cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purification of active synaptic vesicles from the electric organ of Torpedo californica and comparison to reserve vesicles.

At least two distinguishable forms of synaptic vesicles exist, the active and reserve, but the reserve form is studied most because it has been difficult to purify the active vesicles. In the work reported here the active vesicles (termed VP2) were highly enriched from the electric organ of Torpedo californica by an improved method developed for the reserve vesicles (termed VP1) with the addition of density gradient centrifugation based on Percoll. No significant differences between the vesicular types were found in the amounts of SV1, SV2, and SV4 epitopes and P-type and V-type ATPase activities. The buoyant densities (g/ml) of VP1 and VP2 vesicles were determined by centrifugation in isosmotic sucrose (1.051, 1.069), Percoll (1.034, 1.040), and glycerol (1.087, 1.090) gradients. The radii were determined by dynamic quasi-elastic laser light-scattering to be (56.6 ± 10.8) nm and (55.0 ± 12.7) nm. For both vesicular types the volume of excluded sucrose is only about 37% of the volume of excluded Percoll, indicating that the surfaces are rough. Approx. 51% of the VP1 and 32% of the VP2 vesicular volumes are ‘osmotically active’ water that is exchangeable with glycerol. The different buoyant densities and amounts of osmotically active water in VP1 and VP2 vesicles probably are due to the different internal solutes. Previously observed differences in acetylcholine active transport and vesamicol binding by VP1 and VP2 synaptic vesicles cannot be explained by major alterations in the protein composition or conformation of the membranes in the two types of vesicles.
Electron Collection by a Tether at High potential in a Magnetized Plasma

In tethered satellites, it is very important to be able to estimate the electron current collected by the tether. However, this analysis is very difficult because of the presence of the geomagnetic field. We are developing a Particle-In-Cell model. The model uses a boundary condition based on quasi-neutrality, very similar to the one T. Onishi used in his Ph.D Thesis (2002), in order to solve for the local potential at the points of the computational boundary. This condition imposes ne = ni at the boundary. Moreover the motion of particles is computed analytically in a domain close to the tether inside the sheath. This calculation is made possible by neglecting the space charge effect, which is very small in comparison with the tether potential, and therefore allowing the Laplace equation to be solved. The goal of this analytical domain is to provide a better accuracy in the region where electrons can reach high velocity. Although a similar approach was used by T. Onishi, the goal of this model is to experiment higher voltages for the tether, with bias ratio of the order of 1000 to 2500. Indeed such voltages are the ones of interest for space tethers. In order to be able to reach these voltages, we first conducted a precise analysis of the quiescent un-magnetized case. This analysis allowed us to successfully compare the model with established probe theory results. Moreover it gives a good foundation to explore the more complicated case of a magnetized flowing plasma.
Heat transfer and pressure drop comparison of louver- and plain-finned heat exchangers where one fluid passes through flattened tubes

Abstract Louvered fins constitute a major methodology for heat transfer enhancement. Of critical significance in evaluating the worthiness of such fins is the comparison between the heat transfer and pressure drop for a thus-finned heat exchanger with the baseline case of a counterpart plain-finned heat exchanger. Up to the present, it appears that such comparisons are confined to heat exchangers in which one of the participating fluids passes through circular tubes. In another basic geometry in which louvered fins have been employed, the aforementioned participating fluid passes through flattened tubes which are virtually rectangular in cross section. The focus of the present paper is to obtain results for the latter basic geometry for both louver-fin-based heat exchangers and counterpart plain-fin-based heat exchangers. The results were obtained by means of numerical simulation over a range of Reynolds numbers spanning approximately a factor of five. Over this range, enhancements of the heat transfer rate ranged from factors of approximately 2.2–2.8. Over this same Reynolds number range, the pressure drop increased by factors of 2.3–3.6. This outcome is attributable to the fact that the rate of heat transfer is less sensitive to the velocity than is the pressure drop.
Choosing an accurate network path model

We present a novel domain analysis methodology that enables network researchers to quickly select the most accurate modeling and analysis method or methods for a given wired or wireless network path and network characteristic of interest e.g., delay, loss, or error process). Our approach includes two classical models, and two data preconditioning models developed in the Tapas project.
Single specimen test method for determining fracture energy (Jc) of highly deformable materials

Abstract A single specimen fracture-test method for determining the fracture energy of highly deformable materials is presented. This test method is based on the locus method, which determines the critical J- integral value ( J c ) by partitioning the essential energy for crack propagation from the total absorbed energy. The locus method uses the locus of crack initiation points on the load-displacement record of specimens which differ only in initial crack size. With a proper specimen shape and loading condition, the locus line is predictable. When the locus line is predictable J c can be evaluated from a single specimen. Experimental results show that the fracture energy determined by the single specimen method agrees well with those by the tearing energy approach and multiple specimen locus method.
Atlantic Ocean Upper Layer Salinity Budget

Abstract Production of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) transfers upper-layer thermocline water into abyssal depths. Export of NADW across 35°S in the Atlantic Ocean into the Indian and Pacific Oceans by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) requires a compensating flow of upper-layer water from the circumpolar zone of the Southern Ocean into the Atlantic. This water, enroute to the NADW production regions, becomes saltier because evaporation exceeds precipitation and continental runoff. This process is responsible for a relatively salty Atlantic Ocean. Using estimates of the net freshwater flux, the increase of upper-layer salinity versus latitude is calculated for two NADW production rates: 15 × 106 and 20 × 106 m3 s−1. The 20 × 106 m3 s−1 production rate provides the best relationship with the linear trend in salinity as determined from hydrographic data. It is suggested that a contributing factor to the establishment of a salty Atlantic Ocean, and possibly of NADW formation, is the removal of freshw...
Validation of Electrical-Impedance Tomography for Measurements of Material Distribution in Two-Phase Flows

A series of studies is presented in which an electrical-impedance tomography (EXT) system is validated for two-phase flow measurements. The EIT system, developed at Sandia National Laboratories, is described along with the computer algorithm used for reconstructing phase volume fraction profiles. The algorithm is first tested using numerical data and experimental phantom measurements, with good results. The EIT system is then applied to solid-liquid and gas-liquid flows, and results are compared to an established gamma-densitometry tomography (GDT) system. In the solid-liquid flows, the average solid volume fractions measured by EIT are in good agreement with nominal values; in the gas-liquid flows, average gas volume fractions and radial gas volume fraction profiles from GDT and EIT are also in good agreement.
Web 2.0 and Marketing Education: Explanations and Experiential Applications:

Although both experiential learning and Web 2.0 tools focus on creativity, sharing, and collaboration, sparse research has been published integrating a Web 2.0 paradigm with experiential learning in marketing. In this article, Web 2.0 concepts are explained. Web 2.0 is then positioned as a philosophy that can advance experiential learning through greater student construction of pedagogical materials, by bringing more of the outside world into the classroom and by modifying the role of the professor. Next, Web 2.0 principles are applied to create specific class marketing activities. Finally, using technology champions and incentives, strategies to motivate faculty adoption of the Web 2.0 paradigm are presented.
A cross-layer dropping attack in video streaming over ad hoc networks

Significant progress has been made to achieve video streaming over wireless ad hoc networks. However, there is not much work on providing security. Is existing security solution good enough for securing video streaming over ad hoc networks? In this paper, we discover a cross-layer dropping attack against video streaming. We first identify a general IP layer dropping attack and then reveal its destructive impact by leveraging the application layer information (e.g., video streaming). Through simulations, we quantify the impact of this attack as a function of several performance parameters such as delivery ratio, hop number and the number of attackers. The surprising result with this attack is that with a 94% delivery ratio, the receiver still cannot watch the video! We also propose several possible solutions to address the dropping attacks. Due to the unique characteristics of this attack, as long as malicious nodes exist, the network will suffer from this dropping attack.
How do Bacteria get into Milk at the Farm and How may their Number be Reduced

The high germ content of city milk supplies has been the occasion of much alarm for the past thirty years. Many cities (1) have attempted to meet the situation by declaring that milk containing more than some definite maximum of bacterial life should be excluded from the retail market. About twenty years ago there began in this country a series of fruitful attempts (2) to find the actual sources of bacterial life in milk. While there has been a general and growing interest in this line of studies the work has been most intensively pushed at the New York Agricultural Experiment Station, at the Federal Dairy.Division, and at the University of Illinois. But tittle study was needed to show that the bacteria present in the milk as it reached the city plant were due to two distinct sources; first, the seeding with germ life which the milk receives at various stages in its journey, and second, the growth which takes place after the germs are seeded into the milk. It has long been known that for some time after the milk is drawn from the cow the germ content ordinarily decreases (3), the extent and duration of this decrease depending upon a number of factors. Gradually the multiplication of some of the germs which have fallen into the milk compensates for the decrease of the others. As a result of the action of various factors, the germ content of the morning's milk as it is delivered from the farm to the bottling plant or the shipping station ordinarily represent s little more than the number of bacteria seeded into the milk. Milk companies in increasing numbers are determining the germ content of the milk as it comes to them. While their
Homocysteine levels and disease duration independently correlate with coronary artery calcification in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective To compare the incidence and extent of coronary artery calcification (CAC) as measured by electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and controls, and to identify variables associated with CAC in patients with SLE. Methods Female patients with SLE and matched controls were recruited; EBCT of the coronary arteries was performed, and laboratory values (including the homocysteine concentration, the lipid level, the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP] concentration, the glomerular filtration rate [GFR], and the level of soluble CD154 [sCD154]) were determined. For patients, the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index and the SLE Disease Activity Index scores were recorded. Tests of association between the CAC score and the above-mentioned variables were performed. Results The incidence of CAC was higher in patients with SLE than in controls (P = 0.009), and patients had a higher mean raw CAC (rCAC) score (87.9 versus 9.6 in controls; P = 0.02). In particular, more CAC-positive patients than CAC-positive controls had rCAC scores above the 75th percentile (P = 0.003). Among both patients and controls, those with CAC were ∼10 years older than those without CAC. In addition to age, a significant determinant of positive CAC status in both groups was the number of cardiovascular risk factors. In patients with SLE, CAC was associated with a higher homocysteine concentration, a lower GFR, and longer disease duration. In controls, the total cholesterol level correlated positively with CAC. When multivariate logistic regression methods were applied to candidate explanatory variables, homocysteine concentration, age, and disease duration (but not the levels of sCD154 or hsCRP) contributed significantly to CAC status. The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T genotype was not a predictor of hyperhomocysteinemia or CAC status. Conclusion Among patients with SLE, the homocysteine concentration, the GFR, age, and disease duration were associated with CAC. CAC occurred more frequently and was more extensive in patients with SLE than in controls, suggesting that EBCT could be used to detect premature atherosclerosis in the former group. An elevated homocysteine concentration might identify patients with SLE who are likely to have premature atherosclerosis and who would benefit from evaluation of CAC by EBCT.
Levels of Polyamines and Kinetic Characterization of Their Uptake in the Soybean Pathogen Phytophthora sojae

Polyamines are ubiquitous biologically active aliphatic cations that are at least transiently available in the soil from decaying organic matter. Our objectives in this study were to characterize polyamine uptake kinetics in Phytophthora sojae zoospores and to quantify endogenous polyamines in hyphae, zoospores, and soybean roots. Zoospores contained 10 times more free putrescine than spermidine, while hyphae contained only 4 times as much free putrescine as spermidine. Zoospores contained no conjugated putrescine, but conjugated spermidine was present. Hyphae contained both conjugated putrescine and spermidine at levels comparable to the hyphal free putrescine and spermidine levels. In soybean roots, cadaverine was the most abundant polyamine, but only putrescine efflux was detected. The selective efflux of putrescine suggests that the regulation of polyamine availability is part of the overall plant strategy to influence microbial growth in the rhizosphere. In zoospores, uptake experiments with [1,4- 14 C]putrescine and [1,4- 14 C]spermidine confirmed the existence of high-affinity polyamine transport for both polyamines. Putrescine uptake was reduced by high levels of exogenous spermidine, but spermidine uptake was not reduced by exogenous putrescine. These observations suggest that P. sojae zoospores express at least two high-affinity polyamine transporters, one that is spermidine specific and a second that is putrescine specific or putrescine preferential. Disruption of polyamine uptake or metabolism has major effects on a wide range of cellular activities in other organisms and has been proposed as a potential control strategy for Phytophthora. Inhibition of polyamine uptake may be a means of reducing the fitness of the zoospore along with subsequent developmental stages that precede infection.
Computer generation of character tables of generalized wreath product groups

Algorithms and computer codes in FORTRAN 77 are developed for the computation of characters of generalized wreath product groups through generating function methods. Characters of generalized wreath product groups of symmetric groups are computed in terms of the characters of much smaller composing groups using plethysms of S-functions. The developed codes were tested for many generalized wreath product groups. The character tables of generalized wreath products, Sz(S3, Sz, Szl (NMR group of hexane) and S4(S31 containing 576 and 31,104 elements, respectively, were constructed as examples. symmetry groups of weakly bound van der Waals complexes,12 chemi- cal reaction dynamics,13 configuration interaction calculation^,'^ symmetry groups of crystals ex- hibiting distortion^,'^ and the symmetry groups of chemical graph^.'"'^ The order of these groups rise both factorially and exponentially and thus computation of character tables of these groups could be both tedious and challenging. An amus- ing application of the wreath product group the- ory is to the Rubik's cube for which the group is Sl2(S21 X s,(S,l where S,,(S,I is the wreath prod- uct of Slz (symmetric group containing 12! ele- ments) with Sz. The Rubik's cube group contains 2'' x 12! x 3, x 8! or 5.19 x 10" elements. This simple example illustrates the computational complexity of the task of evaluating characters of wreath product groups and generalized wreath product groups. In an earlier investigation the present authors'* developed a computer code for the generation of the character tables of the symmetric groups (S,) containing n! elements for n up to 20. We used the Schur function method and the Frobenius theorem for the computation of character tables of Sn.18 The objective of the present manuscript is to develop algorithms and computer programs in FORTRAN 77 for the generation of character tables of wreath products and generalized wreath
SEM studies on vessels of the homophyllous species of Selaginella

Metaxylem vessel elements from macerated xylem of rhizomes and rhizophores of Selaginella arizonica, Selaginella bigelovii, and Selaginella oregana were examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). All species have transverse to somewhat oblique simple perforation plates on end walls of vessels; presence of tracheids could not be determined with SEM. Lateral walls possess scalariform pitting except for S. bigelovii, in which pitting is opposite. Pit membranes are generally intact, but pits on some areas of lateral walls contain remnants of pit membranes; these remnants chiefly take the form of strands or threads that traverse the pit apertures. Areas of pits with such porose pit membranes may be regarded as incipient perforation plates, like lateral perforation plates or incipient perforation plates we have reported in ferns. These lateral perforation plates, as well as the simple end wall perforation plates, may aid in rapid uptake of water during short periods when water is available; studies on wa...
Heterocycles from substituted amides. VIII Oxazole derivatives from reaction of isocyanates with 2-isocyanoacetamides†‡

A facile reaction of 2-isocyanoacetamides 1 with reactive aryl and sulfonyl isocyanates is shown to give 5-amino-2-oxazolecarboxamides 3 in a reaction arising from electrophilic attack of isocyanate with the nucleophilic isocyanide carbon. This reaction, perhaps proceeding through an unstable nitrile ylid intermediate reminiscent of the Cornforth rearrangement, is a first example of ring closure via acylation, involving the activated methylene of an organic isocyanide, without recourse to added base. Isomeric 5-amino-4-oxazolecarboxamides 4 are formed when 5-aminooxazoles 2 react with isocyanates. Since 2 has previously been shown to easily form by thermal isomerization of 1, methods now exist for the preparation of both 5-amino- 2- and 4-oxazolecarboxamides from the single starting material 1. In contrast, 1 with acyl isocyanates is shown to give a variety of products, including iminooxazolinediones, 5-amino-2-oxazolecarbox-amide 3 and 2 (1) pyrazinones (tentatively identified), depending on the structure of the isocyanates.
A Critical Evaluation of the Use of the Microbond Method for Determination of Composite Interfacial Properties

The microbond method has been applied with increased frequency to characterize interfacial adhesion in fiber reinforced composites. Nevertheless, a number of serious questions remain regarding the interpretation of experimental data. This paper addresses material and experimental variables in the microbond test procedure including the cure behavior of thermoset test specimens, matrix heterogeneity, locus of failure in test specimens and load application techniques. The theoretical basis for the method is examined by viewing experimental results in terms of existing theoretical interpretations of interfacial failure. Conclusions are presented regarding the limitations and the potential of the microbond method for determining fiber/matrix adhesive bond strength.
Workers' compensation claims related to natural rubber latex gloves among Oregon healthcare employees from 1987–1998

Occupational reaction to natural rubber latex (NRL) glove use by healthcare employees has been an area of increasing concern. Unfortunately, there is little data demonstrating the prevalence and severity of actual reactivity to NRL. Occupational reaction to NRL was estimated using workers' compensation claims filed by healthcare employees in Oregon for the period of 1987–1998. For the first ten years, these claims were estimated by source and conditions consistent with NRL glove reactions, while in the last two years a specific code developed in 1997 for NRL glove reactions was also employed. The claim rate was on average 0.58 per 10,000 healthcare workers annually, which constituted 0.29% of all workers' compensation claims. The most common condition experienced was dermatitis (80%) and most common body part affected was the hands (55.4%). The majority of claimants, 45 (69.2%), reported taking less than a month off work, suggesting most reactions were minor in nature, although one fatality was reported. The average NRL claim cost was $8,309.48. Overall the average cost per insured healthcare worker was approximately $0.50 per year. The occupational groups with the highest number of claims were nurses (30.8% of claimants) and nursing aides and orderlies (24.6% of claimants). In comparison with other workers' compensation claims filed by healthcare workers during this period, 0.25% of the total was potentially related to NRL gloves. The rare incidence of respiratory and ocular claims is inconsistent with the hypothesis that asthmatic or conjunctival reactions to NRL gloves are common.
Anopheles gambiae Circumsporozoite Protein–Binding Protein Facilitates Plasmodium Infection of Mosquito Salivary Glands

Malaria, a mosquito-borne disease caused by Plasmodium species, causes substantial morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Plasmodium sporozoites mature in oocysts formed in the mosquito gut wall and then invade the salivary glands, where they remain until transmitted to the vertebrate host during a mosquito bite. The Plasmodium circumsporozoite protein (CSP) binds to salivary glands and plays a role in the invasion of this organ by sporozoites. We identified an Anopheles salivary gland protein, named CSP-binding protein (CSPBP), that interacts with CSP. Downregulation of CSPBP in mosquito salivary glands inhibited invasion by Plasmodium organisms. In vivo bioassays showed that mosquitoes that were fed blood with CSPBP antibody displayed a 25% and 90% reduction in the parasite load in infected salivary glands 14 and 18 days after the blood meal, respectively. These results suggest that CSPBP is important for the infection of the mosquito salivary gland by Plasmodium organisms and that blocking CSPBP can interfere with the Plasmodium life cycle.
Special residency program for immigrant physicians in Israel: a model for upgrading Russian doctors

(1998). Special residency program for immigrant physicians in Israel: a model for upgrading Russian doctors. Medical Teacher: Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 149-150.
Application/architecture power co-optimization for embedded systems powered by renewable sources

Embedded systems are being built with renewable power sources such as solar cells to replenish the energy of batteries. The renewable power sources have a wide range of efficiency levels that depend on environment parameters and the current drawn from the circuit. Unlike low-power designs whose goal is to minimize energy consumption, systems with renewable power sources should maximize the efficiency of the sources by load matching. To match the wide dynamic range of solar output, it is necessary to exploit multiple power "knobs" simultaneously. This paper combines computation vs. communication trade-offs, algorithm selection, scheduling and dynamic voltage scaling to maximize the dynamic range of the load over time. Experimental results show one to two orders of magnitude performance improvement for a wireless handheld system running image compression applications.
Capacity Assignment for Delay Bounded Packet Traffic

The capacity assignment (CA) problem is one of the most essential yet important topics in packet communication networks. However, most reported CA models were established under the framework of Markovian queuing processes or, in general, renewal processes. The crucial properties such as self- similarity and correlations have usually been ignored. In the present work, we establish the CA model with the packetized generalized processor sharing (PGPS) discipline. The non-Markovian traffic is taken into account. The models is solved by the stochastic programming (SP) methodology.
An experimental evaluation of magneto-rheological front fork suspensions for motorcycle applications

The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of semiactive Magneto-Rheological (MR) suspensions when they are adapted for the front fork of a motorcycle. MR dampers and skyhook control systems offer an alternative to conventional motorcycle suspensions, in terms of providing a better compromise between handling and rider comfort. The MR dampers are designed for high controllability and low power consumption, two vital considerations for a motorcycle application. The damper test rig results show the MR dampers have a far greater range of adjustability than the Original Equipment (OE) dampers. Acceleration measurements from a variety of staged road conditions, such as sinusoidal wave inputs, are compared to subjective test-rider field reports, in order to establish a correlation between rider fatigue and the front suspension performance. The test results show that the MR front fork can greatly decrease the acceleration and shock loading transmitted to the rider through the handlebars, while improving anti-dive under braking condition.
Relaxation of Myometrium by Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Is Independent of Nitric Oxide Synthase Activity in Mouse Uterus

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibits myometrial contractile activity. However, the responsiveness of the mouse myometrium to CGRP is dependent on the hormonal and gestational stage. The inhibitory effect of CGRP in the myometrium is prominent during gestation and declines at parturition. The present study was undertaken to examine if nitric oxide (NO) production by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms mediates the inhibitory action of CGRP on uterine contractions as has been suggested earlier. Transgenic mice deficient in either of the three major NOS isoforms: endothelial NOS (eNOS), inducible NOS (iNOS), and neuronal NOS (nNOS) were used. Isometric force measurements on myometrial strips obtained from NOS-deficient mice were carried out and the inhibitory capacity of CGRP was monitored. CGRP inhibited KCl-induced contractions of the myometrial strips obtained from eNOS(-/-), iNOS(-/-), and nNOS(-/-) mice with equal efficiency as in wild-type animals. Additionally, NOS protein expression in the mouse uterus during gestation and during the estrous cycle was examined by means of Western immunoblot analysis. No correlation between NOS expression and inhibitory activity of CGRP was evident. The results suggest that the inhibitory action of CGRP in the mouse uterus is independent of the activity of these NOS isoforms.
CORTICAL EVOKED POTENTIALS OF THE DORSAL NERVE OF THE CLITORIS AND FEMALE SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Purpose: We evaluated whether disrupting genital central nervous system pathways is associated with subjective reports of sexual dysfunction in women with multiple sclerosis.Materials and Methods: We performed pudendal somatosensory evoked potential testing in and had sexual questionnaires completed by 14 women with a mean age of 47 years who had multiple sclerosis.Results: The mean expanded disability status score was 5. All but 1 woman reported the desire for sexual intercourse. There was a high rate of dissatisfaction with their sex life and all study participants had concomitant bladder and bowel function problems. The most common sexual complaint was difficult or no orgasm, which was statistically associated with abnormalities or absence of 1 or both pudendal cortical evoked potentials. Fatigue and arousal disorders were also common.Conclusions: Women with multiple sclerosis have a high self-reported rate of sexual dysfunction, which decreases quality of life. Electrodiagnostic data imply that pudend...
A hamster anti-idiotype monoclonal antibody, mimicking the inner-core region of Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), stimulates LPS inner-core-specific serum antibodies in hamsters

We have earlier described the development of an Ab2β anti-idiotype antibody specific for idiotypic determinants of a BALB/c mouse IgG3 monoclonal antibody (MAbY1-4A6) directed against the conserved inner-core 2-keto-3-deoxyoctulosonate (Kdo) residue of Salmonella minnesota rough mutant Re lipopolysaccharide (Re-LPS) [Field S, Pollack M, Morrison D C. Microb Pathog 1993; 15: 103-120]. Immunization of both inbred and outbred mice with MAb4G2 protected these animals against subsequent lethal challenge with S. minnesota Re-LPS. Here we demonstrate that hamsters immunized with the anti-idiotype MAb4G2 generate serum antibodies which cross-react with a variety of forms of LPS, as evidenced by specific dose-dependent binding to R and S chemotype LPS as assessed by ELISA and specific binding to antibiotic-treated, whole bacterial culture supernatants and to LPS-containing fractions in sucrose gradient velocity-sedimentation-fractionated, antibiotic-treated bacterial culture supernatants. Competitive inhibition as...
Signaling through L-Selectin Mediates Enhanced Chemotaxis of Lymphocyte Subsets to Secondary Lymphoid Tissue Chemokine

L-selectin functions as an important adhesion molecule that mediates tethering and rolling of lymphocytes by binding to high endothelial venule (HEV)-expressed ligands during recirculation. Subsequent lymphocyte arrest and transmigration require activation through binding of HEV-decorated homeostatic chemokines such as secondary lymphoid tissue chemokine (SLC; CCL21) to its counterreceptor, CCR7. Importantly, L-selectin also functions as a signaling molecule. In this study, signaling induced by ligation of L-selectin using mAb or endothelial cell-expressed ligand significantly enhanced the chemotaxis of murine T cells and B cells to SLC but not to other homeostatic chemokines. Consistent with the expression levels of L-selectin in different lymphocyte subsets, L-selectin-mediated enhancement of chemotaxis to SLC was observed for all naive lymphocytes and effector/memory CD8(+) T cells, whereas only a subpopulation of effector/memory CD4(+) T cells responded. During in vivo mesenteric lymph node migration assays, the absence of L-selectin on lymphocytes significantly attenuated both their ability to migrate out of the HEV and their chemotaxis away from the vessel wall. Notably, ligation of L-selectin and/or CCR7 did not result in increased CCR7 expression levels, internalization, or re-expression. Pharmacologic inhibitor studies showed that L-selectin-mediated enhanced chemotaxis to SLC required intact intracellular kinase function. Furthermore, treatment of lymphocytes with the spleen tyrosine kinase family inhibitor piceatannol reduced their ability to migrate across the HEV in peripheral lymph nodes. Therefore, these results suggest that "cross-talk" in the signaling pathways initiated by L-selectin and CCR7 provides a novel mechanism for functional synergy between these two molecules during lymphocyte migration.
Cultivation and Topdressing Requirements for Thatch Management in A and G Bentgrasses and Creeping Bluegrass

Additional index words. Core aeration, thatch, DW-184, A-4, G-2, Penncross, Agrostis stolonifera, Poa annua var. reptans Abstract. Empirical observations suggest certain new cultivars of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) with high shoot density require more intensive topdressing and core aeration to control thatch compared to less dense cultivars such as 'Penncross∑ . In addition, a variety of Poa annua var. reptans Hausskn., 'DW-184∑ , has recently been released for putting green use but management requirements are undocumented. The objective of our project was to determine the core aeration and topdressing requirements for thatch management of creeping bentgrass cultivars 'A-4∑ , 'G-2∑ , and 'Penncross∑ as compared to 'DW-184∑ . Plots were established on a sand-based root zone and maintained as putting green turf for 3 years. A factorial treatment arrangement was used to assess the effects of core aeration and topdressing on thatch, topdressing removal, turf quality, and disease. Both 'A-4∑ and 'G-2∑ produced more organic matter as (thatch/mat) than 'Penncross∑ and 'DW-184∑ . Grass type, core aeration frequency, and topdressing regime affected the amount of topdressing removed by mowing. An interaction between grass type and topdressing regime showed biweekly topdressing with verticutting resulted in less topdressing removal from all grasses except 'G-2∑ compared to monthly topdressing without verticutting. Since no more than 3% of the topdressing applied was removed from any single treatment, however, the overall impact of grass type, core aeration frequency, or topdressing regime are unlikely to affect turf response. Both 'A-4∑ and 'G-2∑ provided consistently better quality turf than 'Penncross∑ or 'DW-184∑ at 3.2 mm mowing height, though 'A-4∑ was more susceptible to dollar spot disease (Sclerotinia homeocarpa F.T. Bennett) than 'Penncross∑ or 'G-2∑ . Cultivation and topdressing methods for management of 'A-4∑ and 'G-2∑ bentgrasses do not differ substantially from 'Penncross∑ or 'DW-184∑ creeping bluegrass.
Deciding When and How to Move HPC Jobs to the Cloud

Now used for high-performance computing applications, the cloud presents a challenge for users who must decide, based on efficiency and cost-effectiveness, when and how to run jobs on cloud-based resources versus when to use on-premise clusters. The authors propose a decision-support system to help make these determinations.
Persistence of Maternal Plasma Volume Expansion in Midterm Pregnant Rats Maintained on A Zero Sodium Intake: Evidence That Early Gestational Volume Expansion does not Require Renal Sodium Retention

Female Munich-Wistar rats were maintained on either a zero or 0.99% NaCl content diet for 20 days. After 7 days on the diet, some rats were mated and plasma volumes were measured on day 12 of pregnancy and compared to virgins receiving the same diet. Pregnant rats receiving the normal sodium diet exhibited the usual, moderate plasma volume expansion of midterm pregnancy, plasma volume = 8.0±0.3 ml vs 7.0±0.2 ml in virgins, p<0.01. Remarkably, rats receiving the zero sodium content diet also showed a significant plasma volume expansion at day 12 of pregnancy, plasma volume = 7.9±0.6 ml vs 6.5±0.2 ml in virgins. The uterus was inspected and all pregnant rats were found to have multiple fetuses in situ with normal appearance irrespective of the diet. Thus, the early plasma volume expansion of pregnancy can occur in the absence of a dietary source of sodium, indicating that renal sodium retention is not a prerequisite. Presumably redistribution of volume occurs in early pregnancy, with fluid shifting into the...
Mixed emotions: Sensitivity to facial variance in a crowd of faces

The visual system automatically represents summary information from crowds of faces, such as the average expression. This is a useful heuristic insofar as it provides critical information about the state of the world, not simply information about the state of one individual. However, the average alone is not sufficient for making decisions about how to respond to a crowd. The variance or heterogeneity of the crowd--the mixture of emotions--conveys information about the reliability of the average, essential for determining whether the average can be trusted. Despite its importance, the representation of variance within a crowd of faces has yet to be examined. This is addressed here in three experiments. In the first experiment, observers viewed a sample set of faces that varied in emotion, and then adjusted a subsequent set to match the variance of the sample set. To isolate variance as the summary statistic of interest, the average emotion of both sets was random. Results suggested that observers had information regarding crowd variance. The second experiment verified that this was indeed a uniquely high-level phenomenon, as observers were unable to derive the variance of an inverted set of faces as precisely as an upright set of faces. The third experiment replicated and extended the first two experiments using method-of-constant-stimuli. Together, these results show that the visual system is sensitive to emergent information about the emotional heterogeneity, or ambivalence, in crowds of faces.
Nonlinear model predictive controller robustness extension for unmanned aircraft

Purpose – Nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) is emerging as a way to control unmanned aircraft with flight control constraints and nonlinear and unsteady aerodynamics. However, these predictive controllers do not perform robustly in the presence of physics-based model mismatches and uncertainties. Unmodeled dynamics and external disturbances are unpredictable and unsteady, which can dramatically degrade predictive controllers’ performance. To address this limitation, the purpose of this paper is to propose a new systematic approach using frequency-dependent weighting matrices. Design/methodology/approach – In this framework, frequency-dependent weighting matrices jointly minimize closed-loop sensitivity functions. This work presents the first practical implementation where the frequency content information of uncertainty and disturbances is used to provide a significant degree of robustness for a time-domain nonlinear predictive controller. The merit of the proposed method is successfully verified ...
Maternal Childhood Maltreatment History and Child Mental Health: Mechanisms in Intergenerational Effects

The objectives of this study were to examine whether a maternal history of maltreatment in childhood has a detrimental impact on young children's mental health and to test theoretically and empirically informed pathways by which maternal history may influence child mental health. Mother-child dyads (N = 187) were evaluated between birth and 64 months of age via home and laboratory observations, medical and child protection record reviews, and maternal interviews to assess maternal history of childhood maltreatment and microsystem and exosystem measures of the caregiving context, including child maltreatment, maternal caregiving quality, stress exposures, and social support. When the children were 7 years of age, mothers and teachers reported on child emotional and behavioral problems. Analyses examined whether the caregiving context variables linked maternal maltreatment history with child emotional and behavioral problems, controlling for child sex (54% male), race/ethnicity (63% White), and family sociodemographic risk at birth. Maltreated mothers experienced greater stress and diminished social support, and their children were more likely to be maltreated across early childhood. By age 7, children of maltreated mothers were at increased risk for clinically significant emotional and behavioral problems. A path analysis model showed mediation of the effects of maternal childhood maltreatment history on child symptoms, with specific effects significant for child maltreatment. Interventions that reduce child maltreatment risk and stress exposures and increase family social support may prevent deleterious effects of maternal childhood maltreatment history on child mental health.
Effect of Silicone Rubber's Electric Conductance Characteristic on Electric Field Distribution Inside XLPE Insulated HVDC Cable Termination

The electrical conductivity of insulating materials inside cross linked polyethylene(XLPE) insulated HVDC cable termination is strongly affected by temperature and electric field strength, which is a key factor leading to the complex electric field distribution and difficult development of termination. Thus, using multiphysics coupling simulating software, we calculated the electric field distribution within the termination of HVDC cable, which had different silicone rubbers as its reinforcement insulation, and analyzed the influential mechanism of the insulating materials' conductivity on the distribution. The results indicate that when the reinforcement insulation is made of common silicone rubber, the electric field distortion at the foot of silicone rubber stress relief cone is significant: the maximum field strength reaches 6.7 times the average field strength inside the cable. However, when the silicone rubber having a proper nonlinearly conductive property is deployed in the reinforcement insulation, the electric field within the termination structure is more uniformly profiled, and the maximum electric field strength locates in the XLPE insulation of cable. It is concluded that the use of nonlinearly conductive silicone rubber is an effective method to break the bottleneck in manufacturing XLPE HVDC cable termination.
Model for appraising the performance of professional judgment of CPA

Professional judgment is the key to audit quality of CPA. The research into professional judgment of CPA has important realistic significance. This paper uses multi-grade fuzzy comprehensive appraisal model to appraise the performance of professional judgment of CPA in order to offer a kind of feasible scientific method for the organization of CPA and accountant's firm.
Entwurf der empirischen Untersuchung der Historieninventur

Es existiert zur Ermittlung von Erfolgsfaktoren eine Vielzahl von methodischen Ansatzen. Eine systematische Einordnung und Ubersicht bieten SCHMALEN/KUNERT/WEINDLMAIER an (siebe Abb. 42).
Proteomic studies in renal transplant patients

R surveillance of kidney dysfunction after kidney transplantation is vital in prolonging kidney allograft survival. While nonspecific serum biomarkers such as creatinine are typically used to screen for allograft dysfunction, changes occur only after significant injury to the allograft. Proteomics, the study of complex protein profiles, may offer an opportunity to discover biomarkers that detect injury earlier than currently available methods. Proteomic studies have been focused on serum or urine specimens to predict kidney injury in both native and transplant kidney diseases. In native kidney disease, protein profiling has been successful in differentiating kidney disease and monitoring responses to treatment. In transplant kidney disease, profiling of acute rejection, viral nephropathies, and chronic allograft injury have been reported. While these studies have yielded potential biomarkers, very few, if any, have yielded clinically ready biomarkers due to lack reproducibility or complexity in routine clinical care. Continuing improvements in technology and methods could lead to improved biomarker discovery and clinically relevant, noninvasive biomarkers Sanjeev Akkina, J Diabetes Metab 2013, 4:6 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2155-6156.S1.022
Scarless Gene Tagging with One-Step Transformation and Two-Step Selection in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Gene tagging with fluorescent proteins is commonly applied to investigate the localization and dynamics of proteins in their cellular environment. Ideally, a fluorescent tag is genetically inserted at the endogenous locus at the N- or C- terminus of the gene of interest without disrupting regulatory sequences including the 5’ and 3’ untranslated region (UTR) and without introducing any extraneous unwanted “scar” sequences, which may create unpredictable transcriptional or translational effects. We present a reliable, low-cost, and highly efficient method for the construction of such scarless C-terminal and N-terminal fusions with fluorescent proteins in yeast. The method relies on sequential positive and negative selection and uses an integration cassette with long flanking regions, which is assembled by two-step PCR, to increase the homologous recombination frequency. The method also enables scarless tagging of essential genes with no need for a complementing plasmid. To further ease high-throughput strain construction, we have computationally automated design of the primers, applied the primer design code to all open reading frames (ORFs) of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) and the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe (S. pombe), and provide here the computed sequences. To illustrate the scarless N- and C-terminal gene tagging methods in S. cerevisiae, we tagged various genes including the E3 ubiquitin ligase RSP5, the proteasome subunit PRE1, and the eleven Rab GTPases with yeast codon-optimized mNeonGreen or mCherry; several of these represent essential genes. We also implemented the scarless C-terminal gene tagging method in the distantly related organism S. pombe using kanMX6 and HSV1tk as positive and negative selection markers, respectively, as well as ura4. The scarless gene tagging methods presented here are widely applicable to visualize and investigate the functional roles of proteins in living cells.
Mutant U2AF1-expressing cells are sensitive to pharmacological modulation of the spliceosome

Somatic mutations in spliceosome genes are detectable in ∼50% of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). We hypothesize that cells harbouring spliceosome gene mutations have increased sensitivity to pharmacological perturbation of the spliceosome. We focus on mutant U2AF1 and utilize sudemycin compounds that modulate pre-mRNA splicing. We find that haematopoietic cells expressing mutant U2AF1(S34F), including primary patient cells, have an increased sensitivity to in vitro sudemycin treatment relative to controls. In vivo sudemycin treatment of U2AF1(S34F) transgenic mice alters splicing and reverts haematopoietic progenitor cell expansion induced by mutant U2AF1 expression. The splicing effects of sudemycin and U2AF1(S34F) can be cumulative in cells exposed to both perturbations-drug and mutation-compared with cells exposed to either alone. These cumulative effects may result in downstream phenotypic consequences in sudemycin-treated mutant cells. Taken together, these data suggest a potential for treating haematological cancers harbouring U2AF1 mutations with pre-mRNA splicing modulators like sudemycins.