cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fundamentals of Image Processing

Previously, we defined remote sensing as the art and science of obtaining measurements of objects without direct physical contact. This familiar definition when extended to the topic of the environment can be reworded slightly to focus measurement on the elements and features that characterize the environmental system. Measurement in this context implies the collection of data, numerical symbols that explain how a surface emits or reflects electromagnetic radiation in a characteristic pattern as recorded by a sensor. Data recorded in this manner are nothing more than an array of values that only becomes useful when transformed into some more meaningful information. When applied to activities that describe remote sensing, information forms specialized type of knowledge that is communicated or received concerning a particular circumstance that is of interest to us. Generating information is, therefore, directed and purposeful, following a systematic method that is transparent and repeatable. In this chapter, we will examine the fundamental principles and methods that guide the transformation of remotely sensed data into information. Through this review, we can explore how these methods connect to the analysis and assessment of Earth’s environmental system and gain a clearer understanding of the value of remote sensing technology when applied to this task.
Multimodal drugs and their future for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease

This chapter discusses the rationale for developing multimodal or multifunctional drugs (also called designed multiple ligands or DMLs) aimed at disease-modifying treatment strategies for the most common neurodegenerative diseases Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease (AD and PD). Both the prevalence and incidence of AD and PD have seen consistent and dramatic increases, a disconcerting phenomenon which, ironically, has been attributed to extended life expectancy brought about by better health care globally. In spite of these statistics, the development and introduction to the clinic of new therapies proven to prevent or delay the onset of AD and PD have been disappointing. Evidence has accumulated to suggest that the etiopathology of these diseases is extremely complex, with an array of potential drug targets located within a number of deleterious biochemical pathways. Therefore, in these diseases, it is unlikely that the complex pathoetiological cascade leading to disease initiation or progression will be mitigated by any one drug acting on a single pathway or target. The pursuit of novel DMLs may offer far better outcomes. Although certainly not the only, and perhaps not even the best, approach but farthest along the drug development pipeline in the DML paradigm are drugs that combine inhibition of monoamine oxidase with associated etiological targets unique to either AD or PD. These compounds will constitute the major focus of this chapter, which will also explore radically new paradigms that seek to combine cognitive enhancers with proneurogenesis compounds.
The essential requirement of an animal heme peroxidase protein during the wing maturation process in Drosophila.

Thus far, a handful of genes have been shown to be related to the wing maturation process in insects. A novel heme peroxidase enzyme known as curly suppressor (Cysu)(formerly CG5873), have been characterized in this report because it is involved in wing morphogenesis. Using bioinformatics tools we found that Cysu is remarkably conserved in the genus Drosophila (>95%) as well as in invertebrates (>70%), although its vertebrate orthologs show poor homology. Time-lapse imaging and histochemical analyses have confirmed that the defective wing phenotype of Cysu is not a result of any underlying cellular alterations; instead, its wings fail to expand in mature adults. The precise requirement of Cysu in wings was established by identifying a bona fide mutant of Cysu from the Bloomington Drosophila Stock Centre collection. Its requirement in the wing has also been shown by RNA knockdown of the gene. Subsequent transgenic rescue of the mutant wing phenotype with the wild-type gene confirmed the phenotype resulting from Cysu mutant. With appropriate GAL4 driver like engrailed-GAL4, the Cysu phenotype was compartmentalized, which raises a strong possibility that Cysu is not localized in the extracellular matrix (ECM); hence, Cysu is not engaged in bonding the dorsal and ventral cuticular layers. Finally, shortened lifespan of the Cysu mutant suggests it is functionally essential for other biological processes as well. Cysu, a peroxinectin-like gene, is required during the wing maturation process in Drosophila because as a heme peroxidase, Cysu is capable of utilizing H2O2, which plays an essential role in post-eclosion wing morphogenesis.
Overview of Oil and Gas Processes and Their Emissions to Air

This chapter summarizes the spectrum of emissions to the atmosphere from oil and gas industry supply chains, with an emphasis on upstream and midstream activities. Major categories of emissions include: (1) exploration and production; (2) gathering and processing; (3) combustion; (4) storage and transmission; and (5) waste disposal. Exploration and production emissions include those from well site preparation, drilling, hydraulic fracturing, well completion, and production fugitive releases. Gathering and processing emissions arise from several steps, including gas and liquid separation, glycol dehydration, gas sweetening, and sulfur or hydrocarbon recovery. Combustion emissions are produced by reciprocal internal combustion engines and turbines, boilers and heaters, and flares. Storage, transport, or transmission of oil, gas, and production chemicals can lead to fugitive emissions from storage tanks, pipeline leaks and maintenance, and loading losses. Lastly, waste pits and landfarming are two major sources of disposal emissions.
Comparing the measures of seven attributes of media reputation

Purpose Researchers developed multiple measures to assess media reputation, which is believed to be a driving force of corporate reputation. This study compared six measures that were used to measure seven attributes of media reputation. Design/methodology/approach This study conducted the content analysis of 2,817 news articles from both elite newspapers and local newspapers about nine big food corporations. Six measures were used to measure the media reputations of these corporations. Paired samples t-test was used to examine whether these measures are significantly different from each other. Findings Significant differences between measures of media reputation were found in seven attributes for elite and local newspapers. Using different news samples, elite newspapers vs. local newspapers, would also lead to significantly different assessments of media reputation in seven attributes. Originality/value No published research examines whether these measures are significantly different when they are used to measure multiple attributes of media reputation. The findings suggest that the six measures of media reputation cannot substitute one another. Researchers should provide rationales when they use any of them to measure the attributes of media reputation.
MnTE-2-PyP Inhibits Stat6 Activation and Reprograms Pro-Tumor M2 Macrophages to Anti-Tumor M1

Macrophages (Mφ) have high plasticity and can polarize along a spectrum of two extremes, the pro-inflammatory M1 Mφ and the immuno-suppressive M2 Mφ. In highly aggressive triple negative breast cancer, tumor associated Mφ (TAM) have a pro-tumor M2-like phenotype and are associated with disease progression and decreased survival. Thus, it is critical to develop strategies to reprogram TAM away from pro-tumor M2 Mφ toward anti-tumor M1 Mφ. Recently, a lipid peroxide scavenger displayed some efficacy to selectively inhibit M2 Mφ markers and cytokines. Little is known about the redox status of M1 and M2 Mφ, which could shed light on this phenomena. Our hypothesis is pro-tumorigenic M2 Mφ possess a distinct profile of pro- and anti-oxidant enzymes resulting in a different sensitivity to ROS modulation versus the anti-tumor M1 Mφ. Our results show M2 Mφ, derived from primary human monocytes, have a significant 20-30% reduction in intracellular ROS levels versus M1 Mφ by DCFH and DHE staining, as well as dramatically reduced extracellular H2O2 by ~70%. These changes are due in part to a combination of decreased ROS producing enzymes, Nox2, Nox5, and the Nox accessory protein CYBA, and increased ROS scavenging enzymes, catalase, Gpx1/4, and Cu/ZnSOD, in M2 Mφ. These data suggest M2 Mφ have increased ROS metabolism versus M1 Mφ, which may provide an advantage in the oxidative tumor microenvironment. Additionally, increasing ROS with exogenous H2O2, lead to increased M2 markers and decreased M1 markers implicating the oxidative tumor microenvironment in promoting a M2-like TAM phenotype. Similarly, reducing the extracellular oxidation by EcSOD re-expression in MB231, a triple negative breast cancer cell line, inhibited the MB231-mediated increase in M2 Mφ markers and decrease in M1 Mφ markers. Treatment with Mn(III) meso-tetrakis(N-ethylpyridinium-2-yl)porphyrin (MnTE), a small molecule SOD mimetic, shown to have anti-tumor effects, increased M1 Mφ markers, IL-12b and CD86, while decreasing M2 Mφ markers, IL-10, CD163, and CD206. MnTE inhibited the ability of M2 Mφ to inhibit T cell activation and promote cancer cell growth. Activation of Stat6, a key transcriptional regulator of M2 Mφ, is reduced with MnTE treatment providing mechanistic rationale for the inhibitory role of MnTE on M2 Mφ. These studies highlight the pivotal role of ROS during M2 Mφ polarization and provide rationale for antioxidant treatment of breast cancer to reprogram TAM.
Evaluation of El Niño-Southern Oscillation influence on 30 years of tropospheric ozone concentrations in Houston

Abstract Surface observations collected over the period 1980–2010 at three Continuous Ambient Monitoring Stations located in Houston, Texas were leveraged to create a long-term composite dataset of tropospheric ozone measurements. This dataset was used to evaluate large-scale influences and their relationship to exceedances of the 70 ppbv National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone. A linear regression fit to monthly mean daily peak 8-h concentrations for each month revealed a decreasing trend for the duration of the study period. After removal of this temporal trend, 8-h peak values averaged for each month featured peaks in springtime and late-summer with relative minima in mid-summer and winter. Stratification of the database by El Nino-Southern Oscillation phase using the Oceanic Nino Index revealed a statistically significant (α = 0.05) dependence of peak 8-h concentration on ENSO phase, with an enhancement of 5.8, 4.8, and 7.0 for March, April, and June during warm phase years, while cool phase years had statistically significant enhancements of 5.0, 4.0, and 3.6 ppbv in February, October, and December relative to neutral conditions. Importantly, relative to neutral conditions, “El Nino years” produce 26% more exceedences while “La Nina years” produce 23% fewer. The earlier onset of ozone seasons both in spring and late summer during El Nino years leads to more exposure to direct sunlight and more seasonal photochemical production, while the delayed late summer season during La Nina years leads to decreased sunlight and suppressed seasonal photochemical production relative to neutral years. Evaluation of the number of exceedances per month for each ENSO regime also suggests high tropospheric ozone concentrations in the fall and spring, with 4.4 and 6.8 exceedances per month in June and September, respectively for the warm phase. During cool phase conditions, Houston averaged 5.0 exceedances per month in September. Exceedances for neutral conditions ranged from zero exceedances in December to 2.2 exceedances in May and 5.0 in September. Analysis of exceedance data and mean values in light of parameters of the underlying distribution of daily peak 8-h data suggests that ENSO may influence the shape of those distributions, influencing both background ozone concentrations and the number of exceedances. Fast Fourier analysis indicated a common spectral signature for the ENSO and ozone spectra. This finding has implications for air quality mitigation strategies employed during warm phase and cool phase years.
Bayesian calibration of strength parameters using hydrocode simulations of symmetric impact shock experiments of Al-5083

Predictive modeling of materials requires accurately parameterized constitutive models. Parameterizing models that describe dynamic strength and plasticity require experimentally probing materials in a variety of strain rate regimes. Some experimental protocols (e.g., plate impact) probe the constitutive response of a material using indirect measures such as free surface velocimetry. Manual efforts to parameterize constitutive models using indirect experimental measures often lead to non-unique optimizations without quantification of parameter uncertainty. This study uses a Bayesian statistical approach to find model parameters and to quantify the uncertainty of the resulting parameters. The technique is demonstrated by parameterizing the Johnson-Cook strength model for aluminum alloy 5083 by coupling hydrocode simulations and velocimetry measurements of a series of plate impact experiments. Simulation inputs and outputs are used to calibrate an emulator that mimics the outputs of the computationally intensive simulations. Varying the amount of experimental data available for emulator calibration showed clear differences in the degree of uncertainty and uniqueness of the resulting optimized Johnson-Cook parameters for Al-5083. The results of the optimization provided a numerical evaluation of the degree of confidence in model parameters and model performance. Given an understanding of the physical effects of certain model parameters, individual parameter uncertainty can be leveraged to quickly identify gaps in the physical domains covered by completed experiments.Predictive modeling of materials requires accurately parameterized constitutive models. Parameterizing models that describe dynamic strength and plasticity require experimentally probing materials in a variety of strain rate regimes. Some experimental protocols (e.g., plate impact) probe the constitutive response of a material using indirect measures such as free surface velocimetry. Manual efforts to parameterize constitutive models using indirect experimental measures often lead to non-unique optimizations without quantification of parameter uncertainty. This study uses a Bayesian statistical approach to find model parameters and to quantify the uncertainty of the resulting parameters. The technique is demonstrated by parameterizing the Johnson-Cook strength model for aluminum alloy 5083 by coupling hydrocode simulations and velocimetry measurements of a series of plate impact experiments. Simulation inputs and outputs are used to calibrate an emulator that mimics the outputs of the computationally inte...
Ichthyosis linearis circumflexa (Comèl) bei familiärem Auftreten von Ichthyosis vulgaris

Es wurde uber einen Fall von Ichthyosis linearis circumflexa (I.l.c.) im Zusammenhang mit Ichthyosis vulgaris (I.v.) in der Ascendens und in der Geschwisterreihe berichtet. Die Beziehungen des Krankheitsbildes zur I.v. und zu den variablen Erythrokeratodermien werden diskutiert. Es erhebt sich sogar die Frage, ob mit der I.l.c. nicht auch die variablen Erythrokeratodermien der Ichthyosis naherstehen, als heute allgemein angenommen wird. Das Krankheitsbild (Phanotypus) wird gepragt vom Verhaltnis Erythem zu Keratose, wobei die letztere erbbiologisch gesehen offenbar das Primare darstellt. Das ungewohnliche Hervortreten des Erythems im klinischen Bild bedingt, das im Gegensatz zur I.v. nicht nur im Winter, sondern auch im Sommer Exacerbationen moglich sind, was gleichzeitig auf die besondere Rolle von Umwelteinflussen (thermisch, aktinisch, chemisch) hinweist.
Addressing Misconceptions Related to Mass–Matter Conservation and Bond Energetics with a Modified Gauss Accelerator

We describe a demonstration to confront misconceptions associated with mass–matter conservation and bond energetics. This demonstration is based on the Gauss Accelerator and is accompanied by hands-on manipulatives. The demonstration exemplifies mass–matter conservation, bond breaking, and bond making using a chemical-analogue system: a neodymium magnet (M) with two ferromagnetic steel balls (S) attached in an M–S–S (“reactant”) configuration resting on an aluminum track. A third steel ball rolled toward the free side results in the high-energy expulsion of the terminal steel ball and a final S–M–S (“product”) configuration. Discussion of differential “bond” energies (MS–S vs S–M) and observation of the number and type of each “atom” present prepares the audience for the demonstration. In a repeated-measures pre–post design, students (N = 9) performed significantly better (t(8) = 7.234, p < 0.05, d = 2.41) on a conceptual-knowledge assessment of their understanding of mass–matter conservation and bond ene...
Improving the Safety of Teratogen Prescribing Practices in a Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic

OBJECTIVES: Although teratogenic medications are commonly used to treat rheumatic disease, no standard model currently exists for educating adolescent patients about teratogenic risk or performing routine pregnancy screening. We performed a quality improvement project to increase education and pregnancy screening in girls and women of childbearing age prescribed teratogenic medications in our pediatric rheumatology clinic. METHODS: Eligible participants included female patients age 10 and older prescribed teratogenic medications in a single-center tertiary care pediatric rheumatology clinic. Seven plan-do-study-act cycles were completed to test the following interventions: visible project reminders, physician and nurse education, progress updates, previsit planning, and development of an electronic health record education template. Chart reviews were performed, and control charts were created for each aim to analyze improvement over time. RESULTS: At baseline, 57 of 231 (24.7%) clinic encounters of female patients age 10 years and older taking teratogenic medications had education documented within the last 12 months, and 47 of 231 (20.3%) had pregnancy screening performed at the visit. Implementation of our interventions resulted in improvement in documentation of annual teratogen education (904 of 1135; 79.6%) and routine pregnancy screening (940 of 1135; 82.8%), both of which were statistically significant (P 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: The interventions made through this quality improvement project increased the frequency of both teratogen education and urine pregnancy screening in patients taking teratogenic medications. Development of a standardized education template in the electronic health record played a key role in sustaining these improvements over time.
Utilization of Dielectrophoresis for the Quantification of Rare Earth Elements Adsorbed on Cupriavidus necator

A new method of quantifying rare earth elements (REEs): light REEs (neodymium—Nd3+ and samarium—Sm3+) and heavy REE (europium—Eu3+) was investigated by utilizing native Cupriavidus necator as the biosorbent and dielectrophoresis as the quantification technique.C. necator was characterized as a control through the measurement of the first and second crossover frequencies in a polymer-based (PDMS) point-and-planar microwell platform at 8 Vpp (peak-to-peak voltage) ac signal and variable frequencies. Allied C. necator in its metal-bound state was then characterized for each of the REEs adsorbed. The first crossover frequency (fco1) was correlated with the amount of metal adsorbed that was obtained through spectrophotometry. The influence of pH, biosorbent dosage, initial REE concentration, and REE incubation period was further investigated to study the effects of those on the biosorption process. It was found that the amount of metal biosorbed by the C. necator is directly proportional to the biosorbent dosa...
Classifying Humpback Whale Calls to Song and Non-Song Vocalizations using Bag of Words Descriptor on Acoustic Data

Humpback whale behavior, population distribution and structure can be inferred from long term underwater passive acoustic monitoring of their vocalizations. Here we develop automatic approaches for classifying humpback whale vocalizations into the two categories of song and non-song, employing machine learning techniques. The vocalization behavior of humpback whales was monitored over instantaneous vast areas of the Gulf of Maine using a large aperture coherent hydrophone array system via the passive ocean acoustic waveguide remote sensing technique over multiple diel cycles in Fall 2006. We use wavelet signal denoising and coherent array processing to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio. To build features vector for every time sequence of the beamformed signals, we employ Bag of Words approach to time-frequency features. Finally, we apply Support Vector Machine (SVM), Neural Networks, and Naive Bayes to classify the acoustic data and compare their performances. Best results are obtained using Mel Frequency Cepstrum Coefficient (MFCC) features and SVM which leads to 94% accuracy and 72.73% F1-score for humpback whale song versus non-song vocalization classification, showing effectiveness of the proposed approach for real-time classification at sea.
7 – The past influences the present

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the use of past behavior to predict the future. The key concept is the filter, a type of linear model that connects the past and present states of a system. Filters can be used to both quantify the physical processes that connect two related sets of measurements and predict their future behavior. It develops the prediction error filter and apply it to hydrographic data in order to explore the degree to which stream flow can be predicted. It shows that the filter has many uses in addition to prediction; for instance, it can be used to explore the underlying processes that connect two related types of data.
Fracture of nanophase ceramics: A molecular-dynamics study

New multiscale algorithms and a load-balancing scheme are combined for molecular-dynamics simulations of nanocluster-assembled ceramics on parallel computers. Million-atom simulations of the dynamic fracture in nanophase silicon nitride reveal anisotropie self-affine structures and crossover phenomena associated with fracture surfaces.
Violence, non-violence and the conditional effect of repression on subsequent dissident mobilization:

This article examines the conditional effect that repression has on non-violent vs. violent mass mobilization. While governments often resort to violence to deter future mobilization, studies of th...
What the Frack? The Impact of Seismic Activity on Residential Property Values

We utilize the US Geological Survey (USGS) Did You Feel It? (DYFI) system to estimate the impact of induced earthquake activity on residential property values in Oklahoma City. Hedonic models based...
Assessing the Uniformity of Uveitis Clinical Concepts and Associated ICD-10 Codes Across Health Care Systems Sharing the Same Electronic Health Records System

Importance Big data studies may allow for the aggregation of patients with rare diseases such as uveitis to answer important clinical questions. Standardization of uveitis-related variables will be necessary, including the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes used to identify patients of interest. There are currently limited data on the uniformity of diagnosis mapping to ICD-10 codes for uveitis diagnoses among different health systems. Objective To assess the degree of uniformity in mapping of uveitis clinical concepts to ICD-10 codes across health care systems using the same electronic health record (EHR) system. Design, setting, and participants This multicenter survey study was conducted between September 14 and October 9, 2020, at 5 academic health care systems that use the Epic EHR. Researchers from the University of Washington, Harvard University, Stanford University, Yale University, and the University of California, San Francisco queried 54 uveitis-related diagnostic terms and recorded the associated ICD-10 codes. Main outcomes and measures The degree of uniformity for uveitis clinical concepts and associated ICD-10 codes. Results Fifty-four uveitis-related diagnostic terms were queried within the Epic EHR at 5 different health care systems. There was perfect agreement among all 5 centers for 52 of the 54 diagnostic terms. Two diagnostic terms had differences in ICD-10 coding: juvenile idiopathic arthritis associated chronic uveitis and intermediate uveitis. Intermediate uveitis was associated with codes H20.1x (ICD-10 description: chronic iridocyclitis) or H20.9 (ICD-10 description: unspecified iridocyclitis) in 3 centers while being associated with code H30.2x (ICD-10 description: posterior cyclitis) at the 2 remaining centers. The discrepancies appear to be related to a recent update in diagnostic mapping in the Epic EHR. Conclusions and relevance This study suggests that ICD-10 code mapping to uveitis diagnostic terminology appears to be highly uniform at different centers with the Epic EHR. However, temporal changes in diagnosis mapping to ICD-10 codes and a lack of 1-to-1 mapping of diagnosis to ICD-10 code add additional sources of complexity to the interpretation of big data studies in uveitis.
Blacks on Stage: Are We Still Replicating Stereotypes from the Legacy of Minstrelsy

This is an analysis of early African American Theater (AAT) and the origins of stereotyping the performance of blackness in the larger history of American Theater canon known as minstrelsy. In such an analysis of AAT, there are several questions to consider. At its impetus, through to its hey day and then its demise, was minstrelsy the manifestation of cultural domination; or, the celebration of an authentic peoples’ culture? The stigma of Blackface was one of the stylized symbols of both minstrelsy and blackness that became calcified in the cultural consciousness of America. In these performances of race, “blackface” was used by white entertainers to demystify, clown and degrade “blackness”. I contend that both forms of American minstrelsy—early whites in blackface and then later, African Americans, themselves, (forced to don burnt cork to gain entre to the American stage) were, simply, an example of early American cultural imperialism. Minstrelsy, as the first American Musical theater, became the process through which a people’s authentic artistic production was co-opted and comodified for poplar consumption in a capitalistic marketplace—in this case fastening black culture to racist uses. While White blackface minstrelsy was as much “administered and determined” for racist uses in popular culture, it was continuously created and reinvigorated by authentic black contributions to its repertoire of music, song and dance, (Lott, 6) “Minstrelsy was an arena in which the efficient expropriation of the cultural commodity “blackness” occurred.” (Lott, 6)
Organizational Modeling: Rationales, Issues, and Methods

The increasing complexity and dynamics of modern organizations have made it difficult for people in them to understand and manage them. But modeling an organization is a difficult process, if not an impossible one. We raise several issues and assumptions about organizational modeling in this paper. The potential usages of organizational models are suggested. The large amount of information and complex relations among objects in the organization dictate the use of information technologies to support organizational modeling. An object-oriented multi-dimensional organizational modeling method is presented. Future research directions in organizational modeling are explored.
Origins of the European Economy: “Virtual” coins and communications

I n 1961, P olish archaeologists must have disrupted the flow of tourists from the vaporetti , the local water buses, to the splendid Byzantine mosaics of Torcello. The eleventh-century church on this island marks one of the oldest settlement centers of early medieval Venice. The church itself was rebuilt from a structure which, to judge from an inscription, the Byzantine governor had dedicated in 639. Right next to the church, the Poles sank a sounding trench into the early medieval market square. This must be the very place that a tenth-century Byzantine emperor called the “great market.” Among the objects that emerged from the mud were two damaged coins which had fused together (Figure 11.1). They still bore the imprint of the textile bag in which they had been lost over a thousand years previously. One was a silver penny (denarius) issued at Milan by Charles the Great between 793 and 812. The other coin was more badly damaged. But one can still make out its Kufic inscription: “There is no God but Allah …” It was a silver dirham, issued in the Abbasid caliphate around 800. How did these coins come together at this place, in this time? What does their story tell us about the broader one of communications and commerce in the world of Charlemagne? Solving the small riddle of the coins from the Venetian marketplace will take us a step closer to a much greater enigma, the origins of the European commercial economy.
Polypeptide chain initiation in eukaryotes. IV. Purification and properties of supernatant initiation factor from Artemia salina embryos.

Abstract The eukaryotic supernatant initiation factor, described in earlier publications from this laboratory, has been isolated and purified over 3000-fold, to about 70 to 80% purity, from extracts of embryos of the brine shrimp Artemia salina. The native protein appears to consist of two equal subunits, each weighing approximately 74,000 daltons. Like the bacterial initiation factor IF2, its prokaryotic counterpart, the Artemia factor promotes the AUG-dependent binding of fMet-tRNA, or the poly (U)-dependent binding of N-acetyl-Phe-tRNA, to the small ribosomal subunit. However, unlike IF2, the reaction is GTP-independent and the factor functions catalytically for one molecule may promote the binding of up to 12 molecules of fMet-tRNA to 40 s subunits at 0 °C.
A Debate on the Deficit

OLITICAL VIEWS ON THE EFFECTS OF FISCAL DEFICITS have changed over the years. The Great Depression marked a period of transition from sound finance to Keynesian principles, as enshrined in the Kennedy-Johnson tax cut of the mid-1960s. The 1960s were the culmination of the prosperity of the post–World War II period, now known as the Golden Age of capitalism. Rates of growth in the western world were the highest on record, unemployment rates were historically low, and although great inequalities still existed, the gap between the rich and the poor narrowed, both within and between countries. This period in the Western world can be seen, in part, as the result of a tacit accord between social classes according to which progressive taxation financed an expanding welfare state and a set of social rights, which in turn translated into a relatively low degree of social confrontation. The tacit social agreement was a fragile one. The increasing social
How communism could have been saved: Formal analysis of electoral bargaining in Poland in 1989

During the 1989 Roundtable Talks Solidarity and PUWP (the communist party) were bargaining over the electoral law for the 1989 parliamentary elections in Poland – the first semi-free elections held in the Soviet Bloc. I show that the PUWP consent to the elections was founded on an overly optimistic estimate of its popular support. A surprising Solidarity's victory led to the subsequent collapse of the communist regime in Poland and initiated the fall of communism in other countries. An alternative electoral law, a Single Transferable Vote, would have been mutually acceptable to both parties while producing an outcome that would have been critically better for the communists.
Using imagery to simplify perceptual abstraction in reinforcement learning agents

In this paper, we consider the problem of reinforcement learning in spatial tasks. These tasks have many states that can be aggregated together to improve learning efficiency. In an agent, this aggregation can take the form of selecting appropriate perceptual processes to arrive at a qualitative abstraction of the underlying continuous state. However, for arbitrary problems, an agent is unlikely to have the perceptual processes necessary to discriminate all relevant states in terms of such an abstraction. To help compensate for this, reinforcement learning can be integrated with an imagery system, where simple models of physical processes are applied within a low-level perceptual representation to predict the state resulting from an action. Rather than abstracting the current state, abstraction can be applied to the predicted next state. Formally, it is shown that this integration broadens the class of perceptual abstraction methods that can be used while preserving the underlying problem. Empirically, it is shown that this approach can be used in complex domains, and can be beneficial even when formal requirements are not met.
Becoming Male in the Middle Ages

Contents Becoming and Unbecoming Jeffrey Jerome Cohen and Bonnie Wheeler Body Doubles: Producing the Masculine Corpus D. Vance Smith Becoming Christian, Becoming Male? Steven F. Kruger Where the Boys Are: Children and Sex in the Anglo-Saxon Penitentials Allen J. Frantzen Ironic Intertextuality and the Reader's Resistance to Heroic Masculinity in the Waltharius David Townsend Abelard and (Re)writing the Male Body: Castration, Identity, and Remasculinization Martin Irvine Origenary Fantasies: Abelard's Castration and Confession Bonnie Wheeler Abelard's Blissful Castration Yves Ferroul Eunuchs who Keep the Sabbath: Becoming Male and the Ascetic Ideal in Thirteenth-Century Jewish Mysticism Elliot R. Wolfson Sharing Wine, Women, and Song: Masculine Identity Formation in the Medieval European Universities Ruth Mazo Karras Wolf Man Leslie Dunton-Downer Gowther Among the Dogs: Becoming Inhuman C. 1400 Jeffrey Jerome Cohen Erotic Discipline...Or "Tee Hee, I like my boys to be girls": Inventing with the Body in Chaucer's Miller's Tale Glenn Burger The Pardoner, Veiled and Unveiled Robert S. Sturges Transvestite Knights in Medieval Life and Literature Ad Putter The Vicious Guise: Effeminacy, Sodomy, and Mankind Garrett P. J. Epp Outlaw Masculinities: Drag, Blackface, and Late Medieval Laboring-Class Festivities Claire Sponsler Normative Heterosexuality in History and Theory: The Case of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount R. James Goldstein On Becoming-Male Michael Uebel
Decreased thermal denaturation temperature of osteogenesis imperfecta mutant collagen is independent of post-translational overmodifications of lysine and hydroxylysine.

Abstract Fibroblasts from many patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) synthesize and secrete Type I collagen which is both overmodified and exhibits a decreased thermal denaturation temperature. We have examined the relationship between overmodification and decreased melting temperature in several favorable OI mutants by selectively inhibiting lysyl hydroxylase activity with the drug Minoxidil and comparing the melting profiles of the resultant undermodified collagen with untreated control. Minoxidil treatment causes an appreciable decrease in hydroxylysine with compensatory increases in lysine content, and the delayed sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic mobility of the overmodified collagen chains becomes normal. However, the decreased melting temperature was unchanged from untreated OI control. When unhydroxylated collagen produced by normal control and OI fibroblasts incubated with alpha,alpha'-dipyridyl was examined, mutant OI molecules melted at a lower temperature than control. These data indicate that the decreased thermal denaturation temperature of OI mutant collagen is independent of post-translational overmodification of lysine or hydroxylysine. Presumably, substitutions for glycine in the Gly-X-Y structural motif distort the helix and produce lower melting temperatures by presently unknown mechanisms.
Care of the Homeless Patient

This article discusses the unique considerations when caring for patients who lack housing, one of the most essential human needs. Special attention is provided to diseases and conditions that are affected by homelessness as well as to particularly vulnerable populations of homeless patients.
Identification and characterization of the poly(A)-binding proteins from the sea urchin: a quantitative analysis.

Abstract Poly(A)-binding proteins (PABPs) are the best characterized messenger RNA-binding proteins of eucaryotic cells and have been identified in diverse organisms such as mammals and yeasts. The in vitro poly(A)-binding properties of these proteins have been studied intensively; however, little is known about their function in cells. In this report, we show that sea urchin eggs have two molecular weight forms of PABP (molecular weights of 66,000 and 80,000). Each of these has at least five posttranslationally modified forms. Both sea urchin PABPs are found in approximately 1:1 ratios in both cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions of embryonic cells. Quantification in eggs and embryos revealed that sea urchin PABPs are surprisingly abundant, composing about 0.6% of total cellular protein. This is 50 times more than required to bind all the poly(A) in the egg based on the binding stoichiometry of 1 PABP per 27 adenosine residues. We found that density gradient centrifugation strips PABP from poly(A) and therefore underestimates the amount of PABP complexed to poly(A)+ RNA in cell homogenates. However, large-pore gel filtration chromatography could be used to separate intact poly(A)-PABP complexes from free PABP. Using the gel filtration method, we found that the threefold increase in poly(A) content of the egg after fertilization is paralleled by an approximate fivefold increase in the amount of bound PABP. Furthermore, both translated and nontranslated poly(A)+ RNAs appear to be complexed to PABP. As expected from the observation that PABPs are so abundant, greater than 95% of the PABP of the cell is uncomplexed protein.
Study of Rayleigh scattering for visualization of helium-air mixing at Mach 6

Using an ArF excimer laser, planar Rayleigh scattering measurements were performed to investigate helium mixing into air at supersonic speeds. These experiments were conducted in the Mach 6, high-Reynolds-number facility at NASA Langley Research Center. The capability of the Rayleigh scattering technique for flow visualization of a turbulent environment was demonstrated. The qualitative agreement between the averaged Rayleigh results and the reduced mean-mass-densities obtained from probe measurements substantiate that careful application of the technique, even in the presence of clusters, can give very useful results. It was also demonstrated that planar, quantitative measurements can be made in the absence of clusters. >
Generation, Isolation, and Maintenance of Rodent Mast Cells and Mast Cell Lines

Antigen-mediated mast cell activation, with subsequent mediator release, is a major initiator of the inflammatory allergic response associated with such conditions as asthma. A comprehensive understanding of the principles involved in this process therefore is key to the development of novel therapies for the treatment of these disease states. In vitro models of mast cell function have allowed significant progress to be made in the recognition of the fundamental principles of mast cell activation via the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcvarepsilonRI) and, more recently, other receptors expressed on mast cells. In addition to human mast cells, the major cell culture systems employed to investigate these responses are rat and mouse peritoneal mast cells, mouse bone-marrow-derived mast cells, the rat basophilic leukemia cell line RBL-2H3, and the mouse MC/9 mast cell line. In this unit, we describe the protocols used for the isolation and/or culture of these cells and discuss the relative merits of their use.
Cytokeratin-20 and Survivin-Expressing Circulating Tumor Cells Predict Survival in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients by a Combined Immunomagnetic qRT-PCR Approach

Circulating tumor cells (CTC) express epithelial and stem cell-like genes, though current approved detection methods mainly use epithelial markers. We optimized a CTC isolation method that could capture their molecular heterogeneity and predict overall survival (OS) in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients receiving various chemotherapy regimens. We combined immunomagnetic enrichment of CD45-negative, EpCAM-positive circulating cancer cells with qRT-PCR amplification of CK20 and survivin expression in 88 mCRC patients and 20 healthy controls. We then evaluated the prognostic value of baseline CTC CK20 and survivin expression in mCRC patients. The presence of elevated CTC CK20 or survivin expression distinguished mCRC patients from controls with sufficient sensitivity (79.6%) and specificity (85%). In univariate analysis, patients with high CTC-CK20 expression (9 vs. 33.2+ months, log-rank P < 0.001) or high CTC-survivin expression (10 vs. 33.2+ months, log-rank P = 0.032) had a significantly worse median OS than those with low expression of either marker. In multivariable analysis, the high CTC-CK20 group had significantly shortened OS (HR, 3.11; adjusted P = 0.01), and there was a trend toward inferior OS in the high CTC-survivin group (HR, 1.76; adjusted P = 0.099). Patients with either high CTC CK20 or survivin expression had inferior OS compared with those with low expression of both markers (HR, 4.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.56-12.35; adjusted P = 0.005). Colorectal cancer CTCs can be reliably isolated using epithelial and stem cell markers. CTC CK20 and survivin expression may effectively predict OS in mCRC patients receiving chemotherapy.
Cell migration in the developing chick diencephalon

We previously reported that retrovirally marked clones in the mature chick diencephalon were widely dispersed in the mediolateral, dorsoventral and rostrocaudal planes. The current study was undertaken to define the migration routes that led to the dispersion. Embryos were infected between stages 10 and 14 with a retroviral stock encoding alkaline phosphatase and a library of molecular tags. Embryos were harvested 2.5-5.5 days later and the brains were fixed and serially sectioned. Sibling relationships were determined following PCR amplification and sequencing of the molecular tag. On embryonic day 4, all clones were organized in radial columns spanning the neuroepithelium, which was composed primarily of a ventricular zone at this age. No tangential migration was seen in the ventricular zone. On embryonic day 5, most clones remained radial with many cells located in the ventricular zone; however, a few clones had cells migrating perpendicular to the radial column, in either a rostrocaudal or dorsoventral direction. The tangential migration began just beyond the basal limit of the ventricular zone. On embryonic days 6 and 7, many clones had cells migrating perpendicular to the radial column, which spanned from the ventricular to the pial surface. The migrating cells appeared to be aligned along axes that were perpendicular to the radial column. Using a combination of DiI tracing, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy, we have determined that axonal tracts are present and are aligned with the migrating cells, suggesting that they support the non-radial cell migration. These data indicate that migration along pathways independent of radial glia occur outside of the ventricular zone in more than 50% of the clones in the chick diencephalon.
Cutting Edge: Culture with High Doses of Viral Peptide Induces Previously Unprimed CD8+ T Cells to Produce Cytokine

Culturing naive T cells with 50 μM selected HIV-1 envelope peptides for 6 days in the presence of IL-2 drives the emergence of a substantial CD8+ population that secretes IFN-γ following short-term stimulation with 1 μM peptide. This response is H-2Kb restricted, epitope specific, and requires the continuing presence of peptide. The same effect was found for known H-2Db-restricted peptides from two influenza virus proteins. The great majority of these influenza-specific CD8+IFN-γ+ T cells neither stained with the cognate tetramer nor expressed the TCR Vβ bias that is characteristic of the CD8+ set expanded in vivo during an infection. Thus, multipoint binding of low affinity TCRs on naive CD8+ T cells can drive peptide-specific cytokine production. However, at least for two influenza-derived epitopes, the avidity of the TCR-MHC peptide interaction appears to be insufficient to stabilize a tetrameric complex of MHC class I glycoprotein plus peptide on the lymphocyte surface.
Analysis of five HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors-- atorvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin and simvastatin: pharmacological, pharmacokinetic and analytical overview and development of a new method for use in pharmaceutical formulations analysis and in vitro metabolism studies.

A specific, accurate, precise and reproducible high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantitation of five 3-hydroxy-3-methyglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, viz. atorvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin and simvastatin, in pharmaceutical formulations and extended the application to in vitro metabolism studies of these statins. Ternary gradient elution at a flow rate of 1 mL/min was employed on an Intertisl ODS 3V column (4.6 × 250 mm, 5 µm) at ambient temperature. The mobile phase consisted of 0.01 m ammonium acetate (pH 5.0), acetonitrile and methanol. Theophylline was used as an internal standard (IS). The HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and their metabolites were monitored at a wavelength of 237 nm. Drugs were found to be 89.6–105.6% of their label's claim in the pharmaceutical formulations. For in vitro metabolism studies the reaction mixtures were extracted with simple liquid–liquid extraction using ethyl acetate. Baseline separation of statins and their metabolites along with IS free from endogenous interferences was achieved. Nominal retention times of IS, atorvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin and simvastatin were 7.5, 17.2, 21.6, 28.5, 33.5 and 35.5 min, respectively. The proposed method is simple, selective and could be applicable for routine analysis of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors in pharmaceutical preparations as well as in vitro metabolism studies. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pyridinium-and Quinolinium-2-dithioacetic Acid Zwitterions: Antiradiation and Anticancer Activities

Pyridinium-, quinolinium-, and one pyrimidinium-2-dithioacetic acid zwitterions were prepared by condensation of the N-methyl heterocyclic anhydro bases with carbon disulfide. Reaction of the 2-methylpyridine methiodide anhydro base with carbon disulfide resulted in replacement of the 2-methyl group to give the l-methylpyridinium-2-dithioacetic acid zwitterion. The 1,6-dimethylquinolinium-2-di. thioacetic acid zwitterion showed appreciable anticancer activity against P-388 lymphocytic leukemia in mice, but the other zwitterions tested showed no activity. No antiradiation activity was found for l-methylpyridinium-2-dithioacetic acid zwitterion.
Identification of organic halogen products

Approximately two million tons of chlorine are used annually in this country for processing pulp and paper materials and for treating potable waters, cooling waters, waste waters, and other waters of environmental concern (White 1976). Organic halogen products are formed in these processes (Bellar et al. 1974; Brownlee and Strachan 1976; Glaze et al. 1973; Glaze and Henderson 1975; Glaze et al. 1976; Jolley 1973, 1975, 1976; Jolley et al. 1976; Keith 1976; Rogers and Keith 1976; Stevens et al. 1976). Thus there is considerable potential for adverse environmental effects to occur