cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deamidation destabilizes and triggers aggregation of a lens protein, βA3‐crystallin

Protein aggregation is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases and also of cataracts. The major proteins in the lens of the eye are crystallins, which accumulate throughout life and are extensively modified. Deamidation is the major modification in the lens during aging and cataracts. Among the crystallins, the βA3-subunit has been found to have multiple sites of deamidation associated with the insoluble proteins in vivo. Several sites were predicted to be exposed on the surface of βA3 and were investigated in this study. Deamidation was mimicked by site-directed mutagenesis at Q42 and N54 on the N-terminal domain, N133 and N155 on the C-terminal domain, and N120 in the peptide connecting the domains. Deamidation altered the tertiary structure without disrupting the secondary structure or the dimer formation of βA3. Deamidations in the C-terminal domain and in the connecting peptide decreased stability to a greater extent than deamidations in the N-terminal domain. Deamidation at N54 and N155 also disrupted the association with the βB1-subunit. Sedimentation velocity experiments integrated with high-resolution analysis detected soluble aggregates at 15%–20% in all deamidated proteins, but not in wild-type βA3. These aggregates had elevated frictional ratios, suggesting that they were elongated. The detection of aggregates in vitro strongly suggests that deamidation may contribute to protein aggregation in the lens. A potential mechanism may include decreased stability and/or altered interactions with other β-subunits. Understanding the role of deamidation in the long-lived crystallins has important implications in other aggregation diseases.
Operating Ranges of the Planar Loop Heat Pipe Under Non-Vacuum Conditions

As the trend of high throughput in small packages continues, the heat dissipation becomes a very critical design issue in electronic devices and spacecrafts. The two phase loop heat pipe utilizes the latent heat of working fluid. It consists of an evaporator, compensation chamber, condenser, and liquid and vapor line. The primary wick used as a core part to circulate the working fluid is located in the evaporator. The planar loop heat pipe uses coherent porous silicon (CPS) wick as opposed to the conventional cylindrical configuration, which uses a sintered amorphous metal wick. The clear evaporator machined from Pyrex glass and transparent silicone tubes were utilized to monitor the complex phenomena which occur in the evaporator. Tests were conducted under the non-vacuum condition without a secondary wick. DI-water was used as a working fluid. Like an open loop test previously conducted, there was an operating range in which the liquid could be properly pumped from the compensation chamber to the vapor line under the pumping motion. In this device, more than 6 Watts could be convected from the evaporator to the ambient. Therefore circulation was not observed until powers greater than 6 Watts. There was a circulation of working fluid occurring due to energy transport within the loop when the input power was from 7.94 Watts to 17.6 Watts. The quantity of heat transportation to the loop was calculated by acquiring the empirical heat transfer coefficient. From this calculation it was found that, roughly, 12.1 Watts was transported to the loop and 5.51 Watts was convected to the ambient from the evaporator itself when the applied power was 15.27 Watts. This paper was also originally published as part of the Proceedings of the ASME 2005 Pacific Rim Technical Conference and Exhibition on Integration and Packaging of MEMS, NEMS, and Electronic Systems.© 2005 ASME
High-temperature DTA of transuranium materials with application to the Np-Zr phase diagram

Abstract A high-temperature thermal analysis system has been developed for the study of highly radioactive and scarce transuranium materials. Modifications to a commercial instrument (Perkin-Elmer DTA-1700) for installation and operation in an argon-atmosphere, radioactive-containment glove box are described. The argon atmosphere permitted the handling of air-sensitive and moisture-sensitive samples (e.g. metals), and initial studies have been made on the phase relations in selected actinide alloy systems. Procedures for preparing and studying alloys are described, and preliminary results obtained from our exploratory DTA studies of the Np-Zr alloy system are presented and discussed.
Isolation of Dengue Virus-Specific Memory B Cells with Live Virus Antigen from Human Subjects following Natural Infection Reveals the Presence of Diverse Novel Functional Groups of Antibody Clones

Natural dengue virus (DENV) infection in humans induces antibodies (Abs) that neutralize the serotype of infection in a potent and type-specific manner; however, most Abs generated in response to infection are serotype cross-reactive and poorly neutralizing. Such cross-reactive Abs may enhance disease during subsequent infection with a virus of a different DENV serotype. Previous screening assays for DENV-specific human B cells and antibodies, using viral and recombinant antigens, mainly led to the isolation of dominant nonneutralizing B cell clones. To improve upon our ability to recover and study rare but durable and potently neutralizing DENV-specific Abs, we isolated human DENV-specific B cells by using a primary screen of binding to live virus, followed by a secondary screen with a high-throughput, flow cytometry-based neutralization assay to identify DENV-specific B cell lines prior to generation of hybridomas. Using this strategy, we identified several new classes of serotype-specific and serotype-cross-neutralizing anti-DENV monoclonal Abs (MAbs), including ultrapotent inhibitory antibodies with neutralizing activity concentrations of <10 ng/ml. We isolated serotype-specific neutralizing Abs that target diverse regions of the E protein, including epitopes present only on the intact, fully assembled viral particle. We also isolated a number of serotype-cross-neutralizing MAbs, most of which recognized a region in E protein domain I/II containing the fusion loop. These data provide insights into targets of the protective Ab-mediated immune response to natural DENV infection, which will prove valuable in the design and testing of new experimental DENV vaccines. IMPORTANCE Dengue virus infection is one of the most common mosquito-borne diseases and occurs in most countries of the world. Infection of humans with dengue virus induces a small number of antibodies that inhibit the infecting strain but also induces a large number of antibodies that can bind but do not inhibit dengue virus strains of other serotypes. We used a focused screening strategy to discover a large number of rare potently inhibiting antibodies, and we mapped the regions on the virus that were recognized by such antibodies. Our studies revealed that humans have the potential to generate very potent antibodies directed to diverse regions of the dengue virus surface protein. These studies provide important new information about protection from dengue virus infection that will be useful in the design and testing of new experimental dengue vaccines for humans.
Effect of pore diffusional resistance on biocatalytic activity of Burkholderia cepacia lipase immobilized on SBA-15 hosts

Abstract The present study was focused on elucidating the effects of nanopore diffusional resistance on the activity of Burkholderia cepacia (BC lipase) lipase immobilized in ordered mesoporous silica hosts. BC lipase was immobilized in ordered SBA-15 hosts possessing 55 and 240 A ˚ diameter pores by physical adsorption. A colorimetric assay of p-nitrophenyl acetate was employed to determine the lipase catalytic activity. The effect of diffusional resistance on catalytic activity of lipase immobilized in SBA-15 hosts was investigated by determining the effective substrate diffusivity as a function of pore size of the SBA-15 host and enzyme loading. Lipase immobilized in SBA-15- 55 A ˚ exhibited 20–30% of free lipase activity and the activity was further reduced with enzyme loading due to limited accessibility of substrate to the enzyme active sites. Lipase immobilized in SBA-15- 240 A ˚ hosts showed catalytic activity similar to free lipase activity suggesting that diffusional limitations were minimal. Large pore SBA-15 hosts provided an improved environment for BC lipase to retain its catalytic activity.
Expecting the unexpected

Why Things Bite Back: New Technology and the Revenge Effect. By Edward Tenner. Knopf/Fourth Estate: 1996. Pp. 346. $26, £18.99.
Multiband topographic EEG analysis of a simulated visuomotor aviation task

Topographic EEG spectral magnitudes from 19 cortical sites were compared in 15 adult male subjects during performance of a simulated flight task and during control conditions which attempted to separately evaluate functional components of this task. Four conditions were studied, including eyes closed, a visual control, a motor control and a simulated landing task requiring integration of both visual and motor components. Each condition was repeated twice in a counterbalanced replicated measures design. A linked-ear EEG reference was used and spectral magnitudes calculated for 6 frequency bands. Decisions concerning band width and spectral transform were empirically determined. Findings indicated no significant differences between replications. A broad posterior cortical suppression of all frequencies was observed in the visual control condition. Anterior sites were affected only in the 7-12 Hz range. Additional suppression was seen during the motor control condition but limited to frontocentral sites in the 11-13 Hz band. The flight task, however, produced a further suppression at centroparietal cortex in the 9-13 Hz range. The extraction of both attentional and motor components from this task suggests that the parietal EEG activation was specific to cognitive processing.
Validation of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in screening for major depressive disorder among retired firefighters exposed to the World Trade Center disaster.

Abstract Background We evaluated the performance of a modified Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-m), which captured symptoms in the past month, in comparison to the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) in identification of major depressive disorder (MDD) in World Trade Center (WTC)-exposed retired Fire Department, City of New York (FDNY) firefighters. Methods From 12/2005 to 7/2007, FDNY enrolled retired firefighters in its Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program. All participants completed the CES-D-m and the DIS on the same day. Sensitivity, specificity, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and Youden's index were used to assess properties of the CES-D-m. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were also used. Results 7% of 1915 retired male firefighters were diagnosed with MDD using the DIS. Using the most common CES-D cutoff score of 16, the prevalence of elevated risk was 36%, which declined to 23% using a cutoff score of 22, as determined by Youden's index. At 22, CES-D-m sensitivity was 0.84, specificity was 0.82, and the area under the ROC curve was 0.89 relative to DIS MDD diagnosis. Limitations Participants were more likely than non-participants to live in the New York City area. Conclusions This is the first study of WTC rescue/recovery workers to assess the performance of a one-month version of the CES-D. The CES-D-m performed well in identifying those at elevated risk. Since diagnostic follow-up is time consuming and costly, it is important to correctly distinguish those at elevated risk using a screening tool that has been validated in the population under study.
Determination of Formaldehyde and Other Aldehydes by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection

Abstract A sensitive, uncomplicated, and rapid method for the determination of formaldehyde and other aldehydes has been developed. The method is based on the reaction of the aldehyde species with 2-diphenylacetyl-1,3-indandione-1-hydrazone to form fluorescent azine derivatives. The fluorescence excitation and emission spectra have been obtained for several derivatives. The method developed eliminates the lengthy recovery steps required in other methods by performing the sample collection and derivatization directly in midget impingers containing an acetonitrile solution of the reagent. High performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection is used to separate and quantitate the individual aldehydes. The detection limits for formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, and benzaldehyde are 6 ppb, 4.5 ppb, 0.6 pb, and 0.15 ppb, respectively, in the exhaust gas. The analysis time for the method is about 10 minutes if only one or two aldehydes are of interest. This technique has been used to measure ald...
Feedback system design with an uncertain plant

A method is developed to design a fixed-parameter compensator for a linear, time-invariant, SISO plant model characterized by significant structured, as well as unstructured, uncertainty. The controller minimizes the H? norm of the worst-case sensitivity function over the operating band and the resulting feedback system exhibits robust stability and robust performance. It is conjectured that such a robust nonadaptive control design technique can be used on-line in an adaptive control system.
Further evidence for behaviorly induced hypoxic conditions in subordinate mice.

Abstract 1. 1. When two male mice fight to establish social rank, the subordinate exhibits marked splenomegaly, reticulocytosis and decreased hematocrit. 2. 2. Individuals were isolated at weaning, paired 3 weeks later for two 30-min encounter periods daily for up to 3 weeks. 3. 3. After 2 days and 1 week encounter periods, subordinates had significantly decreased levels of hemoglobin in the kidney compared to dominants and controls. 4. 4. Subordinates had increased ATP levels in blood after 1, 2 and 3 weeks of encounter, bone marrow erythroid hyperplasia, as well as a substantial increase in the erythropoietin litre and Fe 59 incorporation in spleen and blood.
Microfluidic operations using deformable polymer membranes fabricated by single layer soft lithography

We show that it is possible to use single layer soft lithography to create deformable polymer membranes within microfluidic chips for performing a variety of microfluidic operations. Single layer microfluidic chips were designed, fabricated, and characterized to demonstrate pumping, sorting, and mixing. Flow rates as high as 0.39 microl min(-1) were obtained by peristaltic pumping using pneumatically-actuated membrane devices. Sorting was attained via pneumatic actuation of membrane units placed alongside the branch channels. An active mixer was also demonstrated using single-layer deformable membrane units.
On the formation of near‐Earth X‐line at substorm expansion onset

[1] Convection in the plasma sheet can be enhanced by the MDXL (middle-to-distant X-line) during the growth phase and by the NEXL (near-Earth X-line) during the expansion phase. Cowling current intensifies by the blockage of the northward Hall current due to lack of the radial currents or azimuthal pressure gradient in the midnight sector of the near-Earth plasma sheet. Interaction of intensified Cowling current loop with the near-Earth plasma sheet causes dipolarization. Dipolarization-induced thinning tailward of the dipolarizing region can cause the NEXL formation to drive the substorm expansion phase. Further intensifications of the Cowling current in the substorm current wedge, the tailward expansion of dipolarization region, and the expansion of the auroral bulge are all driven by the NEXL during the expansion phase.
Microbiology: reconstructing the wild types.

A challenging way to characterize the world's naturally occurring microbes is to piece together whole genomes from complex communities. An unusually acidic microbial habitat provides the setting for a ranging shot on that target.
Tracheotomy in Patients Receiving Maxillectomy Free Flap Reconstruction

Background: Sinonasal cancers represent 3% of upper aerodigestive malignancies. Combined modality treatment including surgical resection is common. Maxillectomy defects require complex three dimensional reconstructions often best suited by microvascular free tissue transfer. Operative airway management during this procedure has sparse discussion in the literature and is often dictated by surgical dogma.
Identification, Expression, and Characterization of a cDNA Encoding Human Endoplasmic Reticulum Mannosidase I, the Enzyme That Catalyzes the First Mannose Trimming Step in Mammalian Asn-linked Oligosaccharide Biosynthesis

We have isolated a full-length cDNA clone encoding a human alpha1, 2-mannosidase that catalyzes the first mannose trimming step in the processing of mammalian Asn-linked oligosaccharides. This enzyme has been proposed to regulate the timing of quality control glycoprotein degradation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of eukaryotic cells. Human expressed sequence tag clones were identified by sequence similarity to mammalian and yeast oligosaccharide-processing mannosidases, and the full-length coding region of the putative mannosidase homolog was isolated by a combination of 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends and direct polymerase chain reaction from human placental cDNA. The open reading frame predicted a 663-amino acid type II transmembrane polypeptide with a short cytoplasmic tail (47 amino acids), a single transmembrane domain (22 amino acids), and a large COOH-terminal catalytic domain (594 amino acids). Northern blots detected a transcript of approximately 2.8 kilobase pairs that was ubiquitously expressed in human tissues. Expression of an epitope-tagged full-length form of the human mannosidase homolog in normal rat kidney cells resulted in an ER pattern of localization. When a recombinant protein, consisting of protein A fused to the COOH-terminal luminal domain of the human mannosidase homolog, was expressed in COS cells, the fusion protein was found to cleave only a single alpha1,2-mannose residue from Man(9)GlcNAc(2) to produce a unique Man(8)GlcNAc(2) isomer (Man8B). The mannose cleavage reaction required divalent cations as indicated by inhibition with EDTA or EGTA and reversal of the inhibition by the addition of Ca(2+). The enzyme was also sensitive to inhibition by deoxymannojirimycin and kifunensine, but not swainsonine. The results on the localization, substrate specificity, and inhibitor profiles indicate that the cDNA reported here encodes an enzyme previously designated ER mannosidase I. Enzyme reactions using a combination of human ER mannosidase I and recombinant Golgi mannosidase IA indicated that that these two enzymes are complementary in their cleavage of Man(9)GlcNAc(2) oligosaccharides to Man(5)GlcNAc(2).
Stretching the Sooth : Use, Overuse, and the Consolation of Sooth in Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde

The purpose of this article is to closely examine the ways in which the three main characters of Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde use the word sooth. Through this examination, it becomes apparent that their respective uses of that word define them as characters and present the potential for misinterpretation which produces tension for both the characters in the text and the readers of the text. Chaucer seeks to alleviate that tension through Troilus’s soliloquy on divine foreknowledge and human free will, and its conclusion offers consolation to both Troilus and Chaucer’s own audience.
Voltage-gated Na+ channels in glia: properties and possible functions.

Abstract Glial cells are nervous-system cells that have classically been considered to be inexcitable. Despite their lack of electrical excitability, they can express voltage-activated Na + channels with properties similar to the Na + channels used by excitable cells to generate action potentials. The functional role that these voltage-activated Na + channels play in glia is unclear. Three functions have been proposed: (1) glial cells might synthesize Na + channels and donate them to adjacent neurons, thereby reducing the biosynthetic load of neurons; (2) Na + channels might endow glial cells with the ability to sense electric activity of neighboring neurons, and might thus play a role in neuro-glial communication; and (3) Na + influx through voltage-gated Na + channels could be important to fuel the glial (Na + ,K + )-ATPase, thereby facilitating and possibly modulating K + uptake from the extracellular space. Trends Neurosci. (1996) 19, 325–331
Model-based vision for car following

This paper describes a vision processing algorithm that supports autonomous car following. The algorithm visually tracks the position of a `lead vehicle' from the vantage of a pursuing `chase vehicle.' The algorithm requires a 2-D model of the back of the lead vehicle. This model is composed of line segments corresponding to features that give rise to strong edges. There are seven sequential stages of computation: (1) Extracting edge points; (2) Associating extracted edge points with the model features; (3) Determining the position of each model feature; (4) Determining the model position; (5) Updating the motion model of the object; (6) Predicting the position of the object in next image; (7) Predicting the location of all object features from prediction of object position. All processing is confined to the 2-D image plane. The 2-D model location computed in this processing is used to determine the position of the lead vehicle with respect to a 3-D coordinate frame affixed to the chase vehicle. This algorithm has been used as part of a complete system to drive an autonomous vehicle, a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) such that it follows a lead vehicle at speeds up to 35 km/hr. The algorithm runs at an update rate of 15 Hertz and has a worst case computational delay of 128 ms. The algorithm is implemented under the NASA/NBS Standard Reference Model for Telerobotic Control System Architecture (NASREM) and runs on a dedicated vision processing engine and a VME-based multiprocessor system.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Predictions for inclusive particle-nucleus reactions at accelerator and cosmic-ray energies☆

Abstract Using a recently developed theory of inclusive scattering on nuclei and the assumption that the primary collision mechanism is incoherent (e.g. multiperipheral), we derive some quantities of immediate experimental interest in inclusive hadron-nucleus scattering.
Numerical simulation of electrothermal de-icing systems

Transient simulations of de-icing of composite aircraft components by electrothermal heating have been computed for both one and two-dimensional rectangular geometries. The implicit Crank-Nicolson formulation is used to insure stability of the finite-differenced heat conduction equations and the phase change in the ice layer is simulated using the Enthalpy method. Numerical solutions illustrating de-icer performance for various composite aircraft blades and environmental conditions are presented. Comparisons are made with previous studies and with available experimental data. Initial results using a coordinate mapping technique to describe the actual blade geometry are discussed.
Original article: Rapid quantification of uncertainty in permeability and porosity of oil reservoirs for enabling predictive simulation

One of the most difficult tasks in subsurface flow simulations is the reliable characterization of properties of the subsurface. A typical situation employs dynamic data integration such as sparse (in space and time) measurements to be matched with simulated responses associated with a set of permeability and porosity fields. Among the challenges found in practice are proper mathematical modeling of the flow, persisting heterogeneity in the porosity and permeability, and the uncertainties inherent in them. In this paper we propose a Bayesian framework Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) simulation to sample a set of characteristics of the subsurface from the posterior distribution that are conditioned to the production data. This process requires obtaining the simulated responses over many realizations. In reality, this can be a prohibitively expensive endeavor with possibly many proposals rejection, and thus wasting the computational resources. To alleviate it, we employ a two-stage MCMC that includes a screening step of a proposal whose simulated response is obtained via an inexpensive coarse-scale model. A set of numerical examples using a two-phase flow problem in an oil reservoir as a benchmark application is given to illustrate the procedure and its use in predictive simulation.
Observation of radiation effects on three-dimensional optical random-access-memory materials for use in radiation dosimetry

Abstract The first experimental investigation has been performed of radiation effects on three-dimensional optical random-access-memory materials. Thin films of poly(methyl methacrylate) doped with spirobenzopyran were irradiated with uniform fluxes of protons, α-particles and 12 C +3 ions, at fixed energies per nucleon from 0.5 to 2.5 MeV and fluences from 10 10 to 10 14 cm −2 . The exposed films were examined under a confocal laser scanning microscopy system which is capable of optically sectioning the materials. The irradiation resulted in a permanent change in the materials from a nonfluorescent form to a form which is fluorescent under both 488 and 514 nm excitation. Profiles were measured of fluorescent intensity versus depth, and of intensity versus dose. It was found that both the particle energy and the dose can be obtained from measuring the width of the depth profile and the fluorescent intensity. These properties are very promising for dosimetry applications since they allow calculation of an accurate dose equivalent.
Targeted tuberculosis contact investigation saves money without sacrificing health.

Background—Health departments require an efficient strategy to investigate individuals exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The contact priority model (CPM) uses a decision rule to minimize testing of low-risk contacts; however, its impact on costs and disease control is unknown. Methods—A cost-effectiveness analysis compared the CPM with the traditional concentric circle approach (CCA) in a simulated population of 1000 healthy, community-dwelling adults with a 10% background rate of latent tuberculosis (TB) infection. The analysis was conducted from the perspective of the Alabama Department of Public Health. Model inputs were derived from the literature and the Alabama Department of Public Health. Lifetime costs (2004 dollars) and outcomes were discounted 3 percent annually. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were used to compare the strategies. Results—Over the lifetime of 1000 simulated contacts, the CPM saved $45 000 but led to 0.5 additional TB cases and 0.24 fewer years of life. The CCA is more effective than the CPM, but it costs $92 934 to prevent one additional TB case and $185 920 to gain one additional life year. Conclusions—The CPM reduces costs with minimal loss of disease control and is a viable alternative to the CCA under most conditions.
Inclusion of Endogenous Hormone Levels in Risk Prediction Models of Postmenopausal Breast Cancer

Purpose Endogenous hormones are risk factors for postmenopausal breast cancer, and their measurement may improve our ability to identify high-risk women. Therefore, we evaluated whether inclusion of plasma estradiol, estrone, estrone sulfate, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, prolactin, and sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) improved risk prediction for postmenopausal invasive breast cancer (n = 437 patient cases and n = 775 controls not using postmenopausal hormones) in the Nurses' Health Study. Methods We evaluated improvement in the area under the curve (AUC) for 5-year risk of invasive breast cancer by adding each hormone to the Gail and Rosner-Colditz risk scores. We used stepwise regression to identify the subset of hormones most associated with risk and assessed AUC improvement; we used 10-fold cross validation to assess model overfitting. Results Each hormone was associated with breast cancer risk (odds ratio doubling, 0.82 [SHBG] to 1.37 [estrone sulfate]). Individual hormones improv...
Quantitative Photoacoustic Imaging of Nanoparticles in Cells and Tissues

Quantitative visualization of nanoparticles in cells and tissues, while preserving the spatial information, is very challenging. A photoacoustic imaging technique to depict the presence and quantity of nanoparticles is presented. This technique is based on the dependence of the photoacoustic signal on both the nanoparticle quantity and the laser fluence. Quantitative photoacoustic imaging is a robust technique that does not require knowledge of the local fluence, but a relative change in the fluence. This eliminates the need for sophisticated methods or models to determine the energy distribution of light in turbid media. Quantitative photoacoustic imaging was first applied to nanoparticle-loaded cells, and quantitation was validated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Quantitative photoacoustic imaging was then extended to xenograft tumor tissue sections, and excellent agreement with traditional histopathological analysis was demonstrated. Our results suggest that quantitative photoacoustic ...
The spatial structure of autism in California, 1993-2001

Abstract This article identifies significant high-risk clusters of autism based on residence at birth in California for children born from 1993 to 2001. These clusters are geographically stable. Children born in a primary cluster are at four times greater risk for autism than children living in other parts of the state. This is comparable to the difference between males and females and twice the risk estimated for maternal age over 40. In every year roughly 3% of the new caseload of autism in California arises from the primary cluster we identify—a small zone 20 km by 50 km. We identify a set of secondary clusters that support the existence of the primary clusters. The identification of robust spatial clusters indicates that autism does not arise from a global treatment and indicates that important drivers of increased autism prevalence are located at the local level.
Behavioral reorientation of pedophiliacs: Can it be done?

Abstract The application of behavioral techniques for the reorientation of sexual desires in pedophiliacs increased exponentially in the 1970s. More than 20 different procedures have been implemented to modify sexual preference and increase heterosocial and homosocial skills. The present paper begins with information on the definition, incidence, characterization and harmfulness of pedophilia. The bulk of the article summarizes integral components of the behavioral treatment strategies, discusses the effectiveness and deficiencies among them, compares their results with research on reorienting homosexuals and outlines some of the ethical issues involved in pedophilic reorientation procedures. A review of 32 behavioral studies since 1960 indicates a great deal of published success in developing more appropriate sexual activity in pedophiliacs. A distinction is made between apparent statistical significance and the actual clinical meaningfulness of these approaches.
The NS3 protein of bluetongue virus exhibits viroporin-like properties.

Viroporins compose a group of small hydrophobic transmembrane proteins that can form hydrophilic pores through lipid bilayers. Viroporins have been implicated in promoting virus release from infected cells and in affecting cellular functions including protein trafficking and membrane permeability. Nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) of bluetongue virus has been shown previously to be important for efficient release of newly made virions from infected cells. In this report, we demonstrate that NS3 possesses properties commonly associated with viroporins. Our findings indicate that: (i) NS3 localizes to the Golgi apparatus and plasma membrane in transfected cells, (ii) NS3 can homo-oligomerize in transfected cells, (iii) targeting of NS3 to the Golgi apparatus and plasma membrane correlates with the enhanced permeability of cells to the translation inhibitor hygromycin B (hyg-B), (iv) amino acids 118–148 comprising transmembrane region 1 (TM1) of NS3 are critical for Golgi targeting and hyg-B permeability, and (v) deletion of amino acids 156–181 comprising transmembrane region 2 (TM2) of NS3 has little to no affect on Golgi targeting and hyg-B permeability. These viroporin-like properties may contribute to the role of NS3 in virus release and may have important implications for pathogenicity of bluetongue virus infections.
Electromagnetic instabilities and gyrophase-bunched particles

The linear theory of electromagnetic instabilities at propagation parallel or antiparallel to a uniform magnetic field B(0) is used to calculate the relative phase angle between the fluctuating velocity vector of the jth component and the fluctuating magnetic field. A criterion that determines when this phase relationship leads to observable gyrophase bunching during the linear growth phase of an instability is also derived. The theory is applied to bunching of ion components by ion beam instabilities. Among the electromagnetic cool ion beam instabilities, it is found that the right-hand resonant mode is most likely to cause observable gyrophase bunching of an ion beam during linear growth.
The investigation of nonequilibrium phonon dynamics using defect induced one phonon absorption

Abstract The combination of defect induced one phonon absorption and absorption vibronic sideband spectroscopy can be used to investigate the spectral, temporal and spatial dynamics of nonequilibrium phonon populations. The implementation of these techniques is described and the details of two experiments using these techniques are provided.
Comparison of two hard-sphere reference systems for perturbation theories for mixtures

Abstract The Carnahan—Starling equation of state for hard spheres can be extended to mixtures using either a one-fluid theory, or the generalization of scaled-particle (or Percus—Yevick theory) proposed by Boublik and by Mansoori and coworkers. The two reference systems are combined with a perturbation term of the van der Waals form; they are then used to correlate the phase behavior of binary mixtures of nonpolar molecules differing significantly in molecular size. In each case, one adjustable binary parameter (a12) is used to correlate vapor—liquid equilibria over the entire composition range. Predicted Henry's constants and liquid densities for the saturated mixture are compared with experiment. The Boublik—Mansoori hard-sphere-mixture equation is superior to the Carnahan—Starling One-Fluid theory, expecially in the dilute region.
Periodic Intensity Fluctuations in Functionalized Semiconductor Quantum Dots: Correlation with Ligand Coverage

Fluorescence microscopy has been used in conjunction with atomic force microscopy to study size-correlated emission properties of single oligo-phenylene vinylene-functionalized CdSe nanocrystals, which reveals size-dependent intensity fluctuations on time scales of 10-60 seconds.
The Dynamics of Public Support for the Supreme Court

Past empirical studies of factors affecting public support for the Supreme Court suggest: (1) the Supreme Court's decisions are more often congruent than incongruent with public opinion; (2) public response to decisions influences subsequent levels of institutional support; (3) negative reactions more strongly affect institutional support than do positive reactions; and (4) support is subject to value-based regeneration due to a link between the Court and basic democratic values. Although a wealth of empirical studies underlies these propositions, such findings appear inconsistent with the observed character of aggregate public support for the Court-namely, that levels of support tend to be high and that support is quite stable over time. To explore this tension, we construct a dynamic model of public support for the Supreme Court, guided by our four empirically derived propositions. Model analysis and estimation demonstrates that an active and occasionally controversial Supreme Court can maintain aggrega...
Characterization of the DNAs of five baculoviruses pathogenic for the armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta

Abstract Five baculoviruses, three granulosis (GV), and two nuclear polyhedrosis (NPV) viruses which infect the armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta , were analyzed with four restriction enzymes. All viruses gave unique restriction fragment patterns even though each progency virus had been produced in larvae of the same insect species. Hybridization of the restriction fragments, immobilized on nitrocellulose, with 32 P-labeled viral DNA probes showed no homology between the Oregonian GV and the other two GVs, nor between the two NPVs. Some homology, however, was detected between the Hawaiian GV and the GVS isolated from Scotogramma trifolia , both of which produce similar but distinct synergistic factors that enhance baculovirus infections. The results present unequivocal identity of the five baculoviruses and also provide a basis for detecting recombinants of these viruses.
Endocytosis of α2-macroglobulin is developmentally regulated during myogenesis

Abstract A monoclonal antibody, H143, reacts with an intracellular antigen present and accumulated in E63 rat myoblasts. H143 is directed against a species-specific determinant on purified equine serum α 2 -macroglobulin. Immunofluorescence analyses of differentiating myoblasts grown in horse serum demonstrate that the capacity to take up α 2 -macroglobulin is stage-specific: the rapid uptake of α 2 -macroglobulin characteristic of myoblasts ceases prior to their fusion to form multinucleate fibers (myotubes). Neither rat fibroblasts nor a developmentally defective mutant of E63 exhibit this change in α 2 -macroglobulin uptake. The temperature and calcium requirements for the uptake of H143 antigen, and its accumulation as effected by lysosomotropic amines, indicate that α 2 -macroglobulin is taken up by myoblasts via a developmentally regulated endocytic process. Electron microscopy using equine α 2 -macroglobulin labeled with colloidal gold supports this finding.
Energy-directed test suite optimization

Post-deployment in situ testing and validation techniques have become an important means of ensuring the reliability of mobile and embedded systems. However, these techniques do not take into consideration the amount of energy they consume, which is an issue of paramount concern for systems with limited energy budgets. In this paper we propose a new test suite minimization approach that allows developers to generate energy-efficient, minimized test suites. The approach is based on encoding minimization problems as integer linear programming problems. Our empirical evaluation shows that, compared to traditionally generated minimized test suites, the test suites generated by our approach are equally effective in terms of their test coverage, but can realize energy savings of up to 90 %.
Prolixocupes lobiceps (LeConte) on the Baja California Peninsula: First records for suborder Archostemata (Insecta: Coleoptera) and family Cupedidae from México

Abstract We report Prolixocupes lobiceps (LeConte) from Baja California, Mexico. This is the first record of the family Cupedidae and the suborder Archostemata from Mexico, as well as Middle America. Two recent specimens collected at El Berrendo represent the most southern distribution for the species. A review of museum collections yielded four additional northern Baja California records based on a total of 10 specimens. The known distribution of the species for the United States (California and Arizona) is illustrated.
Strictly Imaginary Roots of Kac-Moody Algebras

Abstract This paper explores properties of strictly imaginary roots of Kac-Moody algebras. (A strictly imaginary root is an imaginary root γ such that for any real root α either γ + α or γ − α is a root.) Its two major results are a simple test for whether or not a given imaginary root is strictly imaginary, and a complete characterization of those Kac-Moody algebras having the property that all of their imaginary roots are strictly imaginary.
Positive Group Context, Work Attitudes, and Organizational Misbehavior: The Case of Withholding Job Effort

Considering the organization’s ethical context as a framework to investigate workplace phenomena, this field study of military reserve personnel examines the relationships among perceptions of psychosocial group variables, such as cohesiveness, helping behavior and peer leadership, employee job attitudes, and the likelihood of individuals’ withholding on-the-job effort, a form of organizational misbehavior. Hypotheses were tested with a sample of 290 individuals using structural equation modeling, and support for negative relationships between perceptions of positive group context and withholding effort by individual employees was found. In addition, individual effort-performance expectancy and individual job satisfaction were negatively related to withholding effort. The findings provide evidence that individual perceptions of positive group context play a key role in the presence of misbehavior at work. The results indicate that positive group context might be an important element of ethical climate that should be managed to temper occurrence of such adverse work behavior.
Earth, Air, Fire, and Water

In September 1970 approximately 400 earth scientists from 26 countries met in Tokyo to present 50 papers on hydrogeochemistry. The proceedings of this symposium have just been published by the Clarke Company; the 662-page volume is a bar gain at $12.50. Much of the material should be of great interest to hydrologists. In fact, the volume should be required reading for hydrologists interested in the origin of water, evolution of oceans and continents, geothermal systems, geochemical processes in the aqueous environment, and air-water interactions.
Survey of Jet Transport Incident/Accidents with Pitch -Rate Induced Abrupt Wing Stalling near the Ground

*A study wa s conducted into the sporadic but long -term o ccurrence of incidents and accidents , involving abrupt wing stalling of jet transport aeroplanes near the ground , preceded by relatively high pitch rate s, whether pilot -induced or otherwise, an d often leading to wing drop . Incidents and accidents of this nature have periodically occurred over the full history of jet transport operations, involving many different Type Designs, ranging from the first jet transport to contemporary Type Design s. In many, but not all, of the instances studied, the dynamic stal ling involved coupled roll or roll/yaw characteristics, including wing heaviness, abrupt wing drop, yaw, and wing rock. On occasions, the wing drop and wing rock have appeared coupled with pilot -induced aileron deflection. The viscous flow dynamics, as i nfluenced by boundary layer coupling to rigid -body motion in free -air, is outlined. The continuing trend of such events and the often abrupt nature of the departure from controlled flight highlight the desirability of undertaking a programme of aerodynami c research into the influences of the ground plane, pitch -rate, surface roughness state , aileron deflection and environmental conditions upon wing stalling.
The national cancer institute effort

Pain due to cancer continues to be one of the more difficult diagnostic and therapeutic problems in the health care community. While improvements in the treatment of some forms of cancer have resulted in increased survival, pain due to cancer continues to affect the quality of life of many patients. The physical, psychological, emotional and socio-economic morbidity associated with chronic cancer pain is great; new research initiatives and transfer of existing knowledge into effective management practices are needed. To deal with this problem and to promote the use of the technology currently available, the National Cancer Institute is supporting studies in several areas of pain research and control. These studies include research on the pharmacologic control of pain, and clinical research on the assessment of pain management techniques, coping strategies and educational interventions. Through the application of existing pain management techniques, the majority of pain due to cancer can be controlled. In spite of current pain management technology, impediments remain to the adoption by health professionals of the optimal available approaches. Changes in professional and patient attitudes and the adoption of better management practices are keys to achieving an improvement in cancer management. The National Cancer Institute is also supporting studies of the relationship between the pharmacokinetic factors and pharmacologic effects of narcotics commonly used as analgesics. Innovative delivery methods for analgesia and the minimization of side effects in pain treatment are also being addressed. Several scientists are conducting research on psychological interventions to enhance coping mechanisms including stress reduction and other behavioral approaches for cancer patients with pain due either to the tumor or the effects of therapy. Investigators are studying oral pain as it relates to toxicity associated with chemotherapy. They are also researching biological and biosocial factors which affect the incidence and severity of toxic complications, and how these factors influence pain management, hospitalization, and cost. The National Cancer Institute supports educational efforts directed towards improving knowledge of pain assessment methods and the delivery of appropriate pain management. Patient and family member attitudes concerning pain and treatment and the physician-patient interaction in pain management are also areas of interest and support.
Development of a validated patient-reported symptom metric for pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis: qualitative methods

Background Previous attempts to measure symptoms in pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE) have not fully included patients and parents in the item development process. We sought to identify and validate key patient self-reported and parent proxy-reported outcomes (PROs) specific to EoE.
Sex Modulates Intestinal Transformation by the Tumor-Suppressor GCC

Background and Aims: Ovarian hormones oppose colorectal cancer, although mechanisms remain undefined. Similarly, the most commonly lost gene products in intestinal neoplasia include guanylin and uroguanylin, paracrine hormones for guanylyl cyclase C (GCC), which recently emerged as a tumor suppressor. However, the molecular intersection between intestinal paracrine and systemic sex hormones opposing intestinal neoplasia has not been explored. Methods: Intestinal tumorigenesis was quantified in wild type (Gcc+/+) and GCC-deficient (Gcc−/−) mice carrying mutations in adenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) (ApcMin/+) or exposed to the carcinogen azoxymethane (AOM). Proliferation of epithelial cells was examined employing cell cycle markers. Results: Deletion of Gcc increased tumor multiplicity and growth in colons and small intestines, respectively, of ApcMin/+ mice. While changes in multiplicity and growth increased tumor burden, females exhibited approximately 60% (p= 0.040) of the burden in males. Similarly, female Gcc−/− mice treated with AOM exhibited approximately 40% (p= 0.048) of the burden in males. Moreover, Gcc deletion promoted epithelial cell proliferation, quantified by increases in β-catenin, cMyc, cyclin D1, and phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (pRb), in males but not females. Conclusion: There is a previously unappreciated interaction between sex and GCC signaling restricting crypt cell proliferation. Thus, the invariable loss of guanylin and uroguanylin resulting in tumorigenesis is mitigated in females by hormonal components of the ovarian axis. In the context of the universal overexpression of GCC by tumors, these observations highlight the combination of GCC paracrine and ovarian hormones for targeted prevention and therapy of colorectal cancer.