cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibitors of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase specific for the single-stranded DNA of transcription intermediates. Tetrahedral cuprous chelates of 1,10-phenanthrolines.

Single-stranded DNA of the lacUV-5 promoter formed at the active site of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase during transcription is specifically cleaved by the redox active tetrahedral cuprous chelates of 1,10-phenanthroline and its derivatives. The cleavage sites are observed in the open, initiating, and elongating complexes. Redox-inert, tetrahedral cuprous chelates of neocuproine (2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) and its 5-phenyl and 4-phenyl derivatives protect the template strand of DNA from scission within these steady state intermediates and inhibit transcription. Although these cuprous chelates of neocuproine bind at multiple sites within three distinct enzyme intermediates, the highest affinity site is within the elongation complex. The I50 of 5 μM for the 2:1 5-phenylneocuproine cuprous complex ((5φNC)2Cu+) in runoff transcription therefore primarily reflects its interaction with this intermediate. The neocuproine cuprous chelates are novel transcription inhibitors because they bind to single-stra...
The effect of pretreatment with reserpine on the diastolic potential of guinea-pig atrial cells

It has previously been suggested that the reserpine-induced nonspecific increase in sensitivity of the guinea-pig heart to the chronotropic effect od drugs occurs as a result of an alteration in the electrophysiological properties of the cell membrane. The results obtained in the present study provide support for this suggestion. The diastolic potential of atrial cells of perfused hearts obtained from guinea pigs treated with rerpine (0.1 mg/kg/day) for 7 days was significantly less than control. This treatment schedule of reserpine results in a significant increase in the sensitivity of perfoused hearts to the chronotropic effects of drugs...
Social learning mechanisms: Implications for a cognitive theory of imitation

Social influence and social learning are important to the survival of many organisms, and certain forms of social learning also may have important implications for their underlying cognitive processes. The various forms of social influence and learning are discussed with special emphasis on the mechanisms that may be responsible for opaque imitation (the copying of a response that the observer cannot easily see when it produces the response). Three procedures are examined, the results of which may qualify as opaque imitation: the bidirectional control procedure, the two- action procedure, and the do-as-I-do procedure. Variables that appear to affect the emergence of opaque imitation are identified and other complex forms of response copying are discussed. Keywords: bidirectional control procedure; contagion; emulation; imitation; local enhancement; object movement reenactment; observational conditioning; opaque imitation; social enhancement; social facilitation; social influence; social learning; stimulus enhancement; two action procedure
Public Heritage, a Desire for a “White” History for America, and Some Impacts of the Kennewick Man/ Ancient One Decision

The most recent opinion in the so-called Kennewick Man or Ancient One (as many American Indians choose to call the skeleton) case by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unfortunately resurrects some very old and contentious issues in America. Indians mostly view the opinion as one more echo of the same old story of Native American property issues raised in the courts, but they also understand that some implications may be broader. The most direct impact of the opinion is that the Umatilla people will not be allowed to return the Ancient One to the earth, but others could be portents of a larger resurgence of anti-Indian sentiment and scientific colonialism in America. Specifically, though not directly stated as such, the court's opinion supports a notion that archaeological materials are a public heritage, no matter their culture of origin. In addition, by affirming the plaintiffs' position, the court essentially declared archaeologists and associated scientists to be the primary stewards of that heritage, much to the chagrin of many American Indian people. Along the way, the court reinforced the idea that scientifically generated evidence has greater validity than oral tradition in court, outright denying oral tradition's validity and undercutting a major intention of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Worse still, the court reflects—and by its decision supports—an idea that there may be a “white” or European history for the Americas that predates the arrival of Indians. The most damaging and long-term impact is that the decision reinforces fundamentally erroneous definitions and stereotypes about Indians as tribes, which has plagued Indian-white relations for generations.
High-temperature calorimetry of zirconia: Heat capacity and thermodynamics of the monoclinic–tetragonal phase transition

Abstract The high-temperature heat capacity of zirconia was directly measured by differential scanning calorimetry between T = (1050 and 1700) K and derived from the heat content measured by transposed temperature drop calorimetry between T = (970 and 1770) K, including the monoclinic–tetragonal (m–t) phase transition region. The enthalpy and entropy of the m–t phase transition are (5.43 ± 0.31) kJ · mol−1 and (3.69 ± 0.21) J · K−1 · mol−1, respectively. Values of thermodynamic functions are provided from room temperature to 2000 K.
Cotton Yield and Canopy Closure in North Carolina as Influenced by Row Width, Plant Population, and Leaf Morphology

Abstr Act Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) yield is partly determined by crop geometry, which is a function of row width and plant population. Field experiments were conducted in North Carolina during 2007 and 2008 to test the hypothesis that row width will be the determining factor in attaining canopy closure and hence greater fiber yield in North Carolina. The influences of both plant population and leaf morphology on the row width effects were also examined. Okraleaf (FiberMax 800 BR) and normal-leaf (FiberMax 960 BR) cultivars were planted at 38- and 97-cm row widths at populations of 7, 12, and 18 plants m –2 . Cotton grown at 38-cm row width yielded more than cotton grown at 97-cm rows in some but not all environments. The percentage of canopy closure and the percentage of photosynthetically active radiation interception showed a close relationship over row width, leaf morphology, plant population, and environment (r 2 = 0.84, P < 0.001). Higher plant population increased light interception and canopy closure early in the season. However, with time, these differences were reduced and were absent by the last observations. Row width was an important cause of greater canopy closure but this did not consistently translate into yield differences and yields were more closely affected by cumulative rainfall. Economic analysis found no loss of profit in the lowest plant population in either row width indicating that seed costs could be reduced without decreasing yield.
A novel fluorine-18 β-fluoroethoxy organophosphate positron emission tomography imaging tracer targeted to central nervous system acetylcholinesterase.

Radiosynthesis of a fluorine-18 labeled organophosphate (OP) inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and subsequent positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using the tracer in the rat central nervous system are reported. The tracer structure, which contains a novel β-fluoroethoxy phosphoester moiety, was designed as an insecticide-chemical nerve agent hybrid to optimize handling and the desired target reactivity. Radiosynthesis of the β-fluoroethoxy tracer is described that utilizes a [18F]prosthetic group coupling approach. The imaging utility of the [18F]tracer is demonstrated in vivo within rats by the evaluation of its brain penetration and cerebral distribution qualities in the absence and presence of a challenge agent. The tracer effectively penetrates brain and localizes to cerebral regions known to correlate with the expression of the AChE target. Brain pharmacokinetic properties of the tracer are consistent with the formation of an OP-adducted acetylcholinesterase containing the fluoroethoxy ...
Speaking with the crowd

Automated systems are not yet able to engage in a robust dialogue with users due the complexity and ambiguity of natural language. However, humans can easily converse with one another and maintain a shared history of past interactions. In this paper, we introduce Chorus, a system that enables real-time, two-way natural language conversation between an end user and a crowd acting as a single agent. Chorus is capable of maintaining a consistent, on-topic conversation with end users across multiple sessions, despite constituent individuals perpetually joining and leaving the crowd. This is enabled by using a curated shared dialogue history.Even though crowd members are constantly providing input, we present users with a stream of dialogue that appears to be from a single conversational partner. Experiments demonstrate that dialogue with Chorus displays elements of conversational memory and interaction consistency. Workers were able to answer 84.6% of user queries correctly, demonstrating that crowd-powered communication interfaces can serve as a robust means of interacting with software systems.
Effects of growth hormone and cortisol on Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-) cotransporter localization and abundance in the gills of Atlantic salmon.

The hormones responsible for the regulation of the teleostean gill Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-) cotransporter have not been elucidated. With Western blotting and immunocytochemistry, Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-) cotransporter abundance and localization were examined in the gills of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) following 2-week treatment with growth hormone (GH; 5.0 microg x g(-1)), cortisol (50 microg x g(-1)), and both hormones in combination (GH+cortisol). GH and cortisol treatments increased gill Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-) cotransporter abundance over levels seen in controls, and both hormones together (GH+cortisol) produced a greater effect than either hormone alone. Gill Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity was also elevated by all three hormone treatments. Compared to controls, Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-) cotransporter immunoreactive chloride cells on the primary filament were greater in number and size following all three treatments. Although the number of immunoreactive chloride cells on the secondary lamellae did not differ among the treatment groups, GH+cortisol increased their size. These data indicate that GH and cortisol increase gill Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-) cotransporter abundance through chloride cell proliferation and differentiation in the gills of Atlantic salmon and are likely the hormones responsible for Na(+)-K(+)-2Cl(-) cotransporter regulation during smolting and seawater acclimation.
A 10-Gb/s Compact Low-Power Serial I/O With DFE-IIR Equalization in 65-nm CMOS

The design of compact low-power I/O transceivers continues to be a challenge for both chip-to-chip and backplane applications. The introduction of dense fine-pitch silicon packaging technologies, that in principle are capable of supporting tens of thousands of high-data-rate I/O for local chip-to-chip interconnect, will make I/O area and power requirements even more stringent. Figure 10.2.1 depicts two chips mounted on a silicon (Si) carrier [1], an example of such a dense packaging technology, and connected by fine-pitch interconnects. Characteristics of an example 20mm Si carrier channel are shown in Fig. 10.2.1, showing significant (∼6dB) DC attenuation as well as 17dB of loss at 5GHz. In the time domain, the response to an isolated ‘1’ applied at 10Gb/s shows many postcursors. A DFE would require many taps to be effective, however, the power and area penalty would be prohibitive in this context. This paper describes an alternative low-power compact I/O transceiver with RX equalization that achieves the required multi-bit postcursor cancellation without a high tap-count DFE. While this work targets data transmission over Si carrier links at rates up to 10Gb/s, it is also relevant to backplane channels.
WOMEN, SCIENCE, AND ACADEMIA Graduate Education and Careers

In the study of gender and society, science is a strategic analytic research site—because of the hierarchical nature of gendered relations, generally, and the hierarchy of science, particularly. Academic science, especially, is crucial to, and revealing of, status in science and society. This article focuses on three questions: What is the status of women in scientific careers and the role of graduate education in these careers? What are the implications for the analysis of gender? Where can we intervene, and how? In addressing these questions, the arguments concentrate on the social and organizational context of science and its relationship to gender and status.
MAKING THE MOST OUT OF STAFF ASSISTANCE

No matter the funding source—government agency, foundation, corporation—each designates staff to work with potential grantees.
Can the Effect of Antiangiogenic Treatments Be Monitored and Quantified Noninvasively by Using Contrast-enhanced US?

Guibal et al (1) have demonstrated that contrast-enhanced US–derived parameters provide a noninvasive measure of tumor angiogenesis and, in particular, of the revascularization occurring after discontinuation of an antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy. If these results can be reproduced in future clinical trials, contrast-enhanced US will enable the accurate monitoring of patient response to antiangiogenic therapies (including treatment suspensions), which should improve clinical outcomes.
The Juvenile Justice Assessment Instrument

Abstract This article presents the development of a new assessment instrument for use with juvenile delinquents: The Juvenile Justice Assessment Instrument (JJAI). The term “juvenile delinquency” covers a multitude of antisocial behaviors engaged in by adolescents. Research indicates that certain intrinsic vulnerabilities may combine with environmental stressors to engender maladaptive behaviors. Unfortunately, these potentially treatable vulnerabilities often remain unrecognized in the delinquent population. Because of the sheer numbers of children entering the juvenile justice system each year, it is impossible to ensure that each child will receive a full evaluation from a trained clinician. The JJAI offers those who work with juvenile delinquents an economical, yet sophisticated, assessment tool for evaluating youngsters and recommending appropriate treatment and disposition. This paper also presents the results of two field trials with the JJAI. In a juvenile justice setting, data elicited by the JJAI was compared to data gathered by the court. In a residential treatment setting, data elicited by the JJAI was compared with information gathered by staff at the treatment facility. A discussion of the obstacles faced by those who interview delinquents, and strategies within the JJAI to overcome them, are discussed.
Correlation between serum gastrin and cellular proliferation in Barrett’s esophagus

Background: Patients with Barrett’s esophagus (BE) are commonly treated with proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) to minimize the exposure of esophageal mucosa to stomach acid. However, the use of these medications can lead to significant hypergastrinemia in a subset of patients, which is concerning due to the known tumorigenic and proliferative effects of gastrin. The present pilot study aims to investigate a potential correlation between serum gastrin and cellular proliferation in BE. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of patients with nondysplastic BE on PPI therapy. Fasting serum gastrin was measured on the same day as esophageal biopsies were obtained. These biopsies were then stained with Ki-67 nuclear antibody. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the relationship between Ki-67 index and ln(gastrin). Results: A total of 10 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 62.6 (±8.4) years and 5 patients were male. The median serum gastrin level was 45.2 pM (interquartile range [IQR] 33–113) and the median Ki-67 index was 49.6% (IQR 23–64). We found a statistically significant positive correlation between Ki-67 index and ln(gastrin) (r = 0.64; p = 0.05). Conclusions: In nondysplastic BE patients on PPI therapy, serum gastrin levels were significantly correlated with cellular proliferation. These pilot data lend support to a potential causal effect of gastrin on neoplastic progression in BE. Longitudinal studies of patients with BE are needed to determine whether hypergastrinemia is a risk factor for the development of dysplasia and adenocarcinoma or could be used as a biomarker for disease progression.
Inhibition by somatostatin of ACTH secretion in Nelson's syndrome.

Somatostatin (GHIF), when administered as a 1-hr infusion (500 μg/hr) to 5 patients with Nelson's Syndrome, resulted in a sustained, progressive fall in plasma ACTH in each patient to 40% to 71%of basal values with a return toward initial levels after cessation of the infusion. The mean reduction in plasma ACTH was 48% (p < 0.005). These findings suggest that GHIF receptors not functional or present in normal pituitary tissue are present in ACTH-producing pituitary tumors.
Ventilatory dysfunction in mdx mice: Impact of tumor necrosis factor–alpha deletion

Muscular dystrophy is associated with inflammation and fiber necrosis in the diaphragm that may alter ventilatory function. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent in vivo ventilatory function in dystrophic (mdx) mice was compromised and to assess the impact of deletion of tumor necrosis factor–alpha (TNF-α), a known proinflammatory cytokine, on ventilatory function, diaphragm contractility, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) distribution in 10–12-month-old mdx mice. Although the resting ventilatory pattern did not significantly differ between control and mdx mice, the ventilatory response to hypercapnia in mdx mice was significantly attenuated. Elimination of TNF-α significantly improved the hypercapnic ventilatory response and diaphragm muscle maximal isometric force. Long-term TNF-α deletion also altered the myosin heavy chain isoform profile of the diaphragm. These data indicate that a blunted ventilatory response to hypercapnia exists in mdx mice, and that TNF-α influences the progressive deterioration of diaphragm muscle in mdx mice. Muscle Nerve 28: 336–343, 2003
A P2P overlay architecture for personalized resource discovery, access, and sharing over the Internet

The next generation Internet has a potential to become a ubiquitous and pervasive medium communication of all types of information. Yet, because of its decentralized nature and weak support for semantic, the Internet remains a chaotic repository, lacking of ability to allow users to discover, extract and integrate information of interest from heterogeneous sources, and its ability to provide these users with efficient tools to manipulate and convert the discovered information into knowledge. Recently, the peer-to-peer (P2P) overlay technologies have emerged to leverage the resource discovery on the Internet by providing a scalable framework to develop efficient mechanisms to distribute, share, and access resources in a large scale, highly dynamic environments. The main objective of this paper is to leverage P2P overlay technology to enable a personalized Web architecture for structured Internet resource access and knowledge sharing between community members of similar interests. The personalized Web architecture uses an ontology-based representation of the resources to enable a semantic resource discovery and access that reflects the interest of the user. The basic components of the personalized Web architecture are discussed, including the DHT-based, P2P overlay structure for indexing and resource location, the mechanisms required to support scalable routing, and the services and protocols to enable resource advertising, discovery and management.
You can lead a horse to water: teacher development and use of digital library resources

This article presents findings from approximately 150 users who created instructional projects using educational digital library resources. One hundred of these users were teachers participating in professional development workshops on the topic of digital libraries. Our iterative approach to tool and workshop development and implementation was based on a framework that characterizes several input, output, and process variables affecting dissemination of such technologies in educational contexts. Data sources involved a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, including electronic surveys, interviews, participant observations, and server log file and artifact analyses. These multiple and complementary levels of analyses reveal that despite teachers reporting great value in learning resources and educational digital libraries, significant and lasting impact on teaching practice remains difficult to obtain.
A comparison of seasonal growth and development of the copepods Calanus marshallae and C. pacificus in the northern Gulf of Alaska

The juvenile growth rates and development times of subarctic Calanus marshallae and temperate/ sub-tropical C. pacificus were investigated during nine cruises (May through October, 2001-04) in the northern GulfofAlaska. The artificial cohort method based on a length-weight regression was used for growth estimates and the reciprocal of the molting rate for developmental time. The copepodite stage duration ranged from 3 to 16 days for C. marshallae (C1-C4) and 3-23 days for C. pacificus (C1-C5). Seasonally, copepodid growth rates increased from May to October, ranging between 0.055 and 0.291 day -1 (mean ± SE: 0.176 ± 0.008 day -1 ) for C. marshallae, while growth rates increased from August to October between 0.018 and 0.296 day -1 (mean ± SE: 0.142 + 0.016 day -1 ) for C. pacificus. After standardization to 5°C (Q 10 of 2.7), growth rate averaged 0.118 ± 0.007 day -1 and 0.075 ± 0.009 day -1 for C. marshallae and C. pacificus, respectively. Calanus marshallae growth rate is satisfactorily described by a Michaelis-Menten model using chlorophyll-a concentration (r 2 = 0.33) after temperature correction, but the prediction improves with a composite nonlinear model combining body weight into the Michaelis-Menten function (r2 = 0.55). Considering the limited range of data available for C. pacificus, the combination of the data for both species suggests that C. pacificus has a similar functional response to growth despite the differences in the geographic and temporal distributions with C. marshallae. Measured juvenile growth rates of the two Calanus species in this study were comparable to other calanoid species in the same area and showed reasonable agreement to Calanus growth models but less with global copepod growth models.
Hla-Dm Recognizes the Flexible Conformation of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class II

DM facilitates formation of high affinity complexes of peptide–major histocompatibility complex (MHC) by release of class II MHC–associated invariant chain peptide (CLIP). This has been proposed to occur through discrimination of complex stability. By probing kinetic and conformational intermediates of the wild-type and mutant human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR1–peptide complexes, and examining their reactivities with DM, we propose that DM interacts with the flexible hydrophobic pocket 1 of DR1 and converts the molecule into a conformation that is highly peptide receptive. A more rigid conformation, generated upon filling of pocket 1, is less susceptible to DM effects. Thus, DM edits peptide–MHC by recognition of the flexibility rather than stability of the complex.
A general strategy for computing steering controls of systems without drift

The author discusses the applicability of a recently proposed strategy for the effective calculation of steering controls for a real analytic, controllable system without drift. The approach uses an approximating nilpotent system to compute the controls. These controls provide an exact solution of the original problem for nilpotent systems and for systems which can be made nilpotent by a feedback transformation. For a general system without drift, an iterative algorithm is used. The procedure can also be applied to systems which are obtained from systems without drift by a dynamic extension. >
The Power of the Site: Support for Professionalism in a School–College Collaborative Program

This article demonstrates how a well-designed and collaboratively supported program engages school faculty in improving at-risk student retention and transition to college. Using the “power of the site” principle, the program designers envisioned a very different high school culture that focuses on a collaborative and supportive relationship between a college and a high school, reducing the attrition rate of at-risk students and introducing them to the values of higher education. It is useful to educational leaders who are looking to engage school faculty in innovative programs and investigate the impact school—college collaborative programs have on the faculty involved.
Patterns of self-citation across disciplines 1980-1989

The paper examines patterns of self-citation in six disciplines distributed equally among the physical and social sciences and the humanities. Sample articles were examined to determine the relative numbers and ages of self-citations and citations to others in the bibliographies and to the exposure given to each type of citation in the text of the articles. Significant differences in the number and age of citations between disciplines were found. Over all, 9% of all citations were self-citations; 15% of physical science citations were self-citations, as opposed to 6% in the social sciences and 3% in the humanities. Within disciplines, there was no significantly different amount of coverage between self-citations and citations to others. Over all, it appears that a lack of substantive differences in self-citation behavior is consistent across disciplines. The number of words devoted to self-citations vary among disciplines, but remain constant within a discipline for both self-citations and citations to others.
Altitude-related illness in children.

[] ~ ntil relatively recently, clinical illness related to exposure to high altitude was a concern mainly of mountaineers and physiologists. As our understanding of these conditions has grown, however, it has become clear that children are among those at highest risk of having altitude-related illnesses. In addition, with the growth of the populations of the mountainous regions of North America, as well as the advent of jet travel to those areas, greater numbers of children are either living at or vlsiting areas of sufficientaltitude to cause clinical illness. The rapidity of the ascent to altitude allowed by modem jet travel also allows less time for acclimatization and may increase the risk of these conditions developing. Finally, a number of pediatric illnesses are associated with either acute or chronic hypoxemia, and there may be lessons of relevance to the care of these children to be learned from the effects of altitude exposure. All of these factors combine to make altitude-related illness in children a topic of clinical relevance to pediatric practitioners. Despite intense research over the last half century, however, much of the basic pathophysiologic mechanism of illness related to altitude remains obscure. Although recent progress has been made toward identifying at least some therapeutic interventions for these conditions, approximately 20 deaths per year worldwide are ascribed to high-altitude pulmonary edema alone, and the number of hospital visits and mined vacations attributable to altitude-related ' illness as a whole is undoubtedly much higher. Unfortunately, little of the research on the physiologic and pathophysiologic
Reactor design considerations for MOCVD growth of thin films

Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) performance is optimized for growing titanium dioxide (TiO/sub 2/) thin films. Different gas flow directions and susceptor rotation, along with reactor geometry and shape variations are considered. Gravity proves to be an important parameter in changing the flow pattern in the reaction chamber. However, since film uniformity is not improved by changing the flow direction, modifying the reactor geometry is also proposed. Among the different geometrical parameters, the susceptor-inlet distance, inlet tube diameter, and susceptor size are considered. To minimize the occurrence of recirculation cells in the reaction chamber, modifications in the reactor shape are also suggested. Acceptable results are achieved by changing the cylindrical reactor to a diamond shape.
Architecting a Dimensional Document Warehouse

This paper examines how the concepts of dimensional data warehouses can be applied to document retrieval and storage. It then shows how the specifics of dimensional document warehouses differ from dimensional data warehouse and how these differences make it impractical to use existing engines for building and analyzing data cubes (such as SQL server's analysis manager) in order to build and analyze a document warehouse. The paper further shows that readily available software can be used to build an engine to analyze a dimensional document mart. All of the steps required to design, build, and analyze a dimensional document mart are described and illustrated. Design features are suggested for improving the recall and precision of searches from dimensional document marts
NMR characterizations of an amyloidogenic conformational ensemble of the PI3K SH3 domain.

Amyloid formation is associated with structural changes of native polypeptides to monomeric intermediate states and their self-assembly into insoluble aggregates. Characterizations of the amyloidogenic intermediate state are, therefore, of great importance in understanding the early stage of amyloidogenesis. Here, we present NMR investigations of the structural and dynamic properties of the acid-unfolded amyloidogenic intermediate state of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) SH3 domain—a model peptide. The monomeric amyloidogenic state of the SH3 domain studied at pH 2.0 (35°C) was shown to be substantially disordered with no secondary structural preferences. 15N NMR relaxation experiments indicated that the unfolded polypeptide is highly flexible on a subnanosecond timescale when observed under the amyloidogenic condition (pH 2.0, 35°C). However, more restricted motions were detected in residues located primarily in the β-strands as well as in a loop in the native fold. In addition, nonnative long-range interactions were observed between the residues with the reduced flexibility by paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) experiments. These indicate that the acid-unfolded state of the SH3 domain adopts a partly folded conformation through nonnative long-range contacts between the dynamically restricted residues at the amyloid-forming condition.
Development of a graded series of nutrient analysis assignments for an undergraduate nutrition course

"u sing software packages to analyze diets ought to be as routine as using a typewriter." This statement summarizes the attitude of our faculty members as we considered the options for incorporating computer-assisted dietary analysis into our beginning nutrition class. The class is the first in a series required for the B.S. in nutrition and dietetics. We selected the Nutritionist III software package (1) because of its flexibility and ease of use. We wanted to provide enough experience in its use so that students could continue to use the software independently in later classes and for their personal explorations. On the other hand, we didn't want to devote large amounts of time to computer program orientation and assistance in an already packed syllabus. A further constraint was the availability of the personal computers (PCs). For a fee of $30.00 a semester, a student on our campus can have unlimited use of a PC in the Microcomputing Laboratory. We decided to have the nutrient analysis program put on the network in the laboratory. Class time was then given to a general orientation to the program, and students were required to pay the fee for laboratory use and to complete the assignments outside of class. In order to achieve the objective of independent use of the software, we had to provide intensive exposure to the program. To provide this exposure and to give the students a full return for their investment, we designed a series of assignments, replac-. ing activities and experiences usually incorporated in the course in other ways. These assignments were graded in difficulty so that students could achieve successful results from the initial experience. The first assignment, "We do it differently: cultural differences in food patterns," coincided with a concurrent campus focus on cultural diversity. The purposes of the assignment were to provide a successful initial experience with the computer program, to demonstrate that dietary quality is a function of the total of all food eaten, and to illustrate that although different ethnic groups have widely different food patterns, they can still meet dietary needs. The assignment served as an orientation to the system; half of the class at a time met in the laboratory for 50 minutes with the course assistant who distributed instructions and demonstrated the use of the PC and the software. Each student received a copy of a day's food choices, selected according to one of four ethnic food patterns: southern USA, PolishFigure 1. Our goal was to help students develop competence and confidence in using nutrient analysis software on a personal computer.
Gust Front Characteristics as Detected by Doppler Radar

Abstract Gust fronts produce low altitude wind shear that can be hazardous to aircraft operations, especially during takeoff and landing. Radar meteorologists have long been able to identify gust front signatures in Doppler radar data, but in order to use the radar efficiently, automatic detection of such hazards is essential. In a study designed to accumulate statistics on the gust frontal signature in Doppler radar data, nine gust front cases were analyzed. Data were collected on those characteristics thought to be most important in developing rules for automatic gust-front detection such as gust front length and height, maximum and minimum values of reflectivity, velocity and spectrum width, and estimates of radial shear. To provide the reader with a concrete example, photographs of the Doppler radar displays of just two (in the interests of brevity) of the nine gust fronts are presented and discussed, as well as summary data for all cases. For these cases, outflows could be detected most reliably in t...
Prenatal diagnosis of oral‐facial‐digital syndrome, type I.

OFD syndrome is a group of at least nine disorders that overlap substantially in their physical abnormalities. Although many different malformations are seen in this syndrome, consistent findings include oral anomalies, particularly cleft lip or palate or both, facial anomalies, such as hypertelorism, micrognathia, frontal bossing, or facial asymmetry, and digital anomalies. Other frequent anomalies include central nervous system and genitourinary tract abnormalities. 1,2 Mental retardation is also commonly found in OFD syndrome, type I. 3 We present a case of OFD syndrome, type I, diagnosed in a second trimester fetus.
A Note on an Encryption Scheme of Kurosawa and Desmedt

Recently, Kurosawa and Desmedt presented a new hybrid encryption scheme which is secure against adaptive chosen-ciphertext attack. Their scheme is a modification of the Cramer-Shoup encryption scheme. Its major advantage with respect to CramerShoup is that it saves the computation of one exponentiation and produces shorter ciphertexts. However, the proof presented by Kurosawa and Desmedt relies on the use of information-theoretic key derivation and message authentication functions. In this note we present a dierent proof of security which shows that the KurosawaDesmedt scheme can be instantiated with any computationally secure key derivation and message authentication functions, thus extending the applicability of their paradigm, and improving its eciency.
Radioactive Seed Localization: Tips and Tricks

Compared with traditional methods of pre-operative localization of non-palpable breast lesions, iodine-125 radioactive seed localization has been shown to provide better patient outcomes, including more accurate localization with smaller specimen size and fewer positive margins. Increased satisfaction of patients, surgeons, and radiologists is also demonstrated when radioactive seeds are employed for localization. This article begins with a comprehensive review of the literature regarding the evolution of this increasingly utilized technique and then emphasizes the key points to develop and maintain a successful radioactive seed localization program. Insertion of radioactive seeds for breast localization purposes requires special considerations before, during, and after the procedure, which will be highlighted in addition to practical advice for accurate seed placement.
A Topology-Inferred Graph-Based Heuristic Algorithm for Map Simplification

In this article we present a heuristic map simplification algorithm based on a novel topology-inferred graph model. Compared with the existing algorithms, which only focus either on geometry simplification or on topological consistency, our algorithm simplifies the map composed of series of polylines and constraint points while maintaining the topological relationships in the map, maximizing the number of removal points, and minimizing error distance efficiently. Unlike some traditional geometry simplification algorithms, such as Douglas and Peucker's, which add points incrementally, we remove points sequentially based on a priority determined by heuristic functions. In the first stage, we build a graph to model the topology of points in the map from which we determine whether a point is removable or not. As map generalization is needed in different applications with different requirements, we present two heuristic functions to determine the priority of points removal for two different purposes: to save storage space and to reduce computation time. The time complexity of our algorithm is O(nlogk) which is efficient enough to be considered for real-time applications. Experiments on real maps were conducted and the results indicate that our algorithm produces high quality results; one heuristic function results in higher removal points saving storage space and the other improves the time performance significantly.
SnOx–ZnGa2O4 Photocatalysts with Enhanced Visible Light Activity

Surface modification of zinc gallate with SnOx species produces photocatalysts active for cresol oxidation using visible light. In these composite materials, the production rate of hydroxyl radicals and the cresol degradation rate just in visible light are higher than those with zinc gallate in UV light. The visible light absorbance in the newly introduced SnOx surface phase is attributed to the presence of Sn2+ as confirmed using Mossbauer spectroscopy. Because cresol degradation proceeds via direct oxidation by holes, the increased degradation rates in UV and visible light suggest an increase in the effective photo-oxidative reactivity of holes produced in the photocatalyst system.
Concentration of VCAM-1 in Serum and Urine in Henoch-Schonlein Purpura Nephritis and its Clinical Significance

Objective:To explore the concentration of soluble vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1(sVCAM-1) in serum and urine in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis(HSPN) and explore its clinical significance.Methods:There were 50 patients with HSP in the study.They were divided into two groups according to their renal lesions:30 cases with HSPN and 20 cases without HSPN(as NO-HSPN group).The control group included 20 healthy children.The concentration of sVCAM-1 in serum and urine of all children were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Then we compared the concentrations in every group and analyzed the relationship between the concentrations of sVCAM-1 and the main clinical markers(including 24 hours urinary protein and urinary erythrocyte).Results:The serum concentrations of sVCAM-1 in HSPN group(809.79±173.32)ng/ml and NO-HSPN group(623.44±67.27)ng/ml were both significantly higher than those in the control group(494.79±59.84)ng/ml(P0.01).The serum concentration of sVCAM-1 in HSPN group was significantly higher than that in NO-HSPN group(P0.01).The urinary concentration of sVCAM-1 in HSPN group were significantly higher than those in NO-HSPN group(P0.01) and the control group(P0.01),but there was no significant difference between the NO-HSPN group and the control group(P0.05).The concentration of VCAM-1 in the proteinuria group was significantly higher than that in the no-proteinuria group(P0.01).The concentration of VCAM-1 in the nephropathy proteinuria group was significantly higher than those in the proteinuria group(P0.05) and the no-proteinuria group(P0.01).The serum concentration of sVCAM-1 in the gross hematuria group was significantly higher than that in the no-hematuria group(P0.01),but was not significantly different from that in the microscopic hematuria group(P0.05).The serum concentration of sVCAM-1 in the microscopic hematuria group was higher than that in the no-hematuria group(P0.01) too.The urinary concentrations of sVCAM-1 were different in the groups with different levels of hematuria,because sVCAM-1 levels were significantly higher in the gross hematuria group and the microscopic hematuria group than that in the no-hematuria group(P0.05).But it was not significantly different between the microscopic hematuria group and the gross hematuria group(P0.05).There was a significantly positive correlation between the concentration of sVCAM-1 both in serum and in urine and the level of 24 hours urinary protein and urinary erythrocyte too(P0.01).Conclusion:It suggest that VCAM-1 is involved in the course of the onset and the development of HSPN.The sVCAM-1 in urine is worthy of detection for monitoring the renal lesions.
Comparative efficacy of biologics in psoriasis: a review

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated skin disease that also has systemic manifestations. Safe and effective long-term treatments are needed. Biologic treatments that inhibit the immunopatho-genesis of psoriasis have helped meet this need.
Pathology of Follicular Cancer

Follicular carcinomas are rare in today’s industrialized nations (Franssila et al. Semin Diagn Pathol 2:101–122, 1985; Baloch and Livolsi Am J Clin Pathol 117:143–150, 2002). This cancer type does not have the nuclear features of papillary carcinoma, usually has no papillae, lacks amyloid and calcitonin, and does not contain the numerous spindle cells, giant cells, and mitotic figures of undifferentiated (anaplastic) carcinoma. Most published classifications are based on the degree of cancer invasiveness, but histological patterns of the neoplasm may also provide clues to its likely behavior (D’Avanzo et al. Thyroid 14:453–458, 2004; D’Avanzo et al. Cancer 100:1123–1129, 2004; Franc et al. Hum Pathol 34:1092–1100, 2003). At present, evaluating the neoplasm’s relationship to the surrounding tissues has proved to be the most useful guide to categorizing these tumors (Franc et al. Hum Pathol 34:1092–1100, 2003; Shaha et al. Surgery 118:1131–1136, 1995; Thompson et al. Cancer 91:505–524, 2001).
Total electron count variability and stratospheric ozone effects on solar backscatter and LWIR emissions

The development of an accurate ionospheric Total Electron Count (TEC) model is of critical importance to high frequency (HF) radio propagation and satellite communications. However, the TEC is highly variable and is continually influenced by geomagnetic storms, extreme UV radiation, and planetary waves. Being able to capture this variability is essential to improve current TEC models. The growing body of data involving ionospheric fluctuations and stratospheric variations has revealed a correlation. In particular, there is a marked and persistent association between increases in stratospheric ozone and variability of the TEC. The spectral properties of ozone show that it is a greenhouse gas that alters long wave emissions from Earth and interacts with the UV spectrum coming from the sun. This study uses the Laser Environment Effects Definition and Reference (LEEDR) radiative transfer and atmospheric characterization code to model the effects of changes in stratospheric ozone on solar backscatter and longwave (LWIR) terrestrial emissions and infer TEC and TEC variability.
Detachable glass microelectrodes for recording action potentials in active moving organs

Cellular action potential measurements within tissue using glass micropipette electrodes usually require tissue immobilization, potentially influencing the physiological relevance of the measuremen...
Chronic electromyograms in treadmill running SOD1 mice reveal early changes in muscle activation

To improve our understanding of early disease mechanisms and find reliable biomarkers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease, we measured electromyogram (EMG) activity in hind limb muscles of SOD1G93A mice. In contrast to clinical diagnostic measures using EMGs, which are performed on quiescent patients, we monitored activity during treadmill running in order to detect presymptomatic changes in motor patterning. Chronic EMG electrodes were implanted into vastus lateralis (VL), biceps femoris posterior (BFP), lateral gastrocnemius (LG), and tibialis anterior (TA) in mice from postnatal day (P) 55–100, and results were assessed using linear mixed models. We evaluated differences in parameters related to EMG amplitude (peak and area) and timing (phase and skew, a measure of burst shape) while animals ran on level and inclined treadmills. There were significant changes in both the timing of activity and the amplitude of EMG bursts in SOD1G93A mice. Significant differences between wild type and SOD1G93A mice were mainly observed when animals locomoted on inclined treadmills. All muscles had significant effects of mutation that were independent of age. These novel results indicate 1) locomotor EMG activity might be an early measure of disease onset 2) alterations in locomotor patterning may reflect changes in neuronal drive and compensation at the network level including altered activity of spinal interneurons and 3) the increased power output necessary on an inclined treadmill was important in revealing altered activity in SOD1G93A mice. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Chronic hypoxia attenuates the vasodilator efficacy of protein kinase G in fetal and adult ovine cerebral arteries.

Using measurements of contractility, protein abundance, kinase activity, and confocal colocalization in fetal and adult ovine cerebral arteries, the present study demonstrates that long-term hypoxi...
Regulation of TOR Signaling in Mammals

I. Abstract Since the initial discovery of rapamycin in the soils of Easter Island, there has been significant interest in determining the biological mechanism underlying the effects of rapamycin on mammalian tissues. These effects include changes in cell size and proliferation, as well as decreased and altered mRNA translation, and changes in autophagy. It was thus immediately clear that the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) was a key regulator of cell growth and proliferation, and further work has shown that mTOR serves as a central regulator of cell processes in response to nutrients and environmental stimuli. In this chapter, we will discuss the mechanisms behind the many different functions of mTOR, with emphasis on the proteins that make up two mTOR-containing complexes and regulate mTOR signaling in response to insulin and amino acids. We will also discuss the medical relevance of these findings and the potential clinical significance of inhibiting mTOR.