q beta genomic RNA were observable at high MB concentrations but appeared not to be significant at the lower concentrations of MB, as full-length Q beta RNA was observable well beyond the 99% inactivation point in MB dosage. It was shown that the number of 8-oxoGua lesions were unlikely to be sufficient to account for the number of lethal events. Following exposure to MB + L, crosslink formation between Q beta RNA and protein was observed by virtue of the location of RNA at the interface of phenol-aqueous extractions of phage suspensions. A significant increase over background of RNA-protein complexes (including full-length Q beta RNA) was observed at the lowest concentration of MB tested (0.5 microM), which corresponded roughly to an average of 2 lethal hits per phage or approximately 13% survival compared to the zero MB control (100% survival). Due to its close correlation with Q beta inactivation and its expected lethality, RNA-protein crosslink formation may be important as an inactivating lesion in bacteriophage Q beta following MB + L exposure.
A stochastic analysis of distance estimation approaches in single molecule microscopy: quantifying the resolution limits of photon-limited imaging systems

Optical microscopy is an invaluable tool to visualize biological processes at the cellular scale. In the recent past, there has been significant interest in studying these processes at the single molecule level. An important question that arises in single molecule experiments concerns the estimation of the distance of separation between two closely spaced molecules. Presently, there exists different experimental approaches to estimate the distance between two single molecules. However, it is not clear as to which of these approaches provides the best accuracy for estimating the distance. Here, we address this problem rigorously by using tools of statistical estimation theory. We derive formulations of the Fisher information matrix for the underlying estimation problem of determining the distance of separation from the acquired data for the different approaches. Through the Cramer-Rao inequality, we derive a lower bound to the accuracy with which the distance of separation can be estimated. We show through Monte-Carlo simulations that the bound can be attained by the maximum likelihood estimator. Our analysis shows that the distance estimation problem is in fact related to the localization accuracy problem, the latter being a distinct problem that deals with how accurately the location of an object can be determined. We have carried out a detailed investigation of the relationship between the Fisher information matrices of the two problems for the different experimental approaches considered here. The paper also addresses the issue of a singular Fisher information matrix, which presents a significant complication when calculating the Cramer-Rao lower bound. Here, we show how experimental design can overcome the singularity. Throughout the paper, we illustrate our results by considering a specific image profile that describe the image of a single molecule.
Universality of a family of random matrix ensembles with logarithmic soft-confinement potentials

Recently we introduced a family of $U(N)$ invariant random matrix ensembles which is characterized by a parameter $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ describing logarithmic soft-confinement potentials $V(H)\ensuremath{\sim}{[\text{ln}\text{ }H]}^{(1+\ensuremath{\lambda})}(\ensuremath{\lambda}g0)$. We showed that we can study eigenvalue correlations of these ``$\ensuremath{\lambda}$ ensembles'' based on the numerical construction of the corresponding orthogonal polynomials with respect to the weight function $\text{exp}[\ensuremath{-}{(\text{ln}\text{ }x)}^{1+\ensuremath{\lambda}}]$. In this work, we expand our previous work and show that: (i) the eigenvalue density is given by a power law of the form $\ensuremath{\rho}(x)\ensuremath{\propto}{[\text{ln}\text{ }x]}^{\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{-}1}/x$ and (ii) the two-level kernel has an anomalous structure, which is characteristic of the critical ensembles. We further show that the anomalous part, or the so-called ``ghost-correlation peak,'' is controlled by the parameter $\ensuremath{\lambda}$; decreasing $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ increases the anomaly. We also identify the two-level kernel of the $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ ensembles in the semiclassical regime, which can be written in a sinh-kernel form with more general argument that reduces to that of the critical ensembles for $\ensuremath{\lambda}=1$. Finally, we discuss the universality of the $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ ensembles, which includes Wigner-Dyson universality ($\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ limit), the uncorrelated Poisson-type behavior ($\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$ limit), and a critical behavior for all the intermediate $\ensuremath{\lambda}(0l\ensuremath{\lambda}l\ensuremath{\infty})$ in the semiclassical regime. We also comment on the implications of our results in the context of the localization-delocalization problems as well as the $N$ dependence of the two-level kernel of the fat-tail random matrices.
The Cursing of the Temple and the Tearing of the Veil in the Gospel of Mark

The paper explores the relationship between the pericope of the temple incident of Mark 11:15-19 and the scene of Jesus' death in Mark 15:33-39. The temple incident portrays a prophetic action and word of curse and destruction against the temple and its guardians. The cause for the act and word of judgment against the temple was that it and its guardians had become exclusionary, both of the marginalized among God's people and the Gentiles. It had also become a symbol of violent opposition against Rome. For Jesus' opposition to the Judean leadership and their temple, the leadership seeks to destroy him.Though the leadership will succeed in destroying Jesus, it is precisely through such destruction that Jesus is vindicated. His word of judgment and destruction against the temple is realized in the tearing of the veil. The exclusionary practice of the temple is reversed with the confession of the centurion—with the temple's destruction the barrier between God and "the many" is broken down. Finally, though the Judean leadership succeeds in destroying Jesus, they become victims of their own success, for with Jesus' destruction, comes their own. The power of their temple is broken and the exclusion of "the many" that they had worked so hard to maintain is reversed.
Uterine artery embolization vs surgery: van der Kooij et al

See related article, page 317 U terine artery embolization (UAE) was introduced in the mid-1990s as a new minimally-invasive treatment for symptomatic fibroids. Since that time, results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have demonstrated that when assessed against traditional surgical alternatives like myomectomy and hysterectomy, UAE may provide short-term enefits, including reduced length of stay nd earlier resumption of daily activities; omplications and satisfaction are similar. et, use of UAE remains low in comparion to surgical management, perhaps due o a lack of long-term comparative data. new systematic review by van der Kooij t al addresses this specific question by valuating shortand long-term outomes for UAE and surgery. Journal Club members thought the reearchers chose an important topic. Beause uterine fibroids are so prevalent mong women—25% or more might be ffected with symptomatic growths—inormation guiding optimal management s extremely important. Data on the reltive risks and benefits of UAE compared o other accepted treatments is particuarly helpful in counseling patients who equire intervention. The authors’ strucured review included long-term signifiant outcomes relevant to patients and roviders choosing between treatments.
Phonological parsing for bi-directional letter-to-sound/sound-to-letter generation

In this paper, we describe a reversible letter-to-sound/sound-to-letter generation system based on an approach which combines a rule-based formalism with data-driven techniques. We adopt a probabilistic parsing strategy to provide a hierarchical lexical analysis of a word, including information such as morphology, stress, syllabification, phonemics and graphemics. Long-distance constraints are propagated by enforcing local constraints throughout the hierarchy. Our training and testing corpora are derived from the high-frequency portion of the Brown Corpus (10,000 words), augmented with markers indicating stress and word morphology. We evaluated our performance based on an unseen test set. The percentage of nonparsable words for letter-to-sound and sound-to-letter generation were 6% and 5% respectively. Of the remaining words our system achieved a word accuracy of 71.8% and a phoneme accuracy of 92.5% for letter-to-sound generation, and a word accuracy of 55.8% and letter accuracy of 89.4% for sound-to-letter generation. We also compared our hierarchical approach with an alternative, single-layer approach to demonstrate how the hierarchy provides a parsimonious description for English orthographic-phonological regularities, while simultaneously attaining competitive generation accuracy.
Adsorption of aquatic humic substances on colloidal-size aluminum oxide particles: Influence of solution chemistry

Abstract The adsorption of Suwannee River humic substances (HS) on colloidal-size aluminum oxide particles was examined as a function of solution chemistry. The amount of humic acid (HA) or fulvic acid (FA) adsorbed decreased with increasing pH for all solutions of constant ionic strength. In NaCl solutions at fixed pH values, the adsorption of HA and FA increased with increasing ionic strength. The presence of Ca2+ enhanced the adsorption of HA but had little effect on FA. For identical solution conditions, the amount (by mass) of HA adsorbed to alumina was always greater than FA. Adsorption densities for both HA and FA showed good agreement with the Langmuir equation, and interpretations of adsorption processes were made from the model parameters. For FA, ligand exchange appears to be the dominant adsorption reaction for the conditions studied here. Ligand exchange is also a major adsorption reaction for HA; however, other reactions contribute to adsorption for some solution compositions. At high pH, cation and water bridging become increasingly important for HA adsorption with increasing amounts of Na+ and Ca2+, respectively. At low to neutral pH values, increases in these same two cations make hydrophobic bonding more effective. Calculations of HS carboxyl group densities in the adsorbed layer support the proposed adsorption reactions. From the adsorption data it appears that fewer than 3.3 HS-COO− groups per nm2 can be bound directly as inner-sphere complexes by the alumina surface. We propose that the influence of aqueous chemistry on HS adsorption reactions, and therefore on the types of HS surface complexes formed, affects the formation and nature of organic coatings on mineral surfaces.
The Validity and Practicality of Sun-Reactive Skin Types I Through VI

The concept of sun-reactive "skin typing" was created in 19751for a specific need: to be able to classify personswith white skinin order to select the correct initial doses of ultraviolet A (UVA) (in joules per cubic centimeter) in the application of the then newly developed technique for the treatment of psoriasis—oral methoxsalen photochemotherapy (PUVA).2The need arose as a result of experience with several patients who were a "dark" phenotype (brown or even black hair, and some with brown eyes) but, to our surprise, developed severe phototoxic reactions following oral ingestion of 0.6 mg/kg of methoxsalen and then, two hours later, were exposed to 4 to 6 J/cm2. These initial doses were obviously too high, and it was then understood that the estimation of the white-skinned person's tolerance level to oral PUVA could not be based solely on the phenotype (hair and eye color).
A parametric analysis of microbolometer pixel designs

As microbolometer pixel dimensions for infrared imagers continue to decrease, the need for full-wave analysis in the design process is enhanced. Using reflectance as the validation point, an electromagnetic model of a dual-layer microbolometer pixel design was created for a 25 μm pixel design, and an in-depth study of the design was performed. With this model validated, further explorations were completed with a reduced size pixel. While simulating multiple variations of specific parameters, such as bridge thickness, upper and lower cavity heights, and different absorber configurations, a new evaluation metric of dissipated power in the structure was studied. This metric, provided by finite element analysis, provides great insight into absorption properties within the microbolometer structure, properties that cannot be directly measured but that are critical to the functionality of the pixel design. In this paper parametric analysis of microbolometer pixel designs are presented via both reflectance and dissipated power full-wave analysis.