cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cathepsins B and D activity and activity ratios in normal ovaries, benign ovarian neoplasms, and epithelial ovarian cancer.

Cathepsins B (CB) and D (CD) belong to a family of proteases felt to be important in tumor metastasis and invasion. It has been suggested that both enzymes play a role the progression of epithelial ovarian cancer and they have been investigated as potential biomarkers for ovarian cancer. Our objective was to determine if activity ratios of these two isoforms might enhance their usefulness as biomarkers. Ovarian cancer cell lines and snap frozen archived tissue samples were sonicated and cathepsin activities were assayed fluorometrically with cathepsin-specific peptide substrates in combination with specific inhibitors. Tissue specimens were divided into four groups: normal ovary, benign neoplasm, early-stage (I/IT) cancer, and late-stage (III/IV) cancer. Median CB and CD activity and the ratio of CB to CD (CB/CD) were compared using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Nonparametric Spearman correlation was used to determine associations between CA-125 and cathepsin activity. Logistic regression was used to test the association between cathepsin activity and malignancy. In cell lines and tissue, CD activity remained relatively constant, while CB activity varied. CB activity was greatest in cancer tissue. Elevated serum CA-125 was associated with elevations in CB activity and CB/CD but not CD activity. Elevated CB activity and CB/CD as well as increasing CA-125 and age are all associated with malignancy. Multiple logistic regression shows that CB activity and age best predict malignancy status. CB activity is associated with invasive ovarian neoplasm. Our results do not suggest that the ratio of activity between CB and CD provides any additional information than CB activity alone. Both tissue CB activity and CB/CD activity ratios correlate with serum levels of CA-125; however there is no correlation between CD activity and CA-125.
Control of RNA Polymerase II Elongation Potential by a Novel Carboxyl-terminal Domain Kinase *

The entry of RNA polymerase II into a productive mode of elongation is controlled, in part, by the postinitiation activity of positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) (Marshall, N. F., and Price, D. H. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 12335-12338). We report here that removal of the carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) of the large subunit of RNA polymerase II abolishes productive elongation. Correspondingly, we found that P-TEFb can phosphorylate the CTD of pure RNA polymerase II. Furthermore, P-TEFb can phosphorylate the CTD of RNA polymerase II when the polymerase is in an early elongation complex. Both the function and kinase activity of P-TEFb are blocked by the drugs 5, 6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribofuranosylbenzimidazole (DRB) and H-8. P-TEFb is distinct from transcription factor IIH (TFIIH) because the two factors have no subunits in common, P-TEFb is more sensitive to DRB than is TFIIH, and most importantly, TFIIH cannot substitute functionally for P-TEFb. We propose that phosphorylation of the CTD by P-TEFb controls the transition from abortive into productive elongation mode.
MONITORING OF SIGNALS FROM MANUFACTURING PROCESSES USING THE KARHUNEN–LOÈVE TRANSFORM

Abstract Monitoring the condition of signals during manufacturing can provide valuable information about the status of the parts being produced, as well as that of the components of the manufacturing machine. To this end, we introduce a monitoring technique based on the Karhunen–Loeve transform, which decomposes measured manufacturing signals into decorrelated components in the form of fundamental eigenfunctions. The isolated eigenfunctions are monitored by means of the corresponding coefficient vectors, which indicate stationary and non-stationary changes in the deterministic and stochastic fundamental patterns. In this paper, the mathematical foundations of the technique are explored to form a good understanding of the mechanics of the transformation. This understanding is achieved with simple illustrative examples in the discrete and continuous domains, followed by an example of multicomponent signal decomposition by means of numerical simulations. The monitoring potential of the technique is illustrated with an example from a milling process, where the main modes are extracted by means of the eigenvectors and coefficient vectors.
Is smooth muscle growth in primate arteries regulated by endothelial nitric oxide synthase

Abstract Purpose: We investigated whether control of constitutive endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase (cNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) by changes in shear stress might be important for the regulation of smooth muscle cell (SMC) growth and vascular diameter. Methods: Bilateral femoral arteriovenous fistulas were placed in baboons to increase the blood flow in the external iliac arteries. At 2 months, the fistula was ligated on one side to restore normal flow (flow switch). Results: In response to flow switch and a decrease in shear stress, iliac artery lumenal area decreased and SMC proliferation was induced. A decline in NO production, cNOS messenger RNA (mRNA), and protein were associated with these biological effects. In a subset of animals with iliac arteries under high flow, infusion of Nω-nitro-l-arginine, an inhibitor of cNOS, did not induce proliferation. Conclusion: Shear stress can regulate cNOS, vasoconstriction, and SMC proliferation. A decrease in nitric oxide may be necessary, but is not sufficient to induce SMC proliferation in response to a decrease in blood flow. (J Vasc Surg 1998:28:514-21.)
An economic approach to social choice

Economic ethics such as efficiency can be applied to social situations more general than the traditional economy of production and consumption by economic agents. Furthermore, the techniques of economic theory can be used to analyze these ethics in a general social context. This is shown by means of a transformation of society into an economy. Convexity assumptions will be needed. In economic application they are more or less ensured by the desire for variety in consumption. These assumptions must be interpreted in the framework of application. Only then are the appropriate political or social problems isomorphic to economic problems and amenable to economic analysis. Three such problems are discussed in Section IV: pollution, family inheritance, and extended families. It is hoped that other applications can be found, especially in the social behavior of large numbers of individuals. There are two possible attitudes to take toward the results of this paper. On the one hand, it could be said that the paper delineates types of social problems
Linear stability of viscous flow induced by surface stretching

The stability of the two-dimensional flow in a semi-infinite fluid induced by the stretching of a planar surface is investigated by a normal-mode linear stability analysis. The base flow is described by Crane’s exact analytical solution of the Navier–Stokes equation. A finite-difference method and a shooting method are implemented to solve the relevant eigenvalue problem for three-dimensional perturbations that vary sinusoidally with arbitrary wave number in the spanwise direction normal to the plane of the flow. The Crane flow is found to be linearly stable, with the least-damped mode arising in the limit of two-dimensional perturbations. Eigenfunctions for the disturbance velocity are presented and discussed for selected values of the transverse wave number. The numerical results for the dispersion relation corresponding to the least-damped mode for each transverse wave number are described by a simple analytical expression. The results of the stability analysis are contextualized by superposing a planar stagnation-point flow toward the stretching surface. As the ratio of the rate of elongation of the stagnation-point flow to the rate of stretching of the surface tends to zero, the dispersion curves smoothly asymptote to those found for the Crane flow. The results for planar stagnation-point flow toward a stationary surface are recovered in the opposite limit. The analysis is extended to account for suction or injection through a porous surface undergoing in-plane stretching.
Anomaly, event, and fraud detection in large network datasets

Detecting anomalies and events in data is a vital task, with numerous applications in security, finance, health care, law enforcement, and many others. While many techniques have been developed in past years for spotting outliers and anomalies in unstructured collections of multi-dimensional points, with graph data becoming ubiquitous, techniques for structured graph data have been of focus recently. As objects in graphs have long-range correlations, novel technology has been developed for abnormality detection in graph data.The goal of this tutorial is to provide a general, comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art methods for anomaly, event, and fraud detection in data represented as graphs. As a key contribution, we provide a thorough exploration of both data mining and machine learning algorithms for these detection tasks. We give a general framework for the algorithms, categorized under various settings: unsupervised vs.(semi-)supervised, for static vs. dynamic data. We focus on the scalability and effectiveness aspects of the methods, and highlight results on crucial real-world applications, including accounting fraud and opinion spam detection.
Waterborne Lead Exposure Affects Brain Endocannabinoid Content in Male but not Female Fathead Minnows (Pimephales promelas)

There are several similarities between the behavioral and neurochemical effects of lead (Pb2+) and the cannabinoids. Both Pb2+ exposure and cannabinoid treatment decrease exploratory behavior. Pb2+-induced hyperactivity has been observed in rats and fish. By comparison, cannabinoids increase locomotor activity at higher doses in rats. Moreover, Pb2+ exposure produces learning and memory impairments as do the cannabinoids. Many of the behavioral effects of Pb2+ are thought to be due, in part, to the ability of Pb2+ to either inhibit or mimic the actions of calcium (Ca2+). At low concentrations, Pb2+ enhances basal release of neurotransmitter from presynaptic terminals by increasing intracellular free Ca2+ concentrations. Pb2+ also decreases evoked neurotransmitter release due to blockade of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Interestingly, the endocannabinoids (eCBs) including N-arachidonylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) are synthesized in response to increases in intracellular Ca2+ and activate the CB1 receptor that inhibits voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. We tested the hypothesis that waterborne Pb2+ exposure significantly affects whole-brain eCB content in adult male and female fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas). Waterborne Pb2+ exposure (1.0 ppm) resulted in a time-dependent accumulation of Pb2+ in bone in both males and females. Brain AEA and 2-AG content were significantly greater in females compared to males. Pb2+ exposure increased brain AEA content in males at 7 and 14 days of exposure and increased brain 2-AG content at 14 days. Pb2+ exposure had no effect on either brain AEA or 2-AG content in females at any of the time points examined. As eCBs serve as activity-dependent retrograde inhibitors of neurotransmitter release, the increase in brain eCB content would accentuate Pb2+-induced decreases in evoked neurotransmitter release in male but not female fathead minnows.
The Social(ist) Construction of Art in Thomas Bernhard's Alte Meister

This essay advances the thesis that Bernhard's late novel, Alte Meister (1985), put in its historical and political context reveals a consistent, if syncretic, left-oriented political Weltanschauung . It gathers together political strands from Anarchism, humanist Marxism, and a crude materialism. These ideas play out in a critique of the traditional conception and reception of Western High Art. Central to the novel's view of such art is not only that artistic value is socially constructed but that there is a classist element to its reception. The latter point is implicitly critiqued in the cross-class relationship between the Saaldiener , Irrsigler and the haut bourgeois, Reger, that the novel somewhat apotheosizes. The essay also suggests that the destruction of the aura of the Western High Artwork is at the same time related to the Anarchist critique of the traditional top-down political power structure of western political theory.
Leveling coalitions as network phenomena

Abstract The formation of leveling coalitions is discussed as the outcome of a network process. A simplicial complex is used to formalize the concept of a reticulum, and the interlocking of reticulums is naturally analyzed by a Q-analysis. This connective structure of reticulums forms the backcloth for the formation of leveling coalitions. A structure theorem that claims leveling coalitions will fail if the backcloth prohibits them, and may succeed if the blackcloth permits them, is supported by data from two social networks.
Expression of pS2, c-erbB-2, and cathepsin D during the menstrual cycle in human breast cancers

Background: Many studies have addressed the effect of the timing of surgery for breast cancer relative to menstrual cycle phase, with conflicting results. Explanations for the possibility that survival could be altered by the appropriate timing of breast cancer surgery in humans remain speculative.
Steady state Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in fixed-bed and stirred tank slurry reactors

Abstract A precipitated iron catalyst (100 Fe/0.3 Cu/0.8 K) was tested in a fixed-bed reactor and a stirred tank slurry reactor at 250–260°C, 1.48 MPa, 2 Nl g-cat−1 h−1, and H2:CO = 2:3. Two different pretreatment procedures were employed (hydrogen reduction at 250°C and synthesis gas activation at 280°C) in each of the two reactor types. The activity of the hydrogen reduced catalyst was stable with time-on-stream, and it produced more methane and gaseous hydrocarbons than the syngas pretreated catalyst. Secondary reactions (olefin hydrogenation and isomerization) were more pronounced in tests with the hydrogen reduced catalyst. Hydrocarbon distribution shifted toward lower-molecular-weight products with time-on-stream in the stirred tank slurry reactor tests, but the total olefin content of C2 to C15 hydrocarbons remained constant during the tests which lasted 300 hours.
Group A Streptococcal Panniculitis

Infectious panniculitis caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus is rare, especially in immunocompetent patients. Its clinical presentation is usually nonspecific, but skin biopsy may provide information on the source. We describe the case of a previously healthy 2-year-old girl who presented with fever, tachycardia, and diffuse erythematous skin nodule; biopsy revealed a deep lobular neutrophilic panniculitis with gram-positive bacteria.
Dose-response relationships for carcinogens

Biotransformation of chemical carcinogens involves both metabolic activation and detoxication. The molecular dose present on DNA as adducts represents a balance between these two pathways (formation) and DNA repair. All of these are enzymatic processes subject to saturation. When none of the pathways is saturated, linear molecular dosimetry is expected, whereas if metabolic activation is saturated, a supralinear response occurs. If detoxication or DNA repair is saturated, a sublinear response occurs. With chronic exposure, steady-state concentrations of DNA adducts develop and these follow the same patterns. With several alkylating agents, multiple adducts are formed. The extent of formation is chemically defined, but different DNA repair pathways can be involved for different adducts. By understanding the molecular dose and biology of each adduct and comparing these to the dose-response for tumor induction, it may be possible to identify the most appropriate biomarkers for risk assessment. Recently, endogenous DNA adducts identical to those induced by known human carcinogens have been identified. These endogenously formed adducts may play an important role in human carcinogenesis.
Effect of progesterone and Nembutal in altering estrous running and vaginal periodicity in the female rat.

Hormonal regulation of activity wheel running and vaginal cycles was studied in female rats using agents and methods known to influence estrous receptivity, ovulation, and ovarian hormone levels. Injection of 0.5 mg/100 g bw progesterone on proestrus did not alter running or vaginal periodicity, whereas, when given on diestrus. it delayed both by one day. Progesterone dosages of 2 mg/100 g bw and 4 mg/100 g bw injected on diestrus increased mean delay of vaginal and activity estrus from approximately 1 to 2 and 2.5 days, respectively, and on metestrus, from 0 to 1 and 1.5 days, respectively. Peak running occurred on days of vaginal cornification. Induced delays in estrous activity were present only during the cycle in which progesterone was administered. Advancement of 1 day in estrous activity was obtained by injecting 0.5 mg/100 g bw progesterone on the day before proestrus in 5–day cyclic rats. Nembutal (3.3 mg/100 g bw) was found to delay both peak running and vaginal cornification by 1 day when injec...
Constituting "The People": National Identity Under William H. Taft and Richard M. Nixon

This project is focused on the long-term constitutive elements of presidential discourse; in other words, how rhetoric helps frame and determine national identity. Seemingly innocuous, and appearing in both ceremonial and policy addresses, presidential language concerning national identity helps shape the context, and thus sets the terms for more substantive, issue-laden debates. While one cannot measure the impact of this type of rhetoric in terms of specific issues and time frames, its influence is apparent in a broader and more diffuse perspective. This research compares the public rhetoric of presidents William H. Taft and Richard M. Nixon specifically in terms of their definitions of national identity. Both Republicans, albeit with very different political contexts and time periods, exhibited marked similarities in their strategies for defining the American polity, particularly with respect to their view of the president as the national representative, the idea that the nation is a unified whole, the...
plusTipTracker: Quantitative image analysis software for the measurement of microtubule dynamics

Here we introduce plusTipTracker, a Matlab-based open source software package that combines automated tracking, data analysis, and visualization tools for movies of fluorescently-labeled microtubule (MT) plus end binding proteins (+TIPs). Although +TIPs mark only phases of MT growth, the plusTipTracker software allows inference of additional MT dynamics, including phases of pause and shrinkage, by linking collinear, sequential growth tracks. The algorithm underlying the reconstruction of full MT trajectories relies on the spatially and temporally global tracking framework described in Jaqaman et al. (2008). Post-processing of track populations yields a wealth of quantitative phenotypic information about MT network architecture that can be explored using several visualization modalities and bioinformatics tools included in plusTipTracker. Graphical user interfaces enable novice Matlab users to track thousands of MTs in minutes. In this paper, we describe the algorithms used by plusTipTracker and show how the package can be used to study regional differences in the relative proportion of MT subpopulations within a single cell. The strategy of grouping +TIP growth tracks for the analysis of MT dynamics has been introduced before (Matov et al., 2010). The numerical methods and analytical functionality incorporated in plusTipTracker substantially advance this previous work in terms of flexibility and robustness. To illustrate the enhanced performance of the new software we thus compare computer-assembled +TIP-marked trajectories to manually-traced MT trajectories from the same movie used in Matov et al. (2010).
Molecular correlates of synaptic vesicle docking and fusion

The mechanisms responsible for neurotransmitter release at the synapse have been extensively studied using biochemical, genetic, and cell biological approaches. Several significant advances have recently contributed towards an improved understanding of the molecular details of both synaptic vesicle docking and fusion, and of the general process of vesicle-mediated membrane trafficking.
Security for FTTx Optical Access Networks

Passive Optical Networks (PONs) is the answer to increasing demand on bandwidth and an enabler for Fiber To The x (FTTx) implementation, where x can be Home (FTTH), Curb (FTTC), or Building (FTTB). However, PONs use shared fiber link with Broadcast and Select type of downstream traffic on single wavelength, which makes it vulnerable to eavesdropping. Security at network level in addition to cryptography is vital to success of FTTx in order to make collection of sample traffic difficult. In this paper, a novel technique that consists of slow wavelength hopping and wavelength sequences cycling techniques are suggested where each Ethernet frame/packet is encoded by single wavelength. Each Optical Network Unit (ONU) will have its own wavelength sequence generated by mapping code matrices to a single network wavelength grid matrix. Multiple wavelengths sequences assignment to a single ONU are cycled in different orders so as to enhance security in order to reduce probability of tracking hopping pattern This technique can also be combined with a block cipher encryption technique, such as AES, in order to increase the security of the encryption algorithm.
An operator-product light-cone expansion in renormalized perturbation theory

Abstract An operator-product expansion is derived to display the logarithmic light-cone singularities in ( x 1 − x 2 ) 2 of A ( x 1 ) A ( x 2 ), where A ( x ) is the scalar field of the gA 4 model in renormalized perturbation theory. The expansion involves bilocal fields B i ( x 1 , x 2 ) which are finite on the light cone. The B i ( x 1 , x 2 ) may be expressed in terms of smeared out Zimmermann normal products which are bilinear in A ( x ).
Quality of life issues in chronic otitis media with effusion : parameters for future study

This pilot project studied 61 children with chronic otitis media with effusion. The 12-month period prior to ventilation tube surgery was compared with the 12 months after surgery with respect to numbers of health care visits, the use of antibiotics, parental perceptions of hearing and speech problems, and other selected parameters. Significant decreases were found in total health care visits (mean decrease: 6.18 visits, P < 0.001). Ear-related health care visits also decreased significantly (mean decrease = 10.93, P < 0.001). Total health care visits correlated strongly with visits for ear problems both before and after surgery (r = 0.4474, P < 0.001). Usage of antibiotics significantly decreased. Parental reports concerning the issues of secondary speech and hearing problems raised questions for additional study. In addition, the qualitative comments offered by parents suggest the breadth of impact of chronic otitis media with effusion in this patient population, and point the direction for future research.
Psychometric assessment of the patient activation measure short form (PAM-13) in rural settings

The patient activation measure short form (PAM-13) assesses patients’ self-reported health management skills, knowledge, confidence, and motivation. We used item response theory to evaluate the psychometric properties of the PAM-13 utilized in rural settings. A Rasch partial credit model analysis was conducted on the PAM-13 instrument using a sample of 812 rural patients recruited by providers and our research staff. Specially, we examined dimensionality, item fit, and quality of measures, category response curves, and item differential functioning. Convergent and divergent validities were also examined. The PAM-13 instrument has excellent convergent and divergent validities. It is fairly unidimensional, and all items fit the Rasch model well. It has relatively high person and item reliability indices. Majority of the items were free of item differential functioning. There were, however, some issues with ceiling effects. Additionally, there was a lack of responses for category one across all items. Patient activation measure short form (PAM-13) performs well in some areas, but not all. In general, more items need to be added to cover the upper end of the trait. The four response categories of PAM-13 should be collapsed into three.
Allometry of resting metabolic rate in cockroaches.

1. 1. Resting VO2 at 22.7°C was 0.217 ± 0.007 ml O2/g/hr in Nauphoeta cinerea of 0.51 ± 0.008 g body mass. 2. 2. Whole animal resting metabolic rate for 11 cockroach species scaled allometrically: VO2 = 0.261 M0.776. 3. 3. Allometry of resting VO2 among cockroach species is similar to that in vertebrates, and is consistent with models based on both “elastic similarity” and “biological similitude.
Superconducting magnet system for a 750 GeV MUON spectrometer

A spectrometer to measure deep inelastic muon scattering needs a uniform magnetic field, in an unobstructed space of 0.8 × 0.8 × 60 m, of 2 T vertical and transverse to the long direction. Outside the field space is an iron shield used for identifying and counting of muons, for reduction of stray flux, for improving field homogeneity and also for entainment of magnetic forces. The magnet is composed of 6 m long units. Each unit is assembled by stacking 44 largely identical subunits. Each subunit is wound as a flat pancake on a window frame 1.7 × 6 m and bent into the required saddle shape. Cooling is by circulating two-phase helium through copper pipes attached to the subunits; heat transport within windings is through solid contact. Operating current, at 2 kA, is below the full stability limit. Half the magnetic forces are contained by cold tension struts connecting the two sides of the coil at top and bottom, the other half by supports between the center of the windings and the warm iron shield.
Estimation of Discrete Choice Models in Retrospective Samples Application of the Manski and McFadden Conditional Maximum Likelihood Estimator

The estimation of the parameters of discrete choice models in retrospective samples is often more complex than in prospective studies. In prospective studies estimation usually employs classical maximum likelihood techniques; however, when samples are stratified on the outcome variable, classical maximum likelihood estimators are often biased in large samples. A number of alternative consistent estimators have been proposed by Manski and McFadden (1981). We have found one of their estimators to be applicable to a wide variety of problems and easy to implement. In this article we describe the Manski and McFadden approach, give a variation of the approach when modeling sets of retrospectively sampled outcomes, and present an example of the application of these techniques in a survey research context.
Crop Volume of Chickens as Affected by Body Size, Sex, and Breed

Abstract Single Comb White Leghorn (SCWL) hens, broiler cockerels, and two weight classes of SCWL roosters were utilized to determine the relationships of breed, sex, and body size to crop volume. Crop volume was significantly different (P
Interactions of spiral waves in inhomogeneous excitable media

Abstract This paper examines the behavior of pairs of spiral waves in a two-dimensional excitable medium with a parameter gradient, and extends the results to study the effects of self-interactions of scroll waves in three dimensions. When two spirals are placed in regions of different local rotation periods, the interaction between the waves significantly affects their motion. There are two distinct phases of the interaction: initially, the spiral with faster rotation period “unwinds” the slower one. After the unwinding, the wavefronts from the faster spiral interact directly with the center of rotation (core) of the slower one, producing a drift that is significantly faster than that due to the gradient alone. A simple point-source model yields a prediction of the unwinding time, and the motion after unwinding can be understood in terms of planar wavefronts interacting with the core of the slower spiral. The results are then applied to self-interactions of a scroll ring in three dimensions, where they suggest that nonlocal effects are significant when a parameter gradient is present.
Selected Readings In Optical Fibers In Medicine

Abela, G.S., and C.R. Conti. Laser revascularization: What are its prospects? J. Cardiovasc. Med. 8, 977-984 (1983) Abela, G.S., C. R. Conti, et al. A new model for investigation of transluminal recanalization: human atherosclerotic coronary artery xenografts. Am. J. Cardiol. 54, 200-205 (1984)
Laser plasma EUV sources for Lithography – Diode pump technology offers new applications

The study of high-temperature plasmas produced by pulsed laser systems has for a long time been associated with esoteric applications such as laser fusion, x-ray lasers, space propulsion and the like. There are several reasons for this, but one practical reason was simply that the lasers required to produce these plasmas were large, unwieldy and generally singleshot devices (at least minutes between shots). This technology did not lend itself towards applications that were compact, reproducible and potentially automated. However, this is now no longer the case. High-power diode pump technology has transformed the architecture of solid state lasers, reducing by many factors the required thermal dissipation, and therefore allowing higher repetition rates. Coupled with more compact designs and reduced costs, commercial applications of high-power pulsed lasers, and even laserproduced plasmas are now emerging. Chief among the applications of laser plasmas is now its potential as a light source for what is now called Extreme UV Lithography, or EUVL.
Metal hydrides for vehicular applications: The state of the art

Recent developments in light metal complex hydrides show that there is a potential for hydrogen storage using these hydrides in fuel cells for on-board vehicular and other applications. The search for new alloys promises to have practical significance with the realization that hydrogen as a fuel holds the key to filling energy needs and solving environmental problems. This review presents the U.S. Department of Energy FreedomCAR goals for hydrogen storage, storage capacities of important hydrides, and current developments in light-metal complex hydrides.
Synthesis and Structure−Activity Relationship Study of Potent Trypanocidal Thio Semicarbazone Inhibitors of the Trypanosomal Cysteine Protease Cruzain

American trypanosomiasis, or Chagas' disease, is the leading cause of heart disease in Latin America. Currently there is an urgent need to develop antitrypanosomal therapy due to the toxicity of existing agents and emerging drug resistance. A novel series of potent thio semicarbazone small-molecule inhibitors of the Trypanosoma cruzi cysteine protease cruzain have been identified. Some of these inhibitors have been shown to be trypanocidal. We initially discovered that 3'-bromopropiophenone thio semicarbazone (1i) inhibited cruzain and could cure mammalian cell cultures infected with T. cruzi. 3'-Bromopropiophenone thio semicarbazone showed no toxicity for mammalian cells at concentrations that were trypanocidal. Following this lead, more than 100 compounds were designed and synthesized. A specific structure-activity relationship (SAR) was established, and many potent analogues with IC(50) values in the low nanomolar range were identified. Eight additional analogues were trypanocidal in a cell culture assay, and this indicates that aryl thio semicarbazone is a productive scaffold for killing the parasites. Kinetic studies show that these are time-dependent inhibitors. Molecular modeling studies of the enzyme-inhibitor complex have led to a proposed mechanism of interaction as well as insight into the SAR of the thio semicarbazone series. The nonpeptide nature of this series, small size, and extremely low cost of production suggest this is a promising direction for the development of new antitrypanosome chemotherapy.
Cultured Technology: The Internet and Religious Fundamentalism

In this article we identify four principal dimensions of religious fundamentalism as they interact with the Internet: hierarchy, patriarchy, discipline, and seclusion. We also develop the concept of cultured technology, and analyze the ways communities reshape a technology and make it a part of their culture, while at the same time changing their customary ways of life and unwritten laws to adapt to it. Later, we give examples for our theoretical framework through an empirical examination of ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in Israel. Our empirical study is based on a data set of 686,192 users and 60,346 virtual communities. The results show the complexity of interactions between religious fundamentalism and the Internet, and invite further discussions of cultured technology as a means to understand how the Internet has been culturally constructed, modified, and adapted to the needs of fundamentalist communities and how they in turn have been affected by it.
Convergence of time scales under the Fell topology

In this paper, we will examine various topologies on hyperspaces, and in particular those which are most useful in the context of time scales. After demonstrating that the Fell topology is the most appropriate, we will review several theorems about convergence in hyperspaces of Hausdorff metric spaces under the Fell topology. We will then prove related theorems for the time scales case, where the hyperspace in question is .
ATPase center of bacteriophage lambda terminase involved in post-cleavage stages of DNA packaging: identification of ATP-interactive amino acids.

Abstract Terminase is the enzyme that mediates λ DNA packaging into the viral prohead. The large subunit of terminase, gpA (641 amino acid residues), has a high-affinity ATPase activity ( K m =5 μM). To directly identify gpA’s ATP-interacting amino acids, holoterminase bearing a His 6 -tag at the C terminus of gpA was UV-crosslinked with 8-N 3 -[α- 32 P]ATP. Tryptic peptides from the photolabeled terminase were purified by affinity chromatography and reverse-phase HPLC. Two labeled peptides of gpA were identified. Amino acid sequencing failed to show the tyrosine residue of the first peptide, E 43 SA Y 46 QEGR 50 , or the lysine of the second peptide, V 80 GYS K 84 MLL 87 , indicating that Y 46 and K 84 were the 8-N 3 -ATP-modified amino acids. To investigate their roles in λ DNA packaging, Y 46 was changed to E, A, and F, and K 84 was changed to E and A. Purified His 6 -tagged terminases with changes at residues 46 and 84 lacked the gpA high-affinity ATPase activity, though the cos cleavage and cohesive end separation activities were near to those of the wild-type enzyme. In virion assembly reactions using virion DNA as a packaging substrate, the mutant terminases showed severe defects. In summary, the results indicate that Y 46 and K 84 are part of the high-affinity ATPase center of gpA, and show that this ATPase activity is involved in the post- cos cleavage stages of λ DNA packaging.
Scheduling vs. random access in frequency hopped airborne networks

Airborne networks often use frequency hopping to be jam resistant. Because users are highly mobile and can have large propagation delays, otherwise orthogonal frequency hopping patterns appear asynchronous, and hop-by-hop collisions will occur. We compare the achievable throughput and delay of scheduling schemes versus random access schemes in this context via modeling and simulation. Because collisions occur even when nodes are scheduled at the slot level, much less throughput is attainable, as compared to the case of orthogonal hopping patterns. Random access achieves even less throughput because it cannot control exactly how many users are active in a slot, only the average. This results in scheduling offering roughly a 10% to 20% gain in throughput over random access, depending on parameters such as code block length, the number of frequencies hopped over, and the number of users. However, a static schedule, also known as Time Division Multiple Access or TDMA, is shown to have very large delays for high traffic loads. Dynamic scheduling can achieve the throughput of TDMA and the delay of random access, but it incurs additional overhead for coordination between users which may outweigh the throughput gain. Alternatively, random access with time hopping has the potential of achieving the throughput of TDMA, but at some cost of delay.
Lattice theory of the elastic dielectric: application to the fluorite lattice

The lattice theory of the elastic dielectric developed in the preceding paper is applied to the fluorite lattice. Expressions are derived for the third-order elastic constants of the fluorite lattice in Axe's shell model. The values of the third-order elastic constants and the pressure derivatives of the second-order elastic constants are calculated for calcium, strontium, and barium fluorides on the rigid-ion and shell models. In calcium fluoride, the calculated values of the pressure derivatives of the second-order elastic constants are in fair agreement with Wong and Schuele's experimental values. The static dielectric constant and its strain dependence are also calculated for the three fluorides in the shell model.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? Thinking that one is attractive increases the tendency to support inequality

Five studies tested the hypothesis that self-perceived attractiveness shapes people’s perceptions of their social class (subjective SES), which, in turn, shape how people respond to inequality and social hierarchies. Study 1 found that self-perceived attractiveness was associated with support for group-based dominance and belief in legitimizing ideologies, and that these relationships were mediated by subjective social class. Subsequent experiments showed that higher self-perceived attractiveness increased subjective SES, which in turn, increased SDO (Study 2 and Study 5); promoted stronger beliefs in dispositional causes of inequality (Study 3); and reduced donations to a movement advocating for social equality (Study 4). By contrast, lower self-perceived attractiveness decreased subjective SES, which in turn, led to a greater tendency to reject social hierarchies and to construe inequality in terms of contextual causes. These effects emerged even after controlling for power, status, and self-esteem, and were not simply driven by inducing people to see themselves positively on desirable traits (Study 4 and Study 5).
The WTO and Domestic Political Disquiet: Has Legalization of the Global Trade Regime Gone Too Far?

The recent “legalization” of the global trade regime (the WTO) has inspired enormous amounts of research and literature. Fewer commentators, however, have examined WTO legalization from the perspective of domestic interest groups. I add to this growing subfield of literature by arguing that the WTO has not exceeded its boundary for domestic political acceptance, nor will it likely do so in the near future. In one respect—“ judicial activism”—legalization does, however, present a threat to domestic political support. Still, drawing from historical lessons, I argue that the WTO as an institution will face irrelevance only if both protectionists and multilateralists conclude that the institution no longer represents their interests.
The effects of antipsychotic medications on emotion perception in patients with chronic schizophrenia in the CATIE trial

Few pharmacological intervention studies have examined the impact of medication on social cognition, particularly emotion perception. The goal of this randomized, double-blind study is to compare the effects of several second generation antipsychotics and a first generation antipsychotic, perphenazine, on emotion perception in individuals with schizophrenia. Patients were assigned to receive treatment with olanzapine, queitapine fumarate, risperidone, ziprasidone or perphenazine for up to 18 months. Eight hundred and seventy three patients completed an emotion perception test immediately prior to randomization and after 2 months of treatment. We also examined baseline predictors of emotion perception change. Most treatments were associated with a small, non-statistically significant improvement in emotion perception at two months, although they did not differ from one another. Greater improvement in emotion perception at 2 months was significantly predicted by lower baseline emotion perception and higher baseline neurocognitive functioning, and marginally predicted by less time on an antipsychotic.
Generation of a novel, cyclooxygenase-2-targeted, interferon-expressing, conditionally replicative adenovirus for pancreatic cancer therapy.

Abstract Background Oncolytic adenoviruses provide a promising alternative for cancer treatment. Recently, adjuvant interferon (IFN)-alfa has shown significant survival benefits for pancreatic cancer, yet was impeded by systemic toxicity. To circumvent these problems adenovirus with high-level targeted IFN-alfa expression can be generated. Methods Conditionally replicative adenoviruses (CRAds) with improved virulence and selectivity for pancreatic cancer were generated. The vectors were tested in vitro, in vivo, and in human pancreatic cancer and normal tissue specimens. Results Adenoviral death protein and fiber modifications significantly improved oncolysis. CRAds selectively replicated in vitro, in vivo and showed persistent spread in cancer xenografts. They showed high-level replication in human pancreatic cancer specimens, but not in normal tissues. Improved IFN-CRAd oncolytic efficiency was shown. Conclusions Optimized cyclooxygenase-2 CRAds show highly favorable effects in vitro and in vivo. We report a pancreatic cancer–specific, highly virulent, IFN-expressing CRAd, and we believe that adenovirus-based IFN therapy offers a new treatment opportunity for pancreatic cancer patients.
Predicting protein domain interactions from coevolution of conserved regions

The knowledge of protein and domain interactions provide crucial insights into their function within a cell. Several computational methods have been proposed to detect interactions between proteins and their constitutive domains. In this work, we focus on approaches based on correlated evolution (coevolution) of sequences of interacting proteins. In this type of approach, often referred to as the mirrortree method, a high correlation of evolutionary histories of two proteins is used as an indicator to predict protein interactions. Recently, it has been observed that subtracting the underlying speciation process by separating coevolution due to common speciation divergence from that due to common function of interacting pairs greatly improves the predictive power of the mirrortree approach. In this article, we investigate possible improvements and limitations of this method. In particular, we demonstrate that the performance of the mirrortree method that can be further improved by restricting the coevolution analysis to the relatively conserved regions in the protein domain sequences (disregarding highly divergent regions). We provide a theoretical validation of our results leading to new insights into the interplay between coevolution and speciation of interacting proteins.
Variation in the Posttemporal-Supracleithrum Articulation in Euteleosts

A survey of the articulation between two of the dermal elements of the pectoral girdle, the posttemporal and supracleithrum, across 308 euteleost species in 40 orders and 181 families revealed considerable variation. This variation was categorized first by number of distinct contact points, which varied between zero and three. It was then subdivided further into a total of 17 morphotypes based on the observed patterns of variation in the form of these contact points, the plane in which they are oriented, and their relative positions on each bone. Given the distribution of these morphotypes across examined taxa, we hypothesize that a simple laminar morphotype, in which the posttemporal and supracleithrum are syndesmotically bound and no obvious contact points are discernable, represents the plesiomorphic condition. Establishing homology of contact points for many morphotypes remains challenging. However, some morphotypes appear to support previously recognized clades and thus represent putative synapomorph...
The olive compound 4-hydroxytyrosol inactivates Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A (SEA).

: The foodborne pathogen Staphylococcus aureus produces the virulent staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), a single chain protein which consists of 233 amino acid residues with a molecular weight of 27078 Da. SEA is a superantigen that is reported to contribute to animal (mastitis) and human (emesis, diarrhea, atopic dermatitis, arthritis, and toxic shock) syndromes. Changes in the native structural integrity may inactivate the toxin by preventing molecular interaction with cell membrane receptor sites of their host cells. In the present study, we evaluated the ability of the pure olive compound 4-hydroxytyrosol and a commercial olive powder called Hidrox-12, prepared by freeze-drying olive juice, to inhibit S. aureus bacteria and SEA's biological activity. Dilutions of both test substances inactivated the pathogens. Two independent cell assays (BrdU incorporation into newly synthesized DNA and glycyl-phenylalanyl-aminofluorocoumarin proteolysis) demonstrated that the olive compound 4-hydroxytyrosol also inactivated the biological activity of SEA at concentrations that were not toxic to the spleen cells. However, efforts to determine inhibition of the toxin by Hidrox-12 were not successful because the olive powder was cytotoxic to the spleen cells at concentrations found to be effective against the bacteria. The results suggest that food-compatible and safe antitoxin olive compounds can be used to inactivate both pathogens and toxins produced by the pathogens. Practical Application: The results of this study suggest that food-compatible and safe antitoxin olive compounds can be used to reduce both pathogens and toxins produced by the pathogens in foods.
Philip Freneau's Manuscript of "The Spy"

The article concerns a manuscript of an unfinished play, "The Spy," by Philip Freneau held in Rutgers Library.
WATER AND NITROGEN UPTAKE PATTERNS FOLLOWING MOISTURE PULSES IN A COLD DESERT COMMUNITY

Variation in the ability to utilize pulses of both water and nitrogen (N) is one possible mechanism allowing the coexistence of species in the cold desert community on the Colorado Plateau. We simulated 25-mm precipitation events and used stable isotope tracers ( 2 H and 15 N) to follow water and N uptake patterns in six dominant perennials (Artemisia filifolia, Coleogyne ramosissima, Cryptantha flava, Ephedra viridis, Quercus havardii, and Vanclevea stylosa) at different times of the growing season. Water pulse utilization varied on a seasonal basis and was to some extent different among species during the summer. Carbon isotope discrimination was negatively related to both plant use of moisture in upper soil layers and foliar N concentration. Species that were similar in water pulse utilization patterns differed in the natural abundances of 15 N, suggesting partitioning in N sources. All species were able to utilize N pulses after rain events, but there were temporal differences in the responses among species. We also found that water and N uptake in shallow roots do not necessarily occur simultaneously. Artemisia, Cryptantha,and Quer- cus showed significant uptake of both water and N from the upper soil layers. In contrast, Coleogyne and Ephedra showed the capacity to utilize the water pulse, but not the N pulse. Vanclevea only took up N. The results indicate that different parts of the root system may be responsible for the acquisition of water and N. Our results also suggest that N and water partitioning could contribute to the coexistence of species in highly variable environments such as the Colorado Plateau desert system.