cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aircraft-based inversions quantify the importance of wetlands and livestock for Upper Midwest methane emissions.

Abstract. We apply airborne measurements across three seasons (summer, winter and spring 2017–2018) in a multi-inversion framework to quantify methane emissions from the US Corn Belt and Upper Midwest, a key agricultural and wetland source region. Combing our seasonal results with prior fall values we find that wetlands are the largest regional methane source (32 %, 20 [16–23] Gg/d), while livestock (enteric/manure; 25 %, 15 [14–17] Gg/d) are the largest anthropogenic source. Natural gas/petroleum, waste/landfills, and coal mines collectively make up the remainder. Optimized fluxes improve model agreement with independent datasets within and beyond the study timeframe. Inversions reveal coherent and seasonally dependent spatial errors in the WetCHARTs ensemble mean wetland emissions, with an underestimate for the Prairie Pothole region but an overestimate for Great Lakes coastal wetlands. Wetland extent and emission temperature dependence have the largest influence on prediction accuracy; better representation of coupled soil temperature–hydrology effects is therefore needed. Our optimized regional livestock emissions agree well with the Gridded EPA estimates during spring (to within 7 %) but are ∼ 25 % higher during summer and winter. Spatial analysis further shows good top-down and bottom-up agreement for beef facilities (with mainly enteric emissions) but larger ( ∼ 30 %) seasonal discrepancies for dairies and hog farms (with > 40 % manure emissions). Findings thus support bottom-up enteric emission estimates but suggest errors for manure; we propose that the latter reflects inadequate treatment of management factors including field application. Overall, our results confirm the importance of intensive animal agriculture for regional methane emissions, implying substantial mitigation opportunities through improved management.
Encountering the military-environmental complex: ten years since the creation of the Chagos marine protected area

This Encounter describes some of the events that led up to the creation of the Chagos Marine Protected Area (MPA) on 1 April 2010. It reflects on the role of social scientists in opposing militaris...
Chronic Autoimmune Neurological Disorders and Immunosuppression During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to uncertainty regarding the best management practice for patients with chronic autoimmune neurological disorders (cANDs) who require immunosuppressive therapies (ISTs). While ISTs are often essential to control cANDs, there is concern that ISTs may make this patient population more susceptible to COVID-19 and related complications. Expert opinion consensus guidelines have emerged during the pandemic but there is a paucity of real-world data on the impact of COVID-19 in cANDs. Methods: We used TriNetX, which is a global health collaborative clinical research platform collecting real-time electronic medical records data, which has the largest known global COVID-19 database. We included patients with cANDs [multiple sclerosis (MS), myasthenia gravis (MG), inflammatory myositis, and chronic inflammatory neuropathies (CIN)], based on ICD-10 coding for one year before January 20th, 2020. We examined the rates of COVID- 19 infection, hospitalizations, intubations and deaths among these patients Findings: A total of 33,451 patients with autoimmune neuromuscular disorders (aNMDs) and 42,899 patients with MS were included. Among them, 111 (0.33%) patients with aNMDs and 115 patients (0.27%) with MS had COVID-19. Risk of COVID-19 was similar among patients with aNMD and MS. About one third of them required hospitalization. Immunosuppression did not appear to impact infection risk overall in either group; however, risk of hospitalization for immunosuppressed patients with aNMDs was higher (Odds ratio 2.86, p-value 0.011). Interpretation: Immunosuppression is unlikely to make patients with cANDs more vulnerable to COVID-19. ISTs can be continued during the pandemic, as previously suggested by expert opinion guidelines. However, it is important to consider individualizing immunotherapy regimens in some cases. Additional longitudinal physician reported registry-based data is needed to further confirm these findings. Funding Statement: None. Declaration of Interests: Dr. Kovvuru, Dr. Nalleballe, Dr. Onteddu, Dr. Sharma, Dr. Jasti, Dr. Kapoor, Dr. Veerapaneni, Dr. Yadala, Dr. Dandu, and Dr. Archer have no conflicts of interest to report. Dr. Nowak reports no conflicts directly related to this work. Dr. Nowak has received research support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Genentech, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, argenx, Annexon Biosciences, Ra Pharmaceuticals, Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, Momenta, Immunovant, and Grifols. He has served as consultant/advisor for Alexion Pharmaceuticals, argenx, CSL Behring, Grifols, Ra Pharmaceuticals, Immunovant, Momenta and Viela Bio. Dr. Roy reports no conflicts directly related to this work. He has served as a consultant for Alexion Pharmaceuticals. Ethics Approval Statement: The University of Arkansas Institutional Review Board (IRB) deemed this study to be ‘not human subject research’ (global de-identified COVID-19 Research Network data designated for research use), and gave it an exempt status.
Risky Development: Increasing Exposure to Natural Hazards in the United States

Losses from natural hazards are escalating dramatically, with more properties and critical infrastructure affected each year. Although the magnitude, intensity, and/or frequency of certain hazards has increased, development contributes to this unsustainable trend, as disasters emerge when natural disturbances meet vulnerable assets and populations. To diagnose development patterns leading to increased exposure in the conterminous United States (CONUS), we identified earthquake, flood, hurricane, tornado, and wildfire hazard hotspots, and overlaid them with land use information from the Historical Settlement Data Compilation data set. Our results show that 57% of structures (homes, schools, hospitals, office buildings, etc.) are located in hazard hotspots, which represent only a third of CONUS area, and ∼1.5 million buildings lie in hotspots for two or more hazards. These critical levels of exposure are the legacy of decades of sustained growth and point to our inability, lack of knowledge, or unwillingness to limit development in hazardous zones. Development in these areas is still growing more rapidly than the baseline rates for the nation, portending larger future losses even if the effects of climate change are not considered.
Medical Countermeasures for Filoviruses and Other Viral Agents

Many viruses were considered historically and have been reconsidered recently as potential agents of great harm, through intentional release as weapons of biological warfare or bioterrorism. Two such lists, of which several circulate, are shown in Table 1. Another variation, a recent prioritization of concerns by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), is shown in Table 2. The discerning reader may note that regarding certain viral agents, different listings may appear wildly or illogically discordant. Conflicting perspectives will not be resolved herein: a consideration of the particular threat characteristics, diseases, vaccines, and treatments for even these truncated rosters of viral agents is well beyond the scope of this chapter. It suffices to note that priorities and concerns are drawn from imprecise and sometimes disputed information about these viruses in myriad areas, including the medical consequences of infection in terms of morbidity and mortality; the feasibility and ease of agent production; the minimal viral dose required to cause disease; the stability of the virus in storage and in aerosol form; the contagiousness or limited transmissibility of the virus via contacts of infected persons; the current availability of medical countermeasures; the ease by which individuals or groups may acquire the virus; and credible intelligence information indicating past or present weaponization. Variola virus, causative agent of smallpox, is considered separately in this volume. Here, emphasis is on the filoviruses Marburg virus (MARV) and Ebola virus (EBOV); these are among the most frightening of natural viral threat agents, not as contagious as variola virus, but more deadly, and uncontrolled by any currently available vaccine or therapy. Genetically engineered viruses are not considered here, nor are agents that have serious but solely indirect effects on humans through their impacts on agriculture or environment.
Rules and the Economics of Energy Balance in Coupled Vectorial Processes

We would like to understand what a coupled vectorial process (CVP) is and how it works. Progress toward this goal demands that the right questions be asked and answers to them found; we should know what questions need to be answered in order that we can say that we understand how a CVP works. It is frequently suggested that coupling in active transport and other CVPs results from changing affinities for ligands (e.g., Ca2+, Na+, H+), “energized states,” and particular steps with “energy coupling” (e.g., a “power stroke”). Such concepts may be useful if they are clearly defined, but can slow progress if they give a sense that a mechanism is understood when it is not.
Side Impact Tolerance to Blunt Trauma

The object of this research program has been to extend the scope of earlier work to include long-duration head impacts and to develop new scaling relationships to allow extrapolation of impact data from infrahuman primates to living humans. A series of living primate side impacts to the head and torso was conducted in parallel with a series of impacts to human cadavers. Dimensional analysis techniques were employed to estimate in vivo human tolerance to side injury. The threshold of closed brain injury to humans was found to be 76 g for a pulse duration of 20 ms and an impact velocity of 43 ft/s (13.2 m/s). The maximum tolerable penetration to the chest was found to be 2.65 in (6.72 cm) for both the left and right sides. Scaling of abdominal injuries to humans was accomplished by employing a factor that relates impact contact area, animal mass, impact force, and pulse duration to injury severity. The maximum tolerable contact pressure to the upper abdomen of a human was found to be 32 lbf/inu2 (220 kPa).
ActionScript in-lined reference monitoring in prolog

A Prolog implementation of an In-lined Reference Monitoring system prototype for Adobe ActionScript Bytecode programs is presented. Prolog provides an elegant framework for implementing IRM’s. Its declarative and reversible nature facilitate the dual tasks of binary parsing and code generation, greatly simplifying many otherwise difficult IRM implementation challenges. The approach is demonstrated via the enforcement of several security policies on real-world Adobe Flash applets and AIR applications.
Adaptor proteins CRK and CRKL associate with the serine/threonine protein kinase GCKR promoting GCKR and SAPK activation.

STE20-related kinases play significant regulatory roles in a range of cellular responses to environmental stimuli. GCKR (also referred to as KHS1) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that has an STE20-like protein kinase domain and that stimulates the stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK, also referred to as Jun kinase or JNK) pathway. GCKR has a large C-terminal regulatory domain that provides sites for interactions with other proteins. Adaptor proteins mediate the interactions between signaling molecules. In this study we showed that the adaptor proteins Crk and CrkL associated with GCKR. When Crk-I, Crk-II, or CrkL was transiently expressed in HEK 293T cells along with GCKR, each coimmunoprecipitated with GCKR. Furthermore, in the Bcr-Abl transformed cell line, K562 endogenous GCKR and CrkL coimmunoprecipitated, indicating a constitutive association. Detection of the CrkL-GCKR interaction required the SH3 domains of CrkL and 2 regions in GCKR—1 between amino acids 387 and 395 that contains a consensus SH3 binding motif and the other between amino acids 599 and 696. Crk or CrkL overexpression increased GCKR catalytic activity. A dominant negative form of Ras abolished Crk- or CrkL-induced GCKR activation, suggesting a dependence on Ras activation for their activation of GCKR. Finally, we showed impairment of the known ability of CrkL to activate the SAPK pathway by a catalytically inactive form of GCKR or by a GCKR antisense construct. Thus, GCKR associates with other proteins through interactions mediated by SH2/SH3 adaptor proteins, which can lead to GCKR and SAPK activation.
Studies on the conversion of proinsulin to insulin. II. Evidence for a chymotrypsin-like cleavage in the connecting peptide region of insulin precursors in the rat.

A chymotryptic-like fragment of the rat proinsulin connecting peptide (C-peptide) has been isolated from whole rat pancreas. Amino acid analysis and partial sequence determination showed the fragment to contain the NH2-terminal 22 residues of C-peptide I. A radioactive fragment of similar electrophoretic mobility was also isolated from rat pancreatic islets which had been incubated with [3H]-leucine. Stepwise Edman degradation of the radioactive fragment showed the positions of its leucine residues to be identical with those of the unlabeled material. Homogenization of [3H]leucine-labeled rat C-peptide with whole pancreas and extraction under conditions used for the isolation of the fragment did not result in cleavage of the C-peptide to the fragment. Furthermore, the fractional ratio of fragment to C-peptide (normally about 0.2) did not increase when rat islets were incubated with [3H]leucine for 1 hour and then incubated with unlabeled leucine for 1, 2, or 3 hours. Treatment of a mixture of [3H]leucine-labeled proinsulin and proinsulin intermediates with high amounts of trypsin resulted in the release of the C-peptide fragment as well as desglutamine (residue 31) C-peptide. It is concluded that a chymotrypsin-like cleavage in the C-peptide region of proinsulin or in one of its intermediates occurs normally during the conversion of proinsulin to insulin in the rat.
The effect of mercurous chloride (calomel) and epinephrine (sympathetic stimulation) on rats; the importance of the findings to mechanisms in infantile acrodynia (pink disease).

It has been found that calomel will produce retardation of growth and loss of sodium and chloride from tissue with or without associated functional renal insufficiency. The findings are compared with data obtained by injecting a mercurial diuretic, Mercuhydrin®, into rats. In young rats given 10 mg of calomel, no renal structural change is seen 1 to 4 days after ingestion but the concentration of urea nitrogen in the blood is slightly elevated. If one injection of epinephrine (0.5 mg) is given to the young rat treated with calomel, hemoconcentration, hypertension, 16% loss of total content of chloride from the body and reduction in volume of the chloride space, increased insensible water loss, moderate rise in concentration of urea nitrogen in the blood and a renal lesion in the outer area of the renal medulla (upper portion of Henle9s loop) are all found within 24 hours. The animals developed a weak, scrawny appearance, and in some instances distinct coldness to palpation and blueness of the extremities. Epinephrine, when injected into normal rats, produced a lesser increase in insensible loss of water and only 6% loss of content of chloride from the body. Hypertension was not sustained. The changes demonstrated in the current experiments with rats resemble many of the findings in acrodynia. In acrodynia, sweating, hypertension, tachycardia, vasospasm, increased insensible loss of water, raised venous pressure, and increased excretion of steroids all support the concept of sympathetic preponderance. Increased adrenal cortical function also exists but to a lesser extent. Hence, acrodynia must represent "failure of adaptation" or failure to withstand stress. It is suggested that mercury potentiates directly or indirectly the action of epinephrine in the body and that the coexistence of sympathetic stress plus calomel can give rise to acrodynia. Loss of extracellular volume resulting from mercurial diuretic effects, and from loss of water from the skin potentiates sympathetic and adrenal activity. Adrenal hormones are ineffective in conserving sodium chloride at the renal level in the presence of mercury. Augmented sympathetic activity leads to renal anoxia, vasospasm, and renal pressor effects. Renal damage may result and augment the vasospasm and hypertension.
Stable nonlinear recursive filters for edge enhancing noise smoothing of images

Stability conditions for nonlinear recursive filters of the form y(n)=f(x(n, y(n-1)), y(n-2), . . ., y(n-N)) where f is equal to a linear combination of x(n), y(n-i), i=1, 2, . . ., N with nonconstant coefficients. A specific scheme is proposed for simultaneous noise smoothing and edge sharpening of images. The problem of distortion similar to that due to the nonlinear phase of linear recursive filters is solved by incorporating multidirectional filtering methods. Results of using this nonlinear recursive image filter show that the quality of image is not only restored but also improved in the case of low- to medium-variance noise. >
Communication Research and the Study of Surveillance

This paper outlines some of the productive points of intersection between communications research and the study of surveillance. It highlights some of the contributions that the field of communications has made to the emerging interdisciplinary field of surveillance studies, and suggests some possible lines of research in the areas of consumer surveillance and interactive media, police communications and surveillance, closed-circuit television, media representations of surveillance, surveillance and the ritual model of communication, and surveillance and social inequality. The unique contributions made by the authors included in this special issue are also noted. It is by no means an exhaustive overview.
Orbital Structure of Triaxial Black Hole Nuclei

Orbital motion in triaxial nuclei with central point masses, representing supermassive black holes, is investigated. The stellar density is assumed to follow a power law ρ ∝ r-γ, with γ = 1 or γ = 2. At low energies the motion is essentially regular; the major families of orbits are tubes and pyramids. Pyramid orbits are similar to box orbits but have their major elongation parallel to the short axis of the figure. A number of regular orbit families associated with resonances also exist, most prominently the banana orbits, which are also elongated parallel to the short axis. At a radius where the enclosed stellar mass is a few times the black hole mass, the pyramid orbits become stochastic. The energy of transition to this "zone of chaos" is computed as a function of γ and of the shape of the stellar figure; it occurs at lower energies in more elongated potentials. Our results suggest that supermassive black holes may place tight constraints on departures from axisymmetry in galactic nuclei by both limiting the allowed shapes of regular orbits and inducing chaos.
External reflection and transmission spectroscopy of Pr3+: LaF3 by Stark modulated optical pumping

Abstract We report a new Stark modulated optical pumping technique for transmission and external reflection spectroscopy. In this technique, Stark field pulses alter the transmission of a laser beam through an optically resonant solid. During a pulse cycle the beam intensity switches from a high output as a result of the bleaching effect of optical pumping to a reduced output due to absorption. This change in intensity allows a high frequency signal modulation, and when combined with phase-sensitive detection, signal changes as small as 4 × 10 -6 can be detected. We demonstrate the technique by carrying out spectroscopy of a 3 H 4 (Γ1)− 1 D 2 (Γ1) ( λ = 592.5 nm) transition in Pr 3+ : LaF 3 . Absorption satellites due to Pr 3+ ion pairs are observed in transmission. A dispersion in the reflected signal due to the 3 H 4 (Γ1)− 1 D 2 (Γ1) line is detected, and is utilized for NQR spectroscopy of the Pr spin. Possible applications of the technique are discussed.
The relationship between student orientations to college, sat scores, and Rotter I-E scores

Over 2000 undergraduates for whom SAT scores were available completed the Student Orientations Survey (SOS) and the Rotter I-E Control Scale. F tests showed that high SAT-Verbal scores were associated with an Exploratory orientation to college, and low SAT-Verbal scores with a Preparatory outlook. Low SAT-Math scores were associated with three of the Preparatory scales, but also with three of the Exploratory scales of the SOS. In terms of SOS results, individuals with high-Verbal/low-Math scores tended to have an Exploratory orientation and individuals with low-Verbal/high-Math scores were more Preparatory in their outlook toward college. SAT pattern was not associated with Rotter I-E scores. The relationship between I-E scores and SOS scale scores indicated that “inner control,” as measured by the Rotter scale, does not appear to be synonymous with autonomy and a liking for self-direction. Suggestions for further research into the congruence of students' educational attitudes with institutional philosophies, departmental objectives, and the orientations of instructors were discussed.
Quantum mechanical theory of spontaneous emission in a magnetic wiggler by a high-energy electron beam

Unstimulated bremsstrahlung in a transverse undulating magnetic field («magnetic wiggler») by a relativistic electron beam is investigated by means of relativistic quantum kinetics in which the incident laser wave is the first-order perturber to the electron motion, while the magnetic wiggler is treated as a classical field, which wiggles the electrons in the transverse direction. Thus, the unper-turbed state is represented by the solution of the first-order Dirac equation describing the motion of a relativistic electron in the magnetic wiggler approximated as an electromagnetic wave, and the solution is derived from the Volkov solution. It is found that the spontaneous-emission power in the laser-axis direction scales as the cube of the electron energy.
PLACENTAL NOREPINEPHRINE TRANSPORTER: EXPRESSION AND REGULATION.† 331

The placenta has recently been shown to express the transporters for catecholamines and serotonin. In previous studies of catheterized fetal sheep, we used isotope tracer methods to show that the placenta contributes to>50% of total (fetal+placental) clearance of norepinephrine. Using norepinephrine transport blockers, we demonstrated that more than 50% of placental clearance is norepinephrine transporter dependent. The factors which regulate expression of these proteins in the placenta are not known. To compare placental transporter expression with alterations in placental function during pregnancy, we used the human norepinephrine cDNA to examine RNA extracted from the placenta of 35 patients following complicated and uncomplicated pregnancies. To compare transporter expression and its relation to fetal condition at birth, we collected both placentas and umbilical arterial cord blood for catecholamines and blood gases. Transporter expression was measured by Northern analysis and RNase protection. Quantitative norepinephrine transporter expression was compared to umbilical plasma norepinephrine by regression analysis. Uncomplicated pregnancies had a higher level of placental norepinephrine transporter expression than complicated pregnancies. An inverse relationship between umbilical cord norepinephrine level and transporter expression was demonstrated. That is, if transporter expression was high, umbilical plasma norepinephrine levels were low (r=0.54, p<0.01). We conclude that derangements in placental catecholamine clearance may be important in the pathophysiology of pregnancy disorders associated with placental dysfunction, impaired placental blood flow or intrauterine growth retardation. This may also explain the adverse effect of drugs, such as cocaine, which block catecholamine transport.
Tumor enucleation: a safe treatment alternative for renal cell carcinoma

The treatment of renal cell carcinoma has evolved tremendously over the years. Initially the entire kidney was removed along with the renal tumor despite the size or extent of the mass. Early attempts to remove tumors with a normal surrounding parenchymal margin showed equivalent oncologic results in small renal masses. Attempts to preserve more renal parenchyma in patients with compromised renal function led to the enucleation of renal masses by blunt dissection following the natural plane between the peritumor pseudocapsule and the renal parenchyma. Enucleation of renal tumors has been especially useful for renal preservation in patients with preoperative renal insufficiency, solitary kidneys, multiple renal lesions and hereditary renal cell carcinoma syndromes. Comparable long-term progression and cancer-specific survival has been shown with tumor enucleation and standard partial nephrectomy. However, there has been considerable controversy regarding the safety of renal tumor enucleation due to histopathologic findings of pseudocapsule tumor invasion. Current data suggest that tumor enucleation is a safe alternative for small renal masses that are locally confined on preoperative imaging, easily delineated intraoperatively and do not appear to grossly invade beyond the pseudocapsule.
An evaluation of the clinical implications of acid breakthrough in patients on proton pump inhibitor therapy.

Summary Background : Some patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease continue to experience symptoms despite therapy with proton pump inhibitors. One recently proposed cause is the occurrence of nocturnal acid breakthrough. Aim : To investigate the relationship between acid breakthrough occurrence (nocturnal and daytime) and refractory symptoms among patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease on proton pump inhibitors. Methods : Fifty-two consecutive patients with persistent symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease despite proton pump inhibitor therapy underwent 24-h pH study at the Mayo Clinic between January 1 and November 10, 1999. Relevant data were extracted and analysed. Results : Fifty-two patients, 18 males and 34 females, were eligible for the study. The mean age was 53 ± 2.2 years. Thirty-seven patients (71%) had nocturnal acid breakthrough, and 36 (69%) had daytime acid breakthrough. Sixty per cent of patients experienced both nocturnal and daytime acid breakthrough, whereas 19% had neither. Among those with nocturnal and daytime acid breakthrough, only 36% and 33% of symptoms, respectively, were associated with gastro-oesophageal reflux episodes. The proportion of patients with symptoms and the mean symptom scores were not significantly different between those with and without acid breakthrough. Conclusions : Gastric acid breakthrough occurs nocturnally and during the daytime in patients on proton pump inhibitor therapy. With less than 36% of refractory symptoms associated with gastro-oesophageal reflux, gastric acid breakthrough cannot explain symptom refractoriness to proton pump inhibitor therapy in a significant majority of patients evaluated by 24-h pH study.
Reconstructing/Deconstructing Genre and Gender: Postmodern Identity in Bobbie Ann Mason's In Country and Josephine Humphreys's Rich in Love

Abstract For, if the novel, among all poetic forms, can be considered the broadest vessel in which every specimen of the soul has room and air to put out shoots, to sprout and to blossom, to branch out and to spread in the entire fullness of its nature; if the novel […] is precisely suited above all other genres to lead us into the inner regions of human souls and to reveal their presentiments, strivings, struggles, defeats and conquests: then it is indeed not comprehensible why forcefulness, even the great and sublime, should not be able to take their place with the same right as the tender, the pleasant, and the beautiful; why the awesome, deep, gloomy, powerful, cannot stand comparison with the lovable, fervent, cheerful, harmonic. –Karl von Morgenstern Why is it that just at the moment when so many of us who have been silenced begin to demand the right to name ourselves, to act as subjects rather than object of history, that just then the concept of subjecthood becomes problematic.
Mood changes and affective disorder in the bulimic binge—Purge cycle

Mood changes over the bulimic binge–purge cycle were studied in retrospective questionnaire reports of patients, 16 with and 34 without concurrent affective disorder. Moods clearly differed over phases. Mood reports depicted the period between the binge and purge as most unpleasant, with low energy/excitement and security/relief and high panic/helplessness and guilt/disgust/anger. Feelings after the purge were relatively calm and pleasurable, with low panic/helplessness and excitement/energy and high security/relief. Patients with affective disorder did not differ from those without affective disorder in their mood changes during the cycle.
Arrangement of subunits in the proteolipid ring of the V-ATPase.

The vacuolar ATPases (V-ATPases) are multisubunit complexes containing two domains. The V1 domain (subunits A–H) is peripheral and carries out ATP hydrolysis. The V0 domain (subunits a, c, c′, c″, d, and e) is membrane-integral and carries out proton transport. In yeast, there are three proteolipid subunits as follows: subunit c (Vma3p), subunit c′ (Vma11p), and subunit c″ (Vma16p). The proteolipid subunits form a six-membered ring containing single copies of subunits c′ and c″ and four copies of subunit c. To determine the possible arrangements of proteolipid subunits in V0 that give rise to a functional V-ATPase complex, a series of gene fusions was constructed to constrain the arrangement of pairs of subunits in the ring. Fusions containing c″ employed a truncated version of this protein lacking the first putative transmembrane helix (which we have shown previously to be functional), to ensure that the N and C termini of all subunits were located on the luminal side of the membrane. Fusion constructs were expressed in strains disrupted in c′, c″, or both but containing a wild copy of c to ensure the presence of the required number of copies of subunit c. The c-c″(ΔTM1), c″(ΔTM1)-c′, and c′-c constructs all complemented the vma– phenotype and gave rise to complexes possessing greater than 25% of wild-type levels of activity. By contrast, neither the c-c′, the c′-c″(ΔTM1), nor the c″(ΔTM1)-c constructs complemented the vma– phenotype. These results suggest that functionally assembled V-ATPase complexes contain the proteolipid subunits arranged in a unique order in the ring.
Transforming growth factor β receptor I polyalanine repeat polymorphism does not increase ovarian cancer risk

Abstract Objectives It has been suggested that the 6A allele of the type I TGFβ receptor ( TGFβR1 ) polyalanine repeat tract polymorphism may increase susceptibility to various types of cancer including ovarian cancer. Methods The TGFβR1 polyalanine polymorphism was genotyped in 588 ovarian cancer cases and 614 controls from a population-based case-control study in North Carolina. Results Significant racial differences in the frequency of the 6A allele were observed between Caucasian (10.7%) and African-American (2.4%) controls ( P TGFβR1 polyalanine polymorphism was carried by 18% of all controls and 19% of cases, and there was no association with ovarian cancer risk (OR = 1.07, 95% CI 0.80–1.44). The odds ratio for 6A homozygotes was 1.81 (95% CI 0.655.06), but these comprised only 0.98% of controls and 1.70% of cases. Conclusions The 6A allele of the TGFβR1 polyalanine polymorphism does not appear to increase ovarian cancer risk. Larger studies would be needed to exclude the possibility that the small fraction of individuals who are 6A homozygotes have an increased risk of ovarian or other cancers.
Trust, hope and empowerment

Philosophers and social scientists have focussed a great deal of attention on our human capacity to trust, but relatively little on the capacity to hope. This is a significant oversight, as hope and trust are importantly interconnected. This paper argues that, even though trust can and does feed our hopes, it is our empowering capacity to hope that significantly underwrites—and makes rational—our capacity to trust.
CORPOREAL STRUCTURAL AND VASCULAR MICRO ARCHITECTURE WITH X-RAY MICRO COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY IN NORMAL AND DIABETIC RABBITS: HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CORRELATION

Purpose: The pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus induced erectile dysfunction is poorly understood. In patients with diffuse venous leakage structural changes in the corpora cavernosa have correlated with failure of the veno-occlusive mechanism. Three-dimensional (D) micro computerized tomography (CT) has proved to be an important imaging technique for the intact kidney, heart, liver and bone. We examined control and diabetic rabbit penises by 3-D micro CT and quantified any structural changes.Materials and Methods: Male white New Zealand rabbits were treated with alloxan to induce diabetes or used as normal controls. Via aortic access at laparotomy the penile vascular tree was vasodilated with papaverine and perfused with radiopaque silicone rubber. X-ray micro CT was then performed at 21 μm. resolution and images were analyzed in 3-D using custom software.Results: Nine diabetic rabbits with blood glucose greater than 400 mg./dl. and 9 control animals were used for micro CT analysis. Significant decreas...
Redo Lateral Thoracotomy for Reoperative Descending and Thoracoabdominal Aortic Repair: A Consecutive Series of 60 Patients

Background Reoperative descending thoracic aorta (DTA) or thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) surgery is a challenge because of increased risk of lung injury and diffuse bleeding. Methods Sixty patients (34 male, mean age 54.4 years) underwent redo thoracotomy for DTA (22 patients) or extended thoracoabdominal incision for reoperative TAAA (38 patients) from March 1988 to June 2007, after 1.7 ± 0.9 previous cardioaortic procedures. Forty-one patients were hypertensive (68%), 18 were smokers (30%), 9 had Marfan syndrome (15%), 9 had coronary artery disease (15%), 5 had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (8%), and 3 had diabetes mellitus (5%). In all, 45% (27 patients) had previous dissection, 30% (18) had atherosclerotic aneurysms, 15% had coarctation surgery (9), and 6 patients had other etiologies. Mean follow-up, 100% complete, was 6.5 years. Results Hospital mortality for reoperative DTA/TAAA was 13.3% (8 patients). Although 6.3 ± 2.9 (0 to 14) segmental artery pairs were sacrificed at reoperation—and 6.2 ± 2.3 (1 to 12) initially—for a total of 10.6 ± 3.9 (2 to 15) segmental artery pairs sacrificed, only 1 patient had paraplegia (1.6%). Four patients had a 2-day procedure, with 12 to 24 hours of intensive care unit recovery after lysis of extensive adhesions: all survived. Respiratory complications occurred in 13 patients (21.6%), and permanent dialysis was required in 2 (3.3%), but there were no strokes. Adverse outcome—1-year mortality, stroke, permanent dialysis, or paraplegia—occurred in 13 patients (21.6%). Adverse outcome was marginally associated ( p p = 0.02). Adverse outcome occurred in 3 of 4 patients who had clamp-and-sew technique, 6 of 21 using partial cardiopulmonary bypass (28.6%), and 3 of 17 with partial left heart bypass (17.7%), but only 1 of 18 with hypothermic circulatory arrest (5.6%). Conclusions Reoperative DTA/TAAA repair was significantly safer with hypothermic circulatory arrest rather than partial cardiopulmonary bypass, partial left heart bypass, or clamp-and-sew strategy. A 2-day procedure may be advisable for patients with extensive adhesions.
An on-chip whole blood/plasma separator using hetero-packed beads at the inlet of a microchannel

A disposable rapid on-chip whole blood/plasma separator has been simply implemented by packing two different sizes of silica beads at the inlet of a microchannel for application to point-of-care (POC) clinical diagnostics. Our suggested technique can be utilized to implement an integrated microfilter for a wide range of Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) devices.
Analysis of clinical trials in gynecologic cancer-timing and interpretation

Abstract When and how often a clinical trial is analyzed is as important as the use of appropriate methodology. Premature analysis may result in inaccurate estimation of tumor response and adverse effects as well as misrepresentation of survival. Moreover, bias may be introduced or the study may be abandoned entirely. Of parallel importance to the timing is the emphasis given to the analyses. If a randomized comparative trial of two regimens is conducted and a significant therapeutic effect is not discerned, the study is generally classified as a negative study. This view is oversimplified; the negative conclusion drawn must have a much more limited scope than is generally appreciated. Lastly, the pitfalls of interpreting time variable curves such as survival are of special note. Quite often the "tails" of the curves totally belie the true implications of the analysis.
Conformational Relationship between the O-C-C-N + System of Phospholipids and Substrates of Muscarinic and Cholinergic Systems

Conformational Relationship between the O–C–C–N+ System of Phospholipids and Substrates of Muscarinic and Cholinergic Systems
Do Women Prefer Dominant Men? The Case of the Missing Control Condition

Abstract Past research finds evidence that college women prefer a romantic partner who is dominant more than one who is not dominant. However, this research failed to include a control condition in which neither dominant nor nondominant behaviors are described. Study 1 and Study 2 included such a control condition and found that describing men as either dominant or nondominant decreased the desirability of hypothetical dating and romantic partners for undergraduate women. When asked to describe their ideal partner in Study 3, very few women identified dominant as a desirable trait. However, several traits associated with dominance, such as assertiveness and confidence, were selected. The findings suggest that a simple dominant–nondominant dimension may not be very useful when predicting women's mate preferences.
Spontaneous Spinal Epidural Hematoma: A Retrospective Study on Prognostic Factors and Review of the Literature

Objectives The spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is a rare clinical entity. Patients typically present with sudden onset back pain followed by neurological deficits. Methods Diagnosis of SSEH is usually made with MRI and standard treatment is surgical evacuation. In 1996, Groen published the most comprehensive review on the SSEH in which he analyzed 333 cases. We review 104 cases of SSEH presented in the English literature since the last major review and add three of our own cases, for a total of 107 cases. Results Our patients presented with back pain and neurologic deficits. Two made excellent functional recovery with prompt surgical decompression while one continued to have significant deficits despite evacuation. Better postoperative outcome was associated with less initial neurological dysfunction, shorter time to operation from symptom onset and male patients. Conclusion We discuss the etiology of SSEH and report current trends in diagnosis, treatment, and outcome.
Florida Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory: development, reliability, and validity.

The Florida Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (FOCI) is a new self-report questionnaire that has separate scales for symptom enumeration (The Checklist) and evaluation of symptom severity (Severity Scale). The present research investigated the FOCI in a sample of 113 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The results indicated that the FOCI Severity Scale is internally consistent (α = .89) and highly correlated with the total score from the Yale–Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS; Goodman et al., 1989a). The correlations of the FOCI Severity Scale with measures of depression and global severity of psychopathology were similar to those obtained with the Y-BOCS Total Severity Score. The FOCI Symptom Checklist had adequate reliability (K-R 20 = .83) and moderate correlations (rs < .45) with the FOCI Severity Scale, the Y-BOCS scales, and measures of depression and severity of psychopathology. These findings imply concurrent validity for the FOCI Severity Scale. A strength of the FOCI is that it offers a quick evaluation of both presence and severity of OCD symptoms. An important limitation is that the FOCI does not assess the severity of individual symptoms. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 63: 851–859, 2007.
Carbon accumulation and mitigation processes, and secondary electron yields of ruthenium surfaces

Metallic ruthenium capping layers ~2 nm thick protect and extend the lifetimes of Mo/Si multilayer mirrors used in extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) applications. However, Ru-capped mirrors experience a loss of reflectivity after prolonged exposure to EUV radiation. In the present work, we use ultrahigh vacuum surface science methods to address several aspects of Ru surface chemistry that may impact on Ru capping layer stability and mitigation processes. (1) We characterize the composition and stability of Ru surfaces that simulate surfaces of Ru-capped multilayer mirrors, under exposure to different background gases (water, methyl methacrylate (MMA)) and to electron irradiation. Evidence for some mitigation of carbon accumulation during electron bombardment in MMA + water vapor is found. (2) We report the photon-energy dependence of secondary electron yield (SEY) measurements for clean Ru, O-dosed and C-dosed Ru, and Ru-capped multilayer mirrors using synchrotron radiation near 13.5 nm at Brookhaven National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS). Much of the radiation-induced chemistry on the surfaces of capping layers is induced by low-energy secondary electrons rather than direct photoexcitation, so the SEY is an important parameter affecting mirror lifetimes in EUVL.
Realizable free-electron lasers

We analyze the general class of constant period free-electron lasers (FELs) based on single-pass linear accelerator technology. The emittance and energy spread of the electron beam used to drive an FEL must be chosen to match the acceptance of the FEL wiggler. This acceptance determines the attainable current, and the current determines the gain and power output. For an optimized system in which the optical mode size in the interaction region is minimized, the gain is found to be independent of the laser length, while the efficiency and power output scale as the inverse and inverse cube of the length. Very high power output and good efficiencies are predicted.
Raman Scattering: from Laboratories to Clinics

Raman scattering has great application potential in medicine. Recent progress on the development of Raman related spectroscopy and hyperspectral imaging instruments and their feasibilities in arthritis disease diagnosis and dental caries detection are presented. Article not available.
Dynamical realization of chiral symmetry in quantum chromodynamics

By an examination of the Ward-Takahashi identities and the Dyson-Schwinger equations we are able to establish a causal connection in QCD between the Nambu-Goldstone realization of chiral symmetry and quark confinement. We show that the broken-chiral-symmetry solution leads to a propagator which is an entire function. This is a nonperturbative result driven solely by the instantons. Many remarkable implications of this solution are described.
Trends in Antifungal Drug Susceptibility of Cryptococcus neoformans Isolates in the United States: 1992 to 1994 and 1996 to 1998

The antifungal drug susceptibilities of two collections of Cryptococcus neoformans isolates obtained through active laboratory-based surveillance from 1992 to 1994 (368 isolates) and 1996 to 1998 (364 isolates) were determined. The MICs of fluconazole, itraconazole, and flucytosine were determined by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards broth microdilution method; amphotericin B MICs were determined by the E-test. Our results showed that the MIC ranges, the MICs at which 50% of isolates are inhibited (MIC50s), and the MIC90s of these four antifungal agents did not change from 1992 to 1998. In addition, very small numbers of isolates showed elevated MICs suggestive of in vitro resistance. The MICs of amphotericin B were elevated (≥2 μg/ml) for 2 isolates, and the MICs of flucytosine were elevated (≥32 μg/ml) for 14 isolates. Among the azoles, the fluconazole MIC was elevated (≥64 μg/ml) for 8 isolates and the itraconazole MIC (≥1 μg/ml) was elevated for 45 isolates. Analysis of 172 serial isolates from 71 patients showed little change in the fluconazole MIC over time. For isolates from 58 patients (82% of serial cases) there was either no change or a twofold change in the fluconazole MIC. In contrast, for isolates from seven patients (12% of serial cases) the increase in the MIC was at least fourfold. For isolates from another patient there was a 32-fold decrease in the fluconazole MIC over a 1-month period. We conclude that in vitro resistance to antifungal agents remains uncommon in C. neoformans and has not significantly changed with time during the past decade.
Propafenone therapy for ventricular tachycardia in the setting of congestive heart failure

The combined occurrence of impaired left ventricular function and ventricular tachyarrhythmias portend a high annual mortality. Although antiarrhythmic drugs can reduce ventricular arrhythmias, the prognosis may be unchanged. We administered propafenone to 12 patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias and left ventricular ejection fractions less than 40%. Propafenone significantly reduced isolated ventricular premature depolarizations, couplets, and ventricular tachycardia on ambulatory monitoring. Propafenone eliminated all exercise provocable ventricular tachycardia. Propafenone additionally abolished ventricular tachycardia inducible by programmed stimulation in five of six patients. In eight patients studied before and during therapy, there was no significant change in left ventricular ejection fraction determined by nuclear ventriculography. Propafenone was discontinued in three patients due to side effects. All patients remain alive and without recurrence of clinically significant arrhythmia over a mean follow-up period of 14 months. Propafenone is an effective drug for the management of ventricular tachyarrhythmias, and may be used in patients with impaired left ventricular function.
Counseling with Teachers on the Sexual Acting-Out of Disturbed Children.

This paper discusses the complicated task of counseling with teachers in the schools on the sexual acting-out of emotionally disturbed children. Clinical case material is presented to illustrate the meanings and motivations children have subconsciously applied to various types of sexual behavior. The material for discussion is divided into behaviors that are sexual acting-out toward self and sexual acting-out toward others. The final section of the paper proposes some guidelines that can be used constructively when discussing this problem with teachers in the school setting.