cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Salt recovery from agricultural drainage water using a liquid film solar-assisted concentrator – Simulation and model validation

Abstract Salt management in irrigated agriculture is critical to the economies of the San Joaquin Valley of California and many other areas around the world. Purified salts can be recovered as marketable products through fractional crystallization following concentration of final stage drainage water from integrated on-farm drainage management systems. To obtain recovered salt and use as a commercial product, new systems which can perform with higher efficiency and lower environmental impact than solar evaporation basins or solar ponds that have previously been used for the final stage are in need of development. For this purpose, a number of solar-assisted brine concentration concepts have been explored, including an open liquid film-type using a tilted evaporation surface described here. Model performance was conceptually evaluated and then experimentally verified. A transient model was developed from energy and component mass balances and employed constitutive heat and mass transfer relationships from various other sources for simulating concentration of agricultural drainage water using a liquid film solar-assisted concentrator. Measured maximum evaporation rate and productivity were between 1.3 and 1.5 kg m−2 h−1, and 80 kg m−2 over a 7 day experimental period respectively which was about a third better performance compared with a shallow basin horizontal concentrator. Measurements were in good agreement with model predictions: within 2 °C at the peak and 4 °C at the lowest evaporation, and 0.2 kg m−2 h−1 for evaporation rates during the peak evaporation periods of the day when compared with independent data sets. Cumulative evaporation rates were from 75 to 85 kg m−2 for the tilted concentrator model and 60 to 65 kg m−2 for the horizontal concentrator model after 7 days. The tilted concentrator yielded productivity and efficiency that were 33% higher than the horizontal concentrator according to the experimental result for the same period and location.
Morphological profiles of cryptorchid XXY mouse testes

Two mice with an XXY karyotype and cryptorchid testes appeared spontaneously in a colony. The animals were H-Y antigen-positive, and had elevated serum levels of follicle-stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing (LH) hormones. Testes of the affected mice were atrophic, containing a few solid seminiferous cords surrounded by vast amounts of compact interstitial material. The cords were delimited by a broad tunica propria in which the basal lamina was irregularly thickened and stratified into a number of alternating dense and less dense layers. Most sex cords were populated by mature Sertoli cells and small pleomorphic elements resembling monocytic-derived macrophages. Within some cords, the macrophages aggregated into a central mass with which identifiable Sertoli cells and (PAS) periodic acid Schiff-positive fragments of basal lamina were associated. In more severely damaged cords, the basal lamina and peripheral carpet of Sertoli cells were totally missing. Such cords were populated only the the central macrophages with fragments of basal lamina and degenerating Sertoli cells. Finally, a few collapsed remnants of cords contained compact nodules of macrophages surrounded by what appeared to be the outer part of the tunica propria. The interstitial area, as well as the outer walls of the seminiferous cords were also heavily infiltrated by macrophages. Overall, the morphological picture was one of severe immunological injury. We do not know what role, if any, the genetic constitution and/or intra-abdominal environment may play in the expression of these bizarre pathologies. However, such severe changes have not been reported in either Klinefelter's syndrome or the undescended testes of any human or subprimate species.
Concurrent validity and analysis of learning curves on the memory scales of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery-Third Edition.

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the concurrent validity of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery Third Edition (LNNB-III) memory scales with the WSM-R (study 1), as well as to investigate performance differences between brain-injured and nonbrain injured subjects on the LNNB-III memory indices, first trial learning, and learning curves of each scale (study 2). Study 1 had 90 subjects (46 males and 44 females). Study 2 had 228 subjects (109 normals and 119 brain-injured).Significant correlations were found between the LNNB-III memory scales and the WSM-R index scores. Findings also revealed poorer overall performance and initial learning of brain-injured subjects across all LNNB-III memory scales. Brain-injured subjects also demonstrated significantly reduced learning curves across repeated trials on two of the three scales. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus. Report of two cases.

Two cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus are presented. The tumors are presumed to have arisen from the excretory ducts of the submucosal mucosal glands of the esophagus, though this is not proved beyond question. Previous probable cases from the literature are reviewed and discussed. The terms adenoacanthoma, adenocarcinoma with squamous metaplasia, mixed squamous and glandular carcinoma, and mucoepidermoid carcinoma are also contrasted and evaluated with suggestions as to their use. The similarity of the cases presented to mucoepidermoid tumors of the salivary gland is noted. While theoretically the esophageal mucoepidermoid carcinomas should offer a better prognosis than the usual squamous carcinomas, no dogmatic statement concerning this point is justified due to the paucity of cases reported.
Micro-alumina particle volatilization temperature measurements in a heterogeneous shock tube

Abstract Peak flame temperatures in aluminum particle combustion should approach the volatilization temperature of the product alumina. References are divided in assigning this temperature anywhere between 3200 and 4000 K, which can provide significant uncertainty not only in numerical models for combustion but also in the interpretation of flame structure from temperature measurements. We present results in the controlled conditions of the UIUC heterogeneous shock tube of volatilization temperature, made by measuring the extinction of light by nano- and micro-alumina particles at non-resonant wavelengths at different ambient temperatures. At 10 atm, there is a sharp cutoff at 3860 K beyond which nano-particles volatilize and stop extinguishing within the shock tube test time. Numerical modeling of the evaporation rate of these particles is used to assign a volatilization temperature of 4340 K at 10 atm. Similarly, a volatilization temperature of 4260 K at 3 atm is measured. From our analysis, the best estimate for the volatilization temperature at 1 atm was 4189 ± 200 K, which is consistent with the high range of volatilization temperature reported in the literature.
Pollen feeding in Balaustium murorum (Acari: Erythraeidae): visualization and behaviour

To determine whether pollen is a significant food source for Balaustium cf. murorum (tentative identification), behavioural responses to pollen feeding were examined in short-range Petri plate bioassays. Evans blue dye was used as a tracer to stain pollen after being incorporated into the gut. The results show that all active stages (larva, deutonymph and adult) ingested whole pollen from viburnum shrub (Viburnum) and daffodil (Narcissus) cultivars. All active stages fed on all types of pollen tested: tulip (Tulipa), daffodil (Narcissus), pear (Pyrus), maple (Acer), viburnum (Viburnum) and crabapple (Malus) cultivars except for tulip in the adult and tulip, pear and crabapple in the deutonymph. A higher percentage of larvae fed on pollen-covered surfaces and cleared pollen at a faster rate than other life stages in the bioassays. Clearance of viburnum and daffodil pollen by larvae and deutonymphs was particularly rapid, but this shifted to maple and crabapple pollen in the adult. In pheromone bioassays, p...
Thermal Transport in a He 4 Film at the Kosterlitz-Thouless Transition

The thermal conductance of a $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ film has been studied in conjunction with torsional oscillator measurements of the superfluid response. A dramatic rise in the thermal conductance is observed just above the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition temperature determined by the torsional oscillator. In agreement with the theoretical predictions of Ambegaokar et al., the thermal conductance is found to diverge as the exponential of ${(T\ensuremath{-}{T}_{c})}^{\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}}$ for $T\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{{T}_{c}}^{+}$.
Optical tomography with the third-order frequency-domain Simplified Spherical approximation (FD-SP3)

We have developed an FD-SP3 based tomographic reconstruction scheme. This scheme is significantly faster and more memory-efficient than solving the transport equation. Yet it is accurate enough to capture the transport behavior in non-diffuse media.
The stellate cells of the rat's cerebellar cortex.

Stellate cells were studied in rapid Golgi preparations and in electron micrographs. These small neurons can be classified on the basis of their position in the molecular layer and the patterns of their dendritic and axonal arborizations as follows: (1) superficial cells with short, contorted dendrites and a circumscribed axonal arbor (upper third of the molecular layer); (2) deep stellate cells with radiating, twisted dendrites and with long axons giving rise to thin, varicose collaterals (middle third of the molecular layer); (3) deep stellate cells with similar dendrites and long axons giving collaterals to the basket around the Purkinje cell bodies (middle third of the molecular layer). An important characteristic of the stellate cell axon is that it generates most of its collaterals close to its origin. Even in long axon cells, only a few collaterals issue from the more distant parts of the axon. These forms contrast with the basket cell, which sends out long, straighter dendrites, and an extended axon that first emits branches at some distance from its origin. Furthermore, basket cell axon collaterals are usually stout in contrast to the frail, beaded collaterals of the stellate cell axon. The two cell types are considered to be distinct. In electron micrographs stellate cells display folded nuclei and sparse cytoplasm with the characteristics usual for small neurons. Mitochondria are often the most conspicuous organelles because of their size and pleomorphism. The dendrites cannot be followed for long distances in thin sections because of their irregular caliber and course. Axons can be recognized on the basis of their appearance in Golgi preparations as short stretches of slender fibers distended at close intervals and running athwart the grid of the parallel fibers. These distensions, full of ovoid or flattened vesicles, synapse on the shafts of Purkinje cell dendrites and also on the dendrites of Golgi cells, basket cells, and other stellate cells. In all cases the synaptic complex occupies about a third of the junctional interface, the synaptic cleft is somewhat widened, and the pre- and postsynaptic dense plaques are thin and almost symmetrical. Varicosities in the parallel fibers synapse with the soma and dendrites of stellate cells. These junctions display a widened synaptic cleft and asymmetrical pre- and postsynaptic densities. Junctions with climbing fibers (Scheibel collaterals) have also been seen. The form of the stellate cell indicates that it plays a role in cerebellar circuitry different from that of the basket cell, although both cells are inhibitory. It is probably concerned with local effects on Purkinje cell dendrites within the field of its afferent parallel fibers.
GROWTH OF EuO, EuS, EuSe, AND EuTe SINGLE CRYSTALS.

Abstract Single crystals of the europium monochalcogenides weighing up to 60 g have been grown from Eu-rich solutions and from stoichiometric melts by using a gradient cooling technique, Since all four compounds have high Eu partial pressures near their melting points, the crystals were grown in weld-sealed tungsten crucibles 1.25 or 2.5 cm in diameter. The oxide was synthesized and grown in the same run. Dried Eu2O3 was heated with an excess of Eu metal to about 2200 °C, and the solution obtained was directionally frozen from the bottom by cooling to room temperature at 5–50 °C/hr. The resulting boules were single crystals with total impurities ranging from 250 to 5000 ppm. These crystals were then remelted, either with or without additional Eu metal, and directionally frozen to obtain crystals containing total impurities of about 200 ppm primarily C and Ca. The crystals were also used subsequently for growing crystals doped with Gd or La. The other compounds were synthesized in sealed quartz ampoules by the reaction of Eu metal at about 600 °C with vapor of the other element supplied by a reservoir at a lower temperature. Single crystals similar in size and purity to those of the oxide were then grown by the gradient cooling technique. The effect of deviations from stoichiometry on optical and electrical properties are discussed. The melting point of EuO, measured with an optical pyrometer and a W-(W, 26% Re) thermocouple, was 1980 ± 20 °C. EuS, EuSe and EuTe all melt between 2250 and 2500 °C.
Management of the Elderly Aortic Stenosis Patient With Low Gradient and Low Ejection Fraction

The incidence of aortic stenosis increases with age and thus it occurs frequently in elderly patients. Once severe obstruction has developed, death occurs within 3 years unless the aortic valve is replaced. The results of aortic valve surgery, even in octogenarians, are usually excellent in the absence of comorbidity. The exception to this rule is for the aortic stenosis patient who has low ejection fraction, a low cardiac output and a transvalvular gradient of <30 mm Hg. Such patients have far advanced left ventricular dysfunction and increased operative mortality. However, even these patients may benefit from surgery if they have truly severe aortic stenosis. Because valve area is unreliable at low cardiac outputs, output should be increased pharmacologically in such patients and the valve area recalculated. If the transvalvular gradient increases with output, severe aortic stenosis is present and valve replacement may be beneficial. However, if output increases but gradient does not, only mild stenosis is present and surgery is unlikely to prolong life.
Signaling in stem cell niches: lessons from the Drosophila germline

Stem cells are cells that, upon division, can produce new stem cells as well as daughter cells that initiate differentiation along a specific lineage. Studies using the Drosophila germline as a model system have demonstrated that signaling from the stem cell niche plays a crucial role in controlling stem cell behavior. Surrounding support cells secrete growth factors that activate signaling within adjacent stem cells to specify stem cell self-renewal and block differentiation. In addition, cell-cell adhesion between stem cells and surrounding support cells is important for holding stem cells close to self-renewal signals. Furthermore, a combination of localized signaling and autonomously acting proteins might polarize stem cells in such a way as to ensure asymmetric stem cell divisions. Recent results describing stem cell niches in other adult stem cells, including hematopoietic and neural stem cells, have demonstrated that the features characteristic of stem cell niches in Drosophila gonads might be conserved.
My engagement with steroids: A review

Abstract In the course of my studies of patients with mineralocorticoid hypertensive disorders, unusual presentations led to unexpected findings, both clinically and in steroid etiologies and regulation. Unique circumstances permitted early studies in defining the autonomy of the aldosterone-producing adenoma. A chance referral brought the index case of 17α-hydroxylase deficiency to the research center. New techniques were developed in unusual ways to measure the metabolites of deoxycorticosterone (DOC) using an anesthetic agent. Procedural delays were followed by the surreptitious transfer of a patient from one hospital to the research center after a benign DOC-secreting tumor had been removed. The delay of DOC and all 17-deoxysteroids to respond normally to ACTH stimulation suggested a possible second regulator of DOC. This observation led to studies that demonstrated divergent responses between DOC and cortisol in diverse conditions. An unexplained mineralocorticoid form of hypertension with suppression of renin and aldosterone, but normal DOC production, is seen in licorice intoxication. After licorice was discontinued we documented the delay in the recovery of the inhibited cortisol metabolism (14 days) and renin-angiotensin system (4 months). Licorice extract given to normal subjects on low sodium diets with and without ACTH suppression showed similar results. Other factors in licorice may thus be operative in terms of renin and aldosterone suppression.
Targeting non-small cell lung cancer with epidermal growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors: where do we stand, where do we go

Abstract Cytotoxic chemotherapy has only yielded modest gains in survival in lung cancer in the past decade. However, the development of agents targeting specific signaling pathways that drive carcinogenesis has heralded a major paradigm shift in the approach to treatment of cancer. In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), many researchers have focused on the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) because this protein is present on a relatively high proportion of non-small cell lung cancers and its intracellular tyrosine kinase activates a signaling cascade that drives tumor growth. Blockade of the EGFR by small molecule inhibitors of the tyrosine kinase, such as gefitinib and erlotinib, causes tumor regressions in NSCLC. Phase II monotherapy trials of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with previously treated advanced NSCLC demonstrated anti-tumor activity with objective response rates of 10–19% with acceptable toxicities and an associated improvement in lung cancer symptomatology. Gefitinib is now an FDA approved treatment for advanced NSCLC previously treated with platinum and docetaxel-based therapies. However, phase III trials of gefitinib and erlotinib in combination with chemotherapy doublets have failed to demonstrate a survival advantage when compared with chemotherapy alone. It remains unclear why these drugs work so effectively in certain patients and so poorly in combination with chemotherapy. The goal of ongoing and future investigation is to identify which patients may benefit from this new therapeutic approach.
ON CHOMSKY'S REVIEW OF SKINNER'S VERBAL BEHAVIOR

Skinner's book, Verbal Behavior, was published in 1957. Chomsky's review of it appeared in 1959. By the criterion of seminal influence in generating controversy and stimulating publication, both must be counted major successes, although the reputation and influence of the review are more widely acknowledged. It has been reprinted at least three times (The Bobbs-Merrill Reprint Series in the Social Sciences, No. A-34; Fodor and Katz, 1964; Jakobovits and Miron, 1967), and Chomsky has recently written (in Jakobovits and Miron, 1967, p. 142) that he would take back little of it if he were rewriting it now. Skinner's Verbal Behavior is an analysis of speech in terms of its "controlling relations" which include the speaker's current motivational state, his current stimulus circumstances, his past reinforcements, and his genetic constitution. Skinner has accepted the constraints of natural science in his basic analytical apparatus in that all of its terms are empirically definable. He intends to account only for the objective dimensions of verbal behavior and to invoke only objective, nonmentalistic and nonhypothetical entities to account for it. The notion of control, anathema to the politically oversensitive, means only "causation" in its purely functional sense, and need not alarm. It is not arguable nor criticizable that behavior is an orderly, controlled datum, sensitive to the circumstances of the behaver;
Load-Deformation Behavior of Two-Dimensional Crimped Filaments

A theoretical analysis is presented of the load-elongation behavior of a crimped filament, whose axes lie in a two-dimensional plane. The crimp shapes considered are ideal and very closely related to those produced by some texturing processes.A second order nonlinear differential equation describes the deformed shape of the crimped filament, which is subjected to a terminal load in its axial direction. Numerical solution of the equation uses Maclaurin's series. The analysis describes the deformed shape and the load-elongation behavior of two-dimensional crimps. such as zigzag, gear-tooth, semicircular, and knit-de-knit crimps.The theoretical analysis is verified experimentally by heat setting polyester and nylon 6 monofilaments in zigzag and gear-tooth crimps of different amplitudes and wavelengths. The values obtained from the theoretical analysis have excellent cor relation with the experimental results.
Amazing Deals Auto Mart: Financial Reporting and Analysis of Receivables and Securitization

ABSTRACT: Amazing Deals Auto Mart (ADAM) is a nationwide retailer of late model pre‐owned premium cars. Due to the changes in the industry and economy, its senior management is concerned with a slowdown in collections and loan defaults, and is worried whether or not ADAM will meet the 2005 consensus earnings estimate of analysts. You are required to analyze the accounts receivable and allowance for doubtful accounts data to assess a possibility of earnings management. You are also required to perform financial analyses of the two financing alternatives (securitization and secured borrowing) that ADAM is considering for cash generation from receivables and to determine their effects on financial statements and ratios.
Toll-Like Receptor 8 Ligands Activate a Vitamin D Mediated Autophagic Response that Inhibits Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1

Toll-like receptors (TLR) are important in recognizing microbial pathogens and triggering host innate immune responses, including autophagy, and in the mediation of immune activation during human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV) infection. We report here that TLR8 activation in human macrophages induces the expression of the human cathelicidin microbial peptide (CAMP), the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and cytochrome P450, family 27, subfamily B, polypeptide 1 (CYP27B1), which 1α-hydroxylates the inactive form of vitamin D, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, into its biologically active metabolite. Moreover, we demonstrate using RNA interference, chemical inhibitors and vitamin D deficient media that TLR8 agonists inhibit HIV through a vitamin D and CAMP dependent autophagic mechanism. These data support an important role for vitamin D in the control of HIV infection, and provide a biological explanation for the benefits of vitamin D. These findings also provide new insights into potential novel targets to prevent and treat HIV infection.
The origins of chemical biology.

Chemical biology has historical roots that date back to the birth of chemistry and biology as distinct sciences.
SU-E-T-558: Assessing the Effect of Inter-Fractional Motion in Esophageal Sparing Plans.

Purpose: To compare esophageal dose distributions in esophageal sparing IMRT plans with predicted dose distributions which include the effect of inter‐fraction motion. Methods: Seven lungcancer patients were used, each with a standard and an esophageal sparing plan (74Gy, 2Gy fractions). The average max dose to esophagus was 8351cGy and 7758cGy for the standard and sparing plans, respectively. The average length of esophagus for which the total circumference was treated above 60Gy (LETT60) was 9.4cm in the standard plans and 5.8cm in the sparing plans. In order to simulate inter‐fractional motion, a three‐dimensional rigid shift was applied to the calculated dose field. A simulated course of treatment consisted of a single systematic shift applied throughout the treatment as well a random shift for each of the 37 fractions. Both systematic and random shifts were generated from Gaussian distributions of 3mm and 5mm standard deviation. Each treatment course was simulated 1000 times to obtain an expected distribution of the delivered dose. Results: Simulated treatment dose received by the esophagus was less than dose seen in the treatment plan. The average reduction in maximum esophageal dose for the standard plans was 234cGy and 386cGY for the 3mm and 5mm Gaussian distributions, respectively. The average reduction in LETT60 was 0.6cm and 1.7cm, for the 3mm and 5mm distributions respectively. For the esophageal sparing plans, the average reduction in maximum esophageal dose was 94cGy and 202cGy for 3mm and 5mm Gaussian distributions, respectively. The average change in LETT60 for the esophageal sparing plans was smaller, at 0.1cm (increase) and 0.6cm (reduction), for the 3mm and 5mm distributions, respectively. Conclusions: Interfraction motion consistently reduced the maximum doses to the esophagus for both standard and esophageal sparing plans.
Comparison of N-acetylcysteine and fenoldopam for preventing contrast-induced nephropathy (CAFCIN)

Abstract Background N -acetylcysteine and fenoldopam are commonly prescribed for prevention of contrast mediated nephropathy, however, comparative superiority of either agent is unknown. Methods In a prospective, randomized, parallel-group trial, adult cardiac catheterization patients at the university and veterans' hospitals with pre-existing stable renal insufficiency were randomized to N -acetylcysteine 600 mg orally twice daily for 4 doses or fenoldopam 0.1 mcg/kg/min intravenously for a minimum of 8 h. All patients received intravenous hydration with normal saline (5% dextrose in normal saline for diabetics on insulin). Randomization was stratified for diabetes. The primary endpoint was mean change in Scr at 72 h. Secondary endpoint was the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (25% increase above baseline Scr or absolute increase of 0.5 mg/dL). Results Study termination occurred after ninety-five patients (mean age 68±10 years, female 25%, diabetic 42%, mean baseline Scr 1.5±0.4 mg/dL) were randomized, with 84 completing follow-up (44 N -acetylcysteine, 40 fenoldopam). Overall, there were no significant differences in mean change in Scr at 72 h ( N -acetylcysteine 0.20±0.72 vs. fenoldopam 0.08±0.48 mg/dL, p =0.4) or incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy ( N -acetylcysteine 5 vs fenoldopam 8, p =0.4). No differences were detected in subgroup analyses for diabetes, baseline Scr >1.7 or 2.0 mg/dL, gender, age >70 years, or contrast volume >150 mL. Results were similar after multivariate adjustment for diabetes, contrast volume, heart failure and gender. Conclusions Our randomized comparison failed to demonstrate a significant difference in the abilities of N -acetylcysteine and fenoldopam to prevent the decline in renal function or the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy during cardiac catheterization.
Simple method for staining unmyelinated axons in rat olfactory bulb

Abstract ROBINZON, B. AND M. R. QUINN. Simple method for staining unmyelinated axons in the rat olfactory bulb. BRAIN RES. BULL. 3(5) 563–566, 1978.—A simple staining method for visualizing unmyelinated axons in the rat olfactory bulb is described. A typical histological analysis of the glomerular layer showing the unmyelinated receptor axons in the olfactory bulb of the rat is presented.
THE RECOVERY OF USED FRYING OILS WITH VARIOUS ADSORBENTS

The recovery of used frying oils is of commercial and economic importance. One additional reuse of recovered oil could provide considerable savings to the food processors. Seven commonly used filter aids: Silasorb, Britesorb, HB 600, Purifry, Frypowder, Activated Carbon, and Magnesol, as well as two commercially unavailable adsorbents, Sorbead AF and Calsilite were studied. A number of AOCS official methods were used to evaluate their adsorptiveness, free fatty acids (FFA), conjugated diene value (CDV), total polar components (TPC), oxidative stability index (OSI), color and viscosity (V). High performance size exclusion chromatography was employed to determine the amount of polymers and low molecular weight compounds. When heated to 150C prior to filtration, HB 600 was found to reduce FFA content by 84.5%. Frypowder improved oil stability by 38.3%, and Magnesol lightened oil color by 46.3%. After statistical analysis of the data, five of them were selected, two or three of which were blended to obtain the most effective combination. The blending of HB 600 and Magnesol reduced FFA and TPC by 90.8–93.7% and 6.0–17.8%, respectively, and improved oil stability by 23.4–24.7%. The adsorbent combinations have potential for use in practical frying operation to improve the functional and healthy aspects of used frying oils.
Structure and Mechanism of Notch Transcription Complex Dimerization in Gene Regulation

Notch signaling triggers cell growth, differentiation, and death. Deficiency in Notch genes is embryonic lethal in mice, and aberrant Notch signals have been implicated in many human diseases. During activation, Notch is cleaved from the membrane and enters the nucleus where it cooperates with the DNA-binding transcription factor CSL and the transcriptional coactivator MAML, to form the Notch transciption complex (NTC). Recently, our lab observed dimerization of NTCs on a segment of DNA from the HES1 promoter region. This head-to-head pairing of CSL sites (called an SPS site for Su(H) paired site or sequence paired site) is found in the promoters of a number of well-characterized Notch targets in Drosophila, Xenopus, and in the Hes1 gene in mammals. The goal of this work is to determine the structural and energetic foundations underlying Notch mediated dimerization, and ultimately to understand how NTC dimerization influences the expression of different Notch targets. Toward this goal, the structure of a dimer of Notch transcription complex trimers on DNA has been determined to 3.5A resolution. Each of the two NTC complexes superimposes well on an NTC bound to a single site and undergo little conformational change, but the two NTC are twisted relative to each other and the DNA untwists and bends away from the protein binding interface. Although HES1 is one of the most well characterized mammalian Notch target genes, the role of Notch dimerization in other contexts is unexplored. To begin to address this question, work has begun to identify other functional paired sites and to characterize the range of DNA duplexes able to cooperatively bind dimers of Notch Transcriptions complexes.
The detoxication of tung meal

1. Commercial press-cakes and petroleum ether-extracted tung meals are toxic. 2. The toxicity of press-cake decreases markedly in common storage. The toxicity of oil-free meals does not decrease under such storage. 3. Many lipid solvents remove toxic material from tung products but cannot be used alone to produce a non-toxic meal. 4. Heat alone cannot detoxify tung meal or cake. 5. Moistening increases the effectiveness of the heat treatment. 6. Tung cake and meal may be detoxified by combining the moist heat treatment with solvent extraction. 7. Two toxic materials are present in tung nuts. 8. The biological value of tung protein is low insofar as the chick is concerned. 9. It seems improbable that the value of the detoxified meal as a feedstuff would justify the expense of detoxication.
Mechanisms of Bradykinin-Induced Cerebral Vasodilatation in Rats: Evidence That Reactive Oxygen Species Activate K+ Channels

Background and Purpose Relatively little is know regarding mechanisms by which reactive oxygen species produce dilatation of cerebral arterioles. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that vasodilator responses of cerebral arterioles to bradykinin, which produces endogenous generation of reactive oxygen species, involve activation of calcium-dependent potassium channels. Methods We used a cranial window in anesthetized rats to examine effects of catalase (which degrades hydrogen peroxide) on responses to bradykinin. In addition, we examined effects of tetraethylammonium (TEA) and iberiotoxin, inhibitors of calcium-dependent potassium channels, on responses of cerebral arterioles to hydrogen peroxide, bradykinin, and papaverine. Results In cerebral arterioles (baseline diameter=40±1 μm) (mean±SE), hydrogen peroxide (10 and 100 μmol/L) produced concentration-dependent dilatation. TEA (1 mmol/L), an inhibitor of calcium-dependent potassium channels, produced marked inhibition of vasodilatation in...
On-Site Storage of High Level Nuclear Waste: Attitudes and Perceptions of Local Residents

No public policy issue has been as difficult as high-level nuclear waste. Debates continue regarding Yucca Mountain as a disposal site, and-more generally-the appropriateness of geologic disposal and the need to act quickly. Previous research has focused on possible social, political, and economic consequences of a facility in Nevada. Impacts have been predicted to be potentially large and to emanate mainly from stigmatization of the region due to increased perceptions of risk. Analogous impacts from leaving waste at power plants have been either ignored or assumed to be negligible. This paper presents survey results on attitudes of residents in three counties where nuclear waste is currently stored. Topics include perceived risk, knowledge of nuclear waste and radiation, and impacts on jobs, tourism, and housing values from leaving waste on site. Results are similar to what has been reported for Nevada; the public is concerned about possible adverse effects from on-site storage of waste.
N-glycosylation contributes to the intracellular stability of prothrombin precursors in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Rat prothrombin (rFII) and human prothrombin (hFII) are processed differently during their biosynthesis in a manner dependent upon γ-glutamyl carboxylation, a vitamin K-dependent posttranslational modification of prothrombin precursors. The role of N-glycosylation in the cellular processing of prothrombin was examined in hepatoma (H-35 and HepG2) and transformed kidney (HEK293) cell lines. Aglyco-rFII obtained by tunicamycin treatment was degraded in warfarin-treated H-35 cells, but not in vitamin K-treated cells. Fully glycosylated rFII is also selectively retained and degraded in warfarin-treated H-35 cells. When rFII and hFII were transiently expressed in tunicamycin-treated HEK293 cells, rFII but not hFII was degraded to generate a 48-KD species. This degradation was independent of γ-carboxylation, indicating that the sensitivity of aglyco-rFII and aglyco-hFII toward this specific proteolysis differs in HEK293 cells. By expressing chimeric rFII/hFII constructs in tunicamycin-treated HEK293 cells, it was shown that the kringle 2 structure of prothrombin was responsible for this difference. The 48-KD species was not observed in tunicamycin-treated H-35 cells, suggesting that this specific proteolytic processing of aglyco-rFII is also cell-type specific. Expression of rFII in other tunicamycin-treated nonhepatic cells suggests that this cell-specific difference in processing might be determined by a difference between hepatic and nonhepatic cells. The site-directed mutagenesis utilized in these studies also establishes that the N-glycosylation sites of rFII are at residues Asn77, 101, 378, and 518.
Left-right axis malformations associated with mutations in ACVR2B, the gene for human activin receptor type IIB.

Targeted disruption of the mouse activin receptor type IIB gene (Acvr2b) results in abnormal left–right (LR) axis development among Acvr2b−/−homozygotes [Oh and Li, 1997: Genes Dev 11:1812–1826]. The resulting malformations include atrial and ventricular septal defects, right-sided morphology of the left atrium and left lung, and spleen hypoplasia. Based on these results, we hypothesized that mutations in the type IIB activin receptor gene are associated with some cases of LR axis malformations in humans. We report here characterization of the ACVR2B genomic structure, analysis of ACVR2B splice variants, and screening for ACVR2B mutations among 112 sporadic and 14 familial cases of LR axis malformations. Two missense substitutions have been identified, one of which appears in two unrelated individuals. Neither of these nucleotide changes has been found in 200 control chromosomes. We conclude that ACVR2B mutations are present only rarely among human LR axis malformation cases. Am. J. Med. Genet. 82:70–76, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Examination of scaling between proposed early signals in P waveforms and earthquake magnitudes

SUMMARY We examine seismic waveforms generated by clusters of similar earthquakes and additional events located on the Karadere‐Duzce branch of the North Anatolian fault to investigate possible scaling between proposed early signals in the P waveforms and magnitudes. The employed signals can be divided into two classes. The first is associated with Ellsworth‐Beroza and Iio type signals that are assumed to reflect signatures of seismic nucleation phases. The second are associated with Nakamura type period and Wu‐Zhao type maximum displacement in the early waveforms that are related to measures of the corner frequency and local magnitude, respectively. The impact on each signal of artefacts generated by the Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter is also examined. The use of repeating event clusters reduces considerably the variability of path and site effects compared to previous regional and global studies. This allows us to focus more accurately on variations of the potential scaling parameters with the source magnitude. However, the magnitude range of the employed events is limited to about 4 units. The FIR filter artefacts can generate spurious signals prior to the P-wave arrival, potentially affecting the Ellsworth‐Beroza type signals, but are not a significant influence on any of the other measurements. The results indicate that candidates for the Ellsworth‐Beroza signals, associated with identification of a weak arrival before the main P phase, exist in less than 20 per cent of the cases. The Iio type signals can be determined by definition on all waveforms. Both of these potential signatures of nucleation phases show little or no scaling with the final event size in the examined data. In contrast, the Nakamura and Wu‐Zhao type signals in the first few seconds, which can also be determined by definition on all waveforms, appear to scale with the final event magnitude, albeit with large scatter. The relatively large time windows used in the analysis, compared to the rupture time of the employed events, implies that the results provide little if any information on the physical process of the rupture initiation. The scaling of the Nakamura and Wu‐Zhao type early signals with the final event size may be explained by statistical tendency of stronger initial rupture phases to propagate larger distances.
Genome-wide analyses reveal lineage specific contributions of positive selection and recombination to the evolution of Listeria monocytogenes

The genus Listeria includes two closely related pathogenic and non-pathogenic species, L. monocytogenes and L. innocua. L. monocytogenes is an opportunistic human foodborne and animal pathogen that includes two common lineages. While lineage I is more commonly found among human listeriosis cases, lineage II appears to be overrepresented among isolates from foods and environmental sources. This study used the genome sequences for one L. innocua strain and four L. monocytogenes strains representing lineages I and II, to characterize the contributions of positive selection and recombination to the evolution of the L. innocua/L. monocytogenes core genome. Among the 2267 genes in the L. monocytogenes/L. innocua core genome, 1097 genes showed evidence for recombination and 36 genes showed evidence for positive selection. Positive selection was strongly associated with recombination. Specifically, 29 of the 36 genes under positive selection also showed evidence for recombination. Recombination was more common among isolates in lineage II than lineage I; this trend was confirmed by sequencing five genes in a larger isolate set. Positive selection was more abundant in the ancestral branch of lineage II (20 genes) as compared to the ancestral branch of lineage I (9 genes). Additional genes under positive selection were identified in the branch separating the two species; for this branch, genes in the role category "Cell wall and membrane biogenesis" were significantly more likely to have evidence for positive selection. Positive selection of three genes was confirmed in a larger isolate set, which also revealed occurrence of multiple premature stop codons in one positively selected gene involved in flagellar motility (flaR). While recombination and positive selection both contribute to evolution of L. monocytogenes, the relative contributions of these evolutionary forces seem to differ by L. monocytogenes lineages and appear to be more important in the evolution of lineage II, which seems to be found in a broader range of environments, as compared to the apparently more host adapted lineage I. Diversification of cell wall and membrane biogenesis and motility-related genes may play a particularly important role in the evolution of L. monocytogenes.
Low-jitter laser-triggered vacuum switch using a composite target

A laser-triggered high-voltage vacuum switch with a composite KCl/Ti target pellet is described. The switch triggers reliably for 532-nm laser input energies of 20 mu J corresponding to a peak irradiance of 1 MW/cm/sup 2/. Jitter times of less than +or-15 ns and delay times of less than 100 ns are observed. Several experiments were performed to explore the operation of the switch. It was found that the amount of energy needed to trigger the switch and the jitter time was strongly dependent on the position of the pellet relative to the cathode. It is noted that the mechanism responsible for the operation of the switch is not completely understood. >
The Mechanismic Worldview: Thinking Inside the Box

A widespread turn towards mechanism-centred explanations can be viewed across the social sciences in recent decades. This article clarifies what it might mean in practical terms to adopt a mechanismic view of causation. This simple task of definition turns out to be considerably more difficult than it might at first appear. The body of the article elucidates a series of tensions and conflicts within this ambient concept, looking closely at how influential authors have employed this ubiquitous term. It is discovered that ‘mechanism’ has at least nine distinct meanings as the term is used within contemporary social science: (1) the pathway or process by which an effect is produced; (2) an unobservable causal factor; (3) an easy-to-observe causal factor; (4) a context-dependent (bounded) explanation; (5) a universal (or at least highly general) explanation; (6) an explanation that presumes highly contingent phenomena; (7) an explanation built on phenomena that exhibit lawlike regularities; (8) a distinct technique of analysis (based on qualitative, case study, or process-tracing evidence); or (9) a micro-level explanation for a causal phenomenon. Some of these meanings may be combined into coherent definitions; others are obviously contradictory. It is argued, however, that only the first meaning is consistent with all contemporary usages and with contemporary practices within the social sciences; this is therefore proposed as a minimal (core) definition of the concept. The other meanings are regarded as arguments surrounding the core concept.
International Economic Law and the Right to Food

Food insecurity is a product of poverty rather than food scarcity. Its origins lie in economic policies that undermine the livelihoods of small farmers in developing countries and exacerbate North-South inequality. This chapter examines the historic and contemporary practices that contribute to food insecurity in the global South, and analyzes the role of international economic law in perpetuating these practices. The chapter concludes with a variety of concrete measures that the international community might take through law and policy to promote the fundamental human right to food.
STRUCTURAL SYSTEM RELIABILITY CALCULATION USING A PROBABILISTIC FAULT TREE ANALYSIS METHOD

The development of a new probabilistic fault tree analysis (PFTA) method for calculating structural system reliability is summarized. The proposed PFTA procedure includes: developing a fault tree to represent the complex structural system, constructing an approximation function for each bottom event, determining a dominant sampling sequence for all bottom events, and calculating the system reliability using an adaptive importance sampling method. PFTA is suitable for complicated structural problems that require computer-intensive computer calculations. A computer program has been developed to implement the PFTA.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Osteoarthritis

The intent of this focused clinical review is to assess the current literature on a variety of complementary and alternative medicine treatments for osteoarthritis. This review assesses acupuncture techniques, moxibustion, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, low-level laser therapy, and massage. These treatment methods are growing in popularity among the general public. It is important that providers become aware of the existing literature regarding the efficacy of these alternative methods for the treatment of osteoarthritis to adequately respond to the inquiries of our patients.
Structural insight into the self-sacrifice mechanism of enediyne resistance.

The recent discovery of the first “self-sacrifice” mechanism for bacterial resistance to the enediyne antitumor antibiotics, where enediyne-induced proteolysis of the resistance protein CalC inactivates both the highly reactive metabolite and the resistance protein, revealed yet another ingenious bacterial mechanism for controlling reactive metabolites. As reported herein, the first 3D structures of CalC and CalC in complex with calicheamicin (CLM) divulge CalC to be a member of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR)-related transfer (START) domain superfamily. In contrast to previous studies of proteins known to bind DNA-damaging natural products (e.g., bleomycins, mitomycins, and nine-membered chromoprotein enediynes), this is the first demonstrated involvement of a START domain fold. Consistent with the CalC self-sacrifice mechanism, CLM in complex with CalC is positioned for direct hydrogen abstraction from Gly113 to initiate the oxidative proteolysis-based resistance mechanism. These struc...
Electric dipole moments of (HC15N)2 and HC15NH35Cl

Abstract The electric dipole moments of two linear hydrogen-bound complexes containing HCN have been measured using pulsed Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy carried out in a Fabry-Perot cavity. The dipole moment of (HC 15 N) 2 is 6.552(35) D and the dipole moment of HC 15 NH 35 Cl is 4.817(24) D. Both measurements refer to the vibrational ground state.