cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nuclear tumor suppressors in space and time

Numerous studies have identified key binding partners and functional activities of nuclear tumor-suppressor proteins such as the retinoblastoma protein, p53 and BRCA1. Historically, less attention has been given to the subnuclear locations of these proteins. Here, we describe several recent studies that promote the view that regulated association with subcompartments of the nucleus is inherent to tumor-suppressor function.
Thermomechanical lattice instability and phase field theory of martensitic phase transformations, twinning and dislocations at large strains

Using the second law of thermodynamics, a criterion for the instability of a crystal lattice with respect to a change in order parameters is derived for finite strains and lattice rotations. An explicit relation for lattice rotation is derived. A Gibbs (Landau) potential describing martensitic phase transformations, twinning, and dislocation nucleation is derived for a prescribed nonsymmetric nominal stress tensor and small elastic strain, but finite transformation strain and rotations. The equilibrium and transformation conditions are obtained. Martensitic phase transformations in NiAl, BN and C are analyzed and the importance of finite-strain corrections is demonstrated.
Testing the implied mediational role of cognitive age

Although the concept of cognitive age has been positioned in the psychology, marketing, and gerontology literatures as an important variable that mediates the relationship between specific antecedents and consequences, a test of its implied mediational role has not been done. As such, researchers and marketing managers lack a clear understanding of cognitive age's usefulness among a variety of important segmentation variables. This study employs mediated regression analysis to formally explore this implied mediational role with the use of five antecedent variables and three consumer-behavior outcomes. Results indicate that cognitive age either fully or partially mediates the relationship between antecedents and consequences, but not for all possible relationships. A structural-equation model is then developed to further explore the substantive relationships between the variables. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Parent survey on television violence viewing: Fear, aggression, and sex differences

Abstract A survey of 105 parents of early adolescents was conducted regarding parents' concerns about the effects of children's television violence viewing. Parents' concerns over fear-related and aggression-related effects were assessed using an 18-item Likert (1–9) scale. Overall, parents were equally concerned about fear-related as aggression-related effects. Parents' concerns depended upon child gender: Parents of boys and girls were equally concerned about fear-related effects, but parents of boys were more concerned about aggression-related effects.
Clinical Radiation Sensitivity With DNA Repair Disorders: An Overview

Adverse reactions to radiotherapy represent a confounding phenomenon in radiation oncology. These reactions are rare, and many have been associated with individuals with DNA repair disorders such as ataxia-telangiectasia and Nijmegen Breakage syndrome. A paucity of published data is available detailing such circumstances. This overview describes four exemplary situations, a comprehensive list of 32 additional cases, and some insights gleaned from this overall experience. Fanconi anemia was associated with more than one-half of the reports. The lowest dose given to a patient that resulted in a reaction was 3 Gy, given to an ataxia-telangiectasia patient. Most patients died within months of exposure. It is clear that the patients discussed in this report had complicated illnesses, in addition to cancer, and the radiotherapy administered was most likely their best option. However, the underlying DNA repair defects make conventional radiation doses dangerous. Our findings support previous wisdom that radiotherapy should either be avoided or the doses should be selected with great care in the case of these radiosensitive genotypes, which must be recognized by their characteristic phenotypes, until more rapid, reliable, and functional assays of DNA repair become available.
Systemic lupus erythematosus and acute pancreatitis: a case series

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether corticosteroid use is the etiological agent in acute pancreatitis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, or whether it is related to the underlying connective tissue disorder. Hospital admissions at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital between 1982 and 2002 that carried the dual diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus and pancreatitis were identified, and demographic data, clinical interventions and parameters of clinical progression of their disease were identified. From 2947 admissions with systemic lupus erythematosus 25 (0.85%) were diagnosed as having acute pancreatitis; 76% of cases had active systemic lupus erythematosus on presentation, with an average of 4.4 organ involvement, and a clustering of renal disease (56%), pleural effusion (48%) and arthritis (44%) in these patients. Fifteen patients with active disease and three whose disease was inactive received increased doses of corticosteroids, and four active cases and one inactive one stayed on the same doses. Two inactive patients received no corticosteroids before or after the diagnosis of pancreatitis. Eighty-two percent of patients had clinical and laboratory improvement on the higher or maintenance dose of corticosteroids. We therefore concluded that acute pancreatitis is a rare manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus, and corticosteroids do not appear to be the etiological agent.
A Topographically Modified Substrate-Embedded MEA for Directed Myotube Formation at Electrode Contact Sites

Myoblast fusion into functionally distinct myotubes, and their subsequent integration with the nervous system, is a poorly understood phenomenon with important applications in basic science research, skeletal muscle tissue engineering, and cell-based biosensor development. We have previously demonstrated the ability of microelectrode arrays (MEAs) to record the extracellular action potentials of myotubes, and we have shown that this information reveals the presence of multiple, electrophysiologically independent myotubes even in unstructured cultures where there is extensive physical contact between cells (Langhammer et al., Biotechnol Prog 27:891–895, 2011). In this paper, we explore the ability of microscale topographical trenches to guide the myoblast alignment and fusion processes and use our findings to create a substrate-embedded MEA containing topographical trenches that are able to direct myotube contractility to specific locations. By combining substrate-embedded MEA technology with topographical patterns, we have developed a lab-on-a-chip test bed for the non-invasive examination of myotubes.
EFFECT OF DAY‐NIGHT TEMPERATURE REGIMES ON GROWTH AND MORPHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF TIMOTHY PLANTS DERIVED FROM WINTER AND SUMMER TILLERS

Winter (vernalized) and summer (non-vernalized) timothy tillers were grown to anthesis in day/night temperature regimes of 32/26°, 27/21°, 21/15°, and 15/10°C. Herbage and total plant yields, total leaf-blade number and area, and total plant growth-rate were highest, or very nearly so, in the 21/15°C regime for both the winter and summer plants. However, summer plants reached anthesis 13 to 14 days later than winter plants in each temperature regime. Even though virtually all primary shoots produced an infiorescence, summer plants had significantiy more leaves and leaf-blade area, produced significantiy higher yields of leaf blade, stem plus sheath, stubble, and root tissues and had a significantly higher total plant growth rate than winter plants in each temperature regime.
p53-mediated transcriptional activation: from test tube to cell.

Posttranslational modifications of histones have been strongly correlated with transcriptional regulation. In this issue of Cell, An et al. (2004) comprehensively examined the nature of arginine methyltransferases and histone modifications in p53-mediated transcription.
Depression and epilepsy: How closely related are they?

Article abstract Depressive disorders (DDs) are the most common type of psychiatric co-morbidity in patients with epilepsy. They are more likely to occur in patients with partial seizure disorders of temporal and frontal lobe origin and are more frequent among patients with poorly controlled seizures. Despite their relatively high prevalence, DDs remain unrecognized and untreated in a large proportion of patients. This article highlights the evidence of a close association between DDs and epilepsy, beginning with the bi-directional relationship between the two disorders. Not only are patients with epilepsy more likely to experience a DD, but a history of DD preceding the onset of the seizure disorder is more likely to be identified in patients with epilepsy than in a control group. In support of these observations, we review data from animal models of epilepsy showing that decreased activity of serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and GABA facilitate the kindling process of seizure foci, worsen seizure frequency and severity, and are reversed or blocked by antidepressant drugs. Decreased activity of these neurotransmitters is a pivotal pathogenic mechanism of DDs and forms the basis of their pharmacotherapy. Thus, DDs and epilepsy may share common pathogenic mechanisms that facilitate the occurrence of one in the presence of the other. Contrary to long-held beliefs by patients and clinicians alike, in the sense that DDs are a "normal reaction" to the obstacles posed by epilepsy, we review evidence that points to their biologic or endogenous nature. We find a genetic predisposition to DDs, as evidenced by the frequent family history of mood disorders in these patients. Neuroimaging and neuropsychological data support a frontal lobe dysfunction in DDs, and a recent study documents concomitant dysfunction of mesial temporal structures. Depressive disorders have various clinical presentations, some typical of the different types of mood disorders in non-epileptic patients, others constituting rather frequent atypical presentations that can easily go unrecognized. A review of the pharmacologic treatment of DDs in epilepsy highlights the lack of scientific data and points to the empirical form in which these patients have been treated up to the present time. Contrary to clinicians' fears, most antidepressant drugs are safe in patients with epilepsy.
Unsupervised Learning of Categorical Data With Competing Models

This paper considers the unsupervised learning of high-dimensional binary feature vectors representing categorical information. A cognitively inspired framework, referred to as modeling fields theory (MFT), is utilized as the basic methodology. A new MFT-based algorithm, referred to as accelerated maximum a posteriori (MAP), is proposed. Accelerated MAP allows simultaneous learning and selection of the number of models. The key feature of accelerated MAP is a steady increase of the regularization penalty resulting in competition among models. The differences between this approach and other mixture learning and model selection methodologies are described. The operation of this algorithm and its parameter selection are discussed. Numerical experiments aimed at finding performance limits are conducted. The performance with real-world data is tested by applying the algorithm to a text categorization problem and to the clustering Congressional voting data.
Study of the inclusion compounds formed between α-cyclodextrin and high molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(ϵ-caprolactone)

We report the formation of high molecular weight polymer inclusion compounds (ICs) between α-cyclodextrin and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) (Mn = 100 kg mol−1), and poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL) (Mn = 40 kg mol−1). Both high molecular weight polymer ICs were successfully made by ultrasonic and heating techniques. Dsc, tga, X-ray diffraction, FT i.r. and solid state 13C n.m.r. were utilized to observe the PCL and PEO polymer chains included inside the channels formed by α-cyclodextrin. Dsc and tga scans showed that the high temperature stable polymer-CD-IC samples contain no free crystalline polymer. The much higher decomposition temperatures observed for these polymer-CD-ICs may imply that polymer chains included inside the polymer CD-IC channels can greatly improve cyclodextrin's stability. The polymer-CD-IC's X-ray diffraction patterns were very similar to that of valeric acid-CD-IC, which is confirmed to be a channel crystal structure, and the strong peak for both polymer-CD-ICs at approximately 20.0° (2θ) may confirm their IC formation. New bands appeared at 1729 cm−1 for PEO-CD-IC and at 1739 cm−1 for PCL-CD-IC in their FTi.r. spectra. Both bands were absent from the α-cyclodextrin spectrum. In CP/MAS/DD 13C n.m.r. spectra, single resonances for PEO-CD-IC, which compared with the multiple resonances observed for each carbon type in α-cyclodextrin, may indicate that α-cyclodextrin adopts a more symmetrical cyclic conformation in the PEO-CD-IC sample, while pure α-cyclodextrin assumes a less symmetrical conformation in the crystal when it does not include a guest polymer PEO inside its cavity. A one-pulse 13C n.m.r. spectrum was observed to identify the resonance peak for PEO inside the PEO-CD-IC.
Failure of bimaterial interfaces

Abstract The failure of bimaterial interfaces with periodic arrays of cracks or flaws is examined. An adhesive relation is prescribed for the interface which governs the normal and shear stress vs. normal and shear displacement response. These relations provide what amounts to a constitutive law for a thin interface layer which is envisaged to undergo a rupture process when subjected to combined tensile and shear forces. On the basis of these models, we examine the effect of geometry and interfacial properties on the fields of propagating cracks and flaws as well as on the ductility, toughness and failure modes of bimaterial interfaces. Both crystal plasticity and J 2 flow theory are used to model the plastic deformation of the materials on either side of the interface. In both descriptions, full account is taken of finite changes in geometry, large plastic strains and material strain rate sensitivity. Within the context of our adhesive models the interface properties are essentially described by three parameters, namely the interface strength σ max , the interface normal separation δ c beyond which all adhesion is lost and the work ϕ 0 of pure tensile de-adhesion; these three are related through relations of the form ϕ 0 = Aσ max δ c , where A depends on the particular functional form of the adhesive relations. Our results, performed for metals with only modest rate sensitivities, demonstrate the pivotal role that the value of the interface strength has in establishing the mechanisms of interface failure and, thereby, the toughness and ductility of the microstructures containing the interface. In addition, the effects of crack and flaw size on the stress-strain fields, and failure modes, that develop at flawed interfaces are studied in a series of calculations involving flaw sizes in the range 15 ⩽ α 0 / δ c ⩽ 1500.
Superexchange and sequential mechanisms in charge transfer with a mediating state between the donor and acceptor.

The rate of intramolecular charge transfer from biphenyl to naphthalene was determined for the radical anions and radical cations of molecules with the general structure: (2-naphthyl)-(steroid spacer)-(4-biphenylyl). Varied degrees of unsaturation (one double bond, NSenB; two double bonds, NSen2B; and the b-ring completely aromatized, NSarB) were incorporated into the steroid spacer to examine the effect it would have on the charge transfer rate. The charge transfer rate, as inferred from the decay of the biphenyl radical ion absorption, increased in all cases relative to the completely saturated 3-(2-naphthyl)-16-(4-biphenylyl)-5α-androstane (NSB) reference molecule. For the anion charge transfer, the decay rates increased by factors of 1.4, 4.2, and 5.1, respectively, and for the cation, the decay rates increased by factors of 5, 276, and 470. To explain the results, the charge-transfer process was viewed as a combination of two independent mechanisms: a single-step, superexchange mechanism, and a two...
Degrading effects of the lower atmosphere on long-range airborne synthetic aperture radar imaging

The imaging performance of airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) systems has advanced to the point that the effects of clear-air refractive index perturbations cannot be ignored. Operating at long ranges, and low grazing angles, in particular, require propagation geometries through regions of the lower atmosphere that may cause noticeable and, sometimes, severe degradation of the images. The range of image anomalies that can be attributed to the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) is illustrated, the pertinent characteristics of the ABL is discussed, a first-order SAR imaging model that incorporates the refractive index perturbations associated with the ABL is developed and the magnitude of the image anomalies resulting from measured refractive index perturbations is estimated. The model predictions correlate well with the observed image anomalies and measured properties of the ABL. On the basis of theory and measurements, it is expected that the degrading effect of clear-air atmospheric refractive index perturbations is much more common than previously thought and may be a limiting factor for long-range SAR imaging performance.
Lobar cerebral hemorrhages: Acute clinical syndromes in 26 cases

The acute syndromes and CT findings are described in 26 cases of spontaneous cerebral hemorrhage. Occipital hemorrhage (11 cases) caused severe pain around the ipsilateral eye and dense hemianopia. Left temporal hemorrhage (7 cases) began with mild pain in or just anterior to the ear, fluent dysphasia with poor auditory comprehension but relatively good repetition, and a visual deficit subtending less than a hemianopia. Frontal hemorrhage (4 cases) caused a distinctive syndrome beginning with severe contralateral arm weakness, minimal leg and face weakness, and frontal headache. Parietal hemorrhage (3 cases) began with anterior temporal ("temple") headache and hemisensory deficit, sometimes involving the trunk to the midline. One patient had a right temporal hemorrhage. Spontaneous lobar hemorrhage and branch artery embolism in the same region produce similar clinical syndromes. Headache is a first and prominent symptom. A rapid but not instantaneous onset over several minutes, when combined with one of the typical syndromes, suggests lobar hemorrhage rather than other types of stroke. Ancillary investigations (including CT scanning, angiography in 11 patients, and autopsy in 4) disclosed 2 patients with bleeding diatheses due to warfarin, 2 with arteriovenous malformations, and 1 with metastatic tumor. Only 8 of the 26 patients had chronic hypertension (blood pressure greater than 130/85 mm Hg), suggesting that hypertension is not an etiological factor in most lobar hemorrhages.
Vertical Distribution and Isotopic Composition of Living Planktonic Foraminifera in the Western North Atlantic

Thirteen species of planktonic foraminifera collected with vertically stratified zooplankton tows in the slope water, Gulf Stream cold core ring, and northern Sargasso Sea show significant differences in their vertical distributions in the upper 200 meters of these different hydrographic regimes. Gulf Stream cold core rings may be responsible for a southern displacement of the faunal boundary associated with the Gulf Stream when reconstructed from the deep-sea sediment record. Oxygen isotope analyses of seven species reveal that nonspinose species (algal symbiont-barren) apparently calcify in oxygen isotope equilibrium, whereas spinose species usually calcify out of oxygen isotope equilibrium by approximately –0.3 to –0.4 per mil in δ18O values. The isotope data indicate that foraminifera shells calcify in depth zones that are significantly narrower than the overall vertical distribution of a species would imply.
Monolayers of valinomycin and its equimolar mixtures with cholesterol and with stearic acid

Abstract The properties of mixed films of horizontally and vertically oriented molecules bear on many problems in surface chemistry and on the development of models for biological membranes. Pressure-area isotherms for valinomycin, a cyclic dodecadepsipeptide antibiotic, give an extrapolated molecular area of 370 A 2 and an approximate film thickness of 5 A. Horizontal orientation is thus established. Monolayer compressibility is 0.0147 cm/dyn and the collapse pressure is 23 dyn/cm. Cholesterol has a corresponding molecular area of 39 A 2 , a much lower compressibility, 0.0012 cm/dyn, and a higher collapse pressure, 43 dyn/cm. An equimolar mixture of valinomycin and cholesterol gives an isotherm contour that indicates not only the presence of the two components but considerable condensation. A mixed monolayer of valinomycin and stearic acid shows a greater condensation. Electron micrographs of collapsed monolayers of valinomycin and cholesterol demonstrate further the mixing and possible interaction of the two components in the high-pressure region.
Connected component labeling on coarse grain parallel computers: an experimental study

Abstract Connected component labeling is a fundamental task in computer vision. This paper presents parallel implementations of connected component labeling for grey level images on the iPSC/2 and iPSC/86O hypercubes, the CM-5, and on the shared memory Encore Multimax multiprocessor. Several partitioning and mapping strategies, including multidimensional divide and conquer, block decomposition, and scatter decomposition, for different multiprocessor sizes, are used. Implementation results, performance evaluation and comparison for all the mapping strategies are reported. The block and scatter decomposition methods are simple to implement given the sequential algorithm, but their performance is sensitive to the distribution of intensity values in the image. The multidimensional divide and conquer method is more difficult to implement, but it performs the best irrespective of the intensity value distribution.
Influence of irrigation and growth stage on element concentrations of soybean plant parts

Abstract A three‐year field study was conducted to determine the influence of irrigation on the nutrition of the “Lee 74” cultivar, a determinate soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). The objectives were to measure seasonal concentrations of N, K, Ca, and Mg in steins, leaves, and pods for soybeans grown on a Crowley silt loam (Typic Albaqualf) and a Kobel clay (Vertic Fluvaquent) under irrigated and nonirrigated moisture regimes. Fluctuations in element concentrations in relation to plant growth stage for irrigated and nonirrigated leaves and stems were modeled using multivariate regression. Elements in the pods as effected by irrigation and growth stage were also compared. During 1974, a wet year, element concentrations of the leaves, stems, and pods were unaffected by irrigation. In the dry years of 1975 and 1976, significant differences in the concentration of N, K, Ca, and Mg in the plant component parts were found due to irrigation. Generally, element concentrations of stems, leaves, and pods of irrigat...
Fault-tolerance for exascale systems

Periodic, coordinated, checkpointing to disk is the most prevalent fault tolerance method used in modern large-scale, capability class, high-performance computing (HPC) systems. Previous work has shown that as the system grows in size, the inherent synchronization of coordinated checkpoint/restart (CR) limits application scalability; at large node counts the application spends most of its time checkpointing instead of executing useful work. Furthermore, a single component failure forces an application restart from the last correct checkpoint. Suggested alternatives to coordinated CR include uncoordinated CR with message logging, redundant computation, and RAID-inspired, in-memory distributed checkpointing schemes. Each of these alternatives have differing overheads that are dependent on both the scale and communication characteristics of the application. In this work, using the Structural Simulation Toolkit (SST) simulator, we compare the performance characteristics of each of these resilience methods for a number of HPC application patterns on a number of proposed exascale machines. The result of this work provides valuable guidance on the most efficient resilience methods for exascale systems.
Fatty acid and lipid class composition of Schistosoma japonicum eggs

Abstract 1. 1. S. japonicum egg lipids contain five major lipid classes; phospholipid, free sterol, free fatty acid, triglyceride and sterol ester. 2. 2. The major phospholipid components were phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine and trace amounts of sphingomyelin and lysolecithin were also detected. 3. 3. Fatty acids varying in chain length from 12 through 26 carbons and containing from 0 through 6 double bonds were found.
Modafinil Elicits Sympathomedullary Activation

The autonomic effects of modafinil (Provigil), a psychostimulant widely used to attenuate fatigue and promote wakefulness, are currently unexplored. We assessed the effect of modafinil on autonomic nervous system. We compared oral modafinil (400 mgx1) versus placebo in 12 healthy hospitalized normal subjects in a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study for 3 days each with subjects in 150 mEq sodium, 70 mEq potassium balance at the Vanderbilt General Clinical Research Center. Modafinil increased resting heart rate (9.2+/-2.0 bpm; mean [+/-SE]; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.7 to 13.6; P=0.001), resting systolic blood pressure (7.3+/-3.2 mm Hg; 95% CI, 0.2 to 14.4; P=0.044), and resting diastolic blood pressure (5.3+/-1.7 mm Hg; 95% CI, 1.4 to 9.1 mm Hg; P<0.012). Modafinil elicited a 42% higher orthostatic increase in plasma norepinephrine (0.8+/-0.3 nmol/L; 95% CI, 0.2 to 1.3; P=0.01), and caused a 33% increase in urine norepinephrine (5.1+/-1.1 nmol/L creatinine per day; 95% CI, 2.7 to 7.4, P=0.001), and an 81% increase in urine epinephrine (1.3+/-0.2 nmol/L creatinine per day; 95% CI, 1 to 2; P<0.001). The peroneal microneurographic sympathetic activity was attenuated by modafinil during orthostatic tilt (P<0.001). alpha1-Adrenoreceptor function was maintained. Modafinil substantially perturbs autonomic cardiovascular regulation by increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Autonomic changes of this magnitude encourage caution in use of modafinil in patients with cardiovascular disease.
Variable Cadence Walking and Ground Adaptive Standing With a Powered Ankle Prosthesis

This paper describes a control approach that provides walking and standing functionality for a powered ankle prosthesis, and demonstrates the efficacy of the approach in experiments with a unilateral transtibial amputee subject. Both controllers incorporate a finite-state structure that emulates healthy ankle joint behavior via a series of piecewise passive impedance functions. The walking controller additionally modifies impedance parameters based on estimated cadence, while the standing controller modulates the ankle equilibrium angle in order to adapt to the ground slope and user posture, and the supervisory controller selects between the walking and standing controllers. The system is shown to reproduce several essential biomechanical features of the healthy joint during walking, particularly relative to a passive prosthesis, and is shown to adapt to various cadences. The system is also shown to adapt to slopes over a range of $\pm {15}$ $^\circ$ , providing support to the user, as validated by quasi-static stiffness measurements recorded by the prosthesis. The subject is shown to place more weight on the powered prosthesis than on his passive prosthesis when standing on sloped surfaces, particularly at angles of 10 $^\circ$ or greater. The authors also demonstrated that the prosthesis typically began providing support within 1 s of initial ground contact. Further, the supervisory controller was shown to effectively switch between walking and standing, as well as determine ground slope just prior to the transition from the standing controller to the walking controller, where the estimated ground slope was accurate to within 1.25 $^\circ$ for all trials.
New generation of isolated nano-injection detectors and imagers

We present results from our new nano-injection detector design. Compared with the first generation, the device is isolated and passivated. The effect is a significant enhancement of the device speed to GHz range, while the excellent gain, jitter, and noise performance of first generation devices are maintained.
Jet-Controlled Arc: I, Excitation of Second Spectra

A new spectroscopic light source, which is essentially an enclosed dc arc with annular jets of gas sweeping past each electrode, is described. The composition and pressure of the carrier gas of this source can be chosen so that the character of the spectra obtained range from similarity to open-arc spectra to Schuler-lamp spectra. The effects of source conditions on the excitation of Cu i and Cu ii spectra are discussed. Spectrograms are included which illustrate the usefulness of a stigmatic image in differentiating between atomic and ionic spectral lines.
Investigating the conservation of mechanical energy using video analysis: four cases

Inexpensive video analysis technology now enables students to make precise measurements of an object's position at incremental times during its motion. Such capability now allows users to examine, rather than simply assume, energy conservation in a variety of situations commonly discussed in introductory physics courses. This article describes the use of video analysis software in studying energy conservation for (1) objects in freefall, (2) simple pendulums, (3) objects rolling down inclines, and (4) masses oscillating on springs.
An Extreme Value Approach to Estimating Interest-Rate Volatility: Pricing Implications for Interest-Rate Options

This paper proposes an extreme value approach to estimating interest-rate volatility, and shows that during the extreme movements of the U.S. Treasury market the volatility of interest-rate changes is underestimated by the standard approach that uses the thin-tailed normal distribution. The empirical results indicate that (1) the volatility of maximal and minimal changes in interest rates declines as time-to-maturity rises, yielding a downward-sloping volatility curve for the extremes; (2) the minimal changes are more volatile than the maximal changes for all data sets and for all asymptotic distributions used; (3) the minimal changes in Treasury yields have fatter tails than the maximal changes; and (4) for both the maxima and minima, the extreme changes in short-term rates have thicker tails than the extreme changes in long-term rates. This paper extends the standard option-pricing models with lognormal forward rates to accommodate significant kurtosis observed in the interest-rate data. This paper introduces a closed-form option-pricing model based on the generalized extreme value distribution that successfully removes the well-known pricing bias of the lognormal distribution.
Making formative assessment discernable to pre‐service teachers of science

The purpose of this pragmatic action research study was to explore our re-conceptualization efforts in preparing pre-service teachers to guide the inquiry process with formative assessment and subsequently use the understandings to improve our teacher preparation program. The process was guided by two questions: to what extent did course re-conceptualization efforts lead to a more informed understanding of formative assessment by pre-service teachers and did strategies enacted in the re-conceptualized methods course foster or hinder pre-service teachers' understanding of formative assessment? Data from this study support the following findings: (1) a substantial pre- to post-methods course difference was realized in the pre-service teachers' understanding of formative assessment; (2) explicit and contextualized approaches to formative assessment in the methods course led to increased understandings by pre-service teachers; (3) an implicit approach led to improvements in course structure but did not foster pre-service teachers' understanding of the reflexive nature of formative assessment; and (4) a field-based case study on elementary science teaching both hindered and fostered our efforts with formative assessment. This study yields implications for pre-service teacher education on formative assessment. To foster pre-service teachers' knowledge and skills, we suggest explicit instruction on formative assessment combined with case studies, field experiences, and ongoing reflection. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47: 402–421, 2010
Beam steering in confocal unstable resonators

The effects of mirror misalignment in a confocal unstable resonator are interpreted in terms of beam steering or deflection in the output beam. Exact mode solutions for a resonator with a Gaussian output mirror lead to an expression for the far-field beam-steering angle as a function of the magnification and Fresnel number of the resonator. This solution reduces to the geometric result when the Fresnel number exceeds 10, for output couplings greater than 50 percent. An expression is derived that relates the beam diameter, the mirror vibration amplitude, and the far-field beam divergence. Numerical values are presented that show that in order to prevent the far-field intensity of a 10.6-μm laser beam from being degraded by a factor of two, the product of the mirror vibration angle and the beam diameter should typically not exceed 220 μrad-cm.
Characterization of 720 and 940 MHz oscillators with chip antenna for wireless sensors from room temperature to 200 and 250 °C

Oscillators that operate at 720 and 940 MHz and characterized over a temperature range of 25 °C to 200 °C and 250 °C, respectively, are presented. The oscillators are designed on alumina substrates with typical integrated circuit fabrication techniques. Cree SiC MESFETs, thin film metal-insulator-metal capacitors and spiral inductors, and Johanson miniature chip antennas make-up the circuits. The output power and phase noise are presented as a function of temperature and frequency.
Effects of Adenohypophysectomy on Testicular Function in the Lizard Anolis carolinensis

About 300 adult male lizards, Anolis carolinensis, measuring over 59 mm in snout-vent length were used in studying the role of the pars distalis in controlling testicular function. Both maintenance and development of the germ cells and androgen production depend on the adenohypophysis. Rapid regression in testicular size and spermatogenic activity follow removal of the pars distalis in animals kept at 31 C. Germ cells begin degenerating within 2 days, and all except a few Spermatogonia are lost within 10 days. Regression is complete within 14 days; enlarged testes decrease from 35 to 2 mg. Autoradiographic studies demonstrate that in intact animals spermatogonia develop to the stage of transforming spermatids within 14 days; thymidine uptake by germ cells ceases within 4 days after hypophysectomy. The rate of regression is highly temperature dependent, and only slight changes occur in the testes within 21 days after hypophysectomy at 20 C. Short daylengths effect a “physiological” hypophysectomy at 31 C during October. Studies of testis function after removal of different parts of the pars distalis fail to support claims of two separate gonadotropes with restricted distributions in the pars distalis of reptiles. Testes develop normally at 31 C as long as any 50% of the gland remains intact. Testes weights remain stationary or decline when larger amounts of the gland are removed, but all stages of spermatogenesis and hypertrophy of the epididymis occur as long as at least 20% remains. The production of some spermatocytes continues as long as 10% of the gland remains, and these effects are independent of the region of the gland removed.
The Role of Membrane-Bound Ankyrin-Repeat Protein ACD6 in Programmed Cell Death and Plant Defense

Programmed cell death (PCD) is a common defense response in plants against pathogen infection. The recently cloned ACD6 gene was identified in an Arabidopsis mutant, accelerated cell death 6 (acd6), that undergoes PCD in the absence of a pathogen challenge. ACD6 is a founding member of a large family of genes that encode proteins with a short amino-terminal region, nine ankyrin repeats in the middle, and five putative transmembrane domains in the carboxyl-terminal region. Characterization of the original gain-of-function acd6 mutant and a transferred-DNA knockout mutant acd6-T showed that ACD6 is an activator of the defense pathway against bacterial pathogens and plays a role in PCD through regulation of the defense signal salicylic acid (SA). SA mediates not only downstream pathogenesis-related (PR) genes, which encode proteins with antimicrobial activities, but also ACD6, forming a feedback signal amplification loop.
Phagocytosis, Innate Immunity, and Host–Pathogen Specificity

In mammals, phagocytosis is essential for a variety of biological events, including tissue remodeling and the continuous clearance of dying cells. Furthermore, phagocytosis represents an early and crucial event in triggering host defenses against invading pathogens, which is the focus of this
Cerebral metabolic effects of σ ligands in the rat

Abstract The 2-deoxy- D -[1- 14 C]glucose wethod was used to study the effects of σ-type drugs, BMY 14802, (+)-pentazocine and BW 234U (rimcazole), on cerebral metabolism in 44 male Fischer 344 rats. Drug effects were observed in epithalamic, metathalamic, hypothalamic and mesencephalic regions, as well as in cranial nerve nuclei, the cerebellum, and the medulla oblongata. BMY 14802 and (+)-pentazocine increased local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) in areas that generally did not overlap; BW 234U administered 30 min before the radiotracer decreased LCGU. Most of the areas that showed changes in LCGU are known to contain σ receptor sites. Differences in pharmacological properties, including effects on neuronal electrical excitability, may have resulted in the different distributions and effects of the drugs on LCGU. The present findings did not discriminate the compounds as agonists or antagonists for σ receptor sites. However, the 2-deoxy- D -[1- 14 C]glucose method appeared useful in delineating the distribution of CNS responses to σ drugs in the rat.
Automatic analysis of amino-acid sequences in proteins and peptides.

The development of the widely used automatic method from Edman's manual sequence analysis of proteins and peptides has resulted from modification of the procedure and from the use of a physically novel principle. All reaction, centrifugation, extraction, and drying operations are carried out in a rotating vessel. At a minimal cost in time and material, for example, sixty amino acids have been split off consecutively from a single sample of myoglobin.
Crystallographic Analysis of the Human Phenylalanine Hydroxylase Catalytic Domain with Bound Catechol Inhibitors at 2.0 Å Resolution

The aromatic amino acid hydroxylases represent a superfamily of structurally and functionally closely related enzymes, one of those functions being reversible inhibition by catechol derivatives. Here we present the crystal structure of the dimeric catalytic domain (residues 117−424) of human phenylalanine hydroxylase (hPheOH), cocrystallized with various potent and well-known catechol inhibitors and refined at a resolution of 2.0 A. The catechols bind by bidentate coordination to each iron in both subunits of the dimer through the catechol hydroxyl groups, forming a blue-green colored ligand-to-metal charge-transfer complex. In addition, Glu330 and Tyr325 are identified as determinant residues in the recognition of the inhibitors. In particular, the interaction with Glu330 conforms to the structural explanation for the pH dependence of catecholamine binding to PheOH, with a pKa value of 5.1 (20 °C). The overall structure of the catechol-bound enzyme is very similar to that of the uncomplexed enzyme (rms d...
Measurement of the Instantaneous Velocity of a Brownian Particle

Brownian motion of particles affects many branches of science. We report on the Brownian motion of micrometer-sized beads of glass held in air by an optical tweezer, over a wide range of pressures, and we measured the instantaneous velocity of a Brownian particle. Our results provide direct verification of the energy equipartition theorem for a Brownian particle. For short times, the ballistic regime of Brownian motion was observed, in contrast to the usual diffusive regime. We discuss the applications of these methods toward cooling the center-of-mass motion of a bead in vacuum to the quantum ground motional state.
Improving the Environmental Controls at a Homeless Shelter to Assist in Reducing the Probability of Airborne Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: A Case Study

This study describes a survey of environmental controls conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at the Salvation Army Harbor Light Center homeless shelter in the City of St. Louis, Missouri. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MO DHHS) had epidemiologically linked 19 cases of active tuberculosis (TB) to the shelter. MO DHSS requested NIOSH to determine whether improvements could be made to the environmental controls to help reduce the probability of airborne transmission of TB at the shelter. NIOSH investigators conducted thorough inspections of the shelter’s air-handling units (AHUs) and evaluated airflow rates. NIOSH recommended higher efficiency filters be used in the AHUs and installation of ultraviolet lights.
Advanced Theory of Deep Geomagnetic Sounding

Advanced Theory of Deep Geomagnetic Sounding is a specialized treatise that covers recent work, mostly from the Soviet Union, on the theory, analysis, and interpretation of natural source electromagnetic induction processes in complex geological structures, with an emphasis on subsurface conductive anomalies. The scope of the book is limited, as suggested by the title, and the authors stress the application of electromagnetic principles to the study of regional geology and deep earth structure rather than surface exploration. The book is clearly aimed at the practicing specialist rather than the graduate student attempting to learn about the broader field of electromagnetic geophysics.
MULTIPLE INJURY AND INFECTION IN A SUB-ADULT THEROPOD DINOSAUR> ALLOSAURUS FRAGILIS WITH COMPARISONS TO ALLOSAUR PATHOLOGY IN THE CLEVELAND-LLOYD DINOSAUR QUARRY COLLECTION

Abstract A sub-adult Allosaurus fragilis (MOR 693) was discovered in 1991 in the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of Big Horn County, Wyoming. Examination of the specimen reveals pathological conditions on five dorsal ribs, gastralia, cervical vertebra, three dorsal vertebrae, caudal vertebra, chevron, scapula, manus phalanx, ilium, two metatarsals, and two pes phalanges. Detailed description of these bones includes classification according to probable cause (i.e., traumatic; infectious; traumatic-infectious; developmental; idiopathic). In addition to the paleopathological analysis of MOR 693, descriptions and interpretations are given from a study in progress of pathological abnormalities in the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry collection. This study provides a model for future paleopathological analyses, emphasizing that description of the location, extent, and texture of an abnormality is crucial, since interpretations are subject to change. This analysis discusses physiological implications of the abn...
Backoff Inspired Features for Maximum Entropy Language Models

Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) language models [1, 2] are linear models that are typically regularized via well-known L1 or L2 terms in the likelihood objective, hence avoiding the need for the kinds of backoff or mixture weights used in smoothed ngram language models using Katz backoff [3] and similar techniques. Even though backoff cost is not required to regularize the model, we investigate the use of backoff features in MaxEnt models, as well as some backoff-inspired variants. These features are shown to improve model quality substantially, as shown in perplexity and word-error rate reductions, even in very large scale training scenarios of tens or hundreds of billions of words and hundreds of millions of features. Index Terms: maximum entropy modeling, language modeling, n-gram models, linear models
Direct Cervical Carotid Angioplasty with Flow Reversal: A Single-Center Report from the Roadster Trial.

Background Carotid stent and/or angioplasty (CAS) via the transfemoral route with distal protection carries twice the risk of stroke and/or death when compared with carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in multiple randomized trials. Potential causes for this include disadvantaged aortic arch anatomy and the need to traverse the lesion to place a distal protection device. This report describes the technique and our experience with direct CAS using flow reversal for embolic protection. Methods University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) division of Vascular and Endovascular surgery was a participant in the multi-institutional Roadster Trial of high-risk patients. We are reporting on our experience with 8 patients who met high-risk criteria. Using a small supraclavicular cutdown, the Michi sheath from Silk Road Medical was inserted into the common carotid artery. This provides a working channel for internal CAS as well as a side port to reverse and divert blood flow to the femoral vein, for embolic protection. All patients qualified as medically high risk because of a combination of factors including advanced age, smoking history, hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, or hostile neck anatomy. Results All 8 patients had 3 or more risk factors including age >75 years (6 of 8), smoking (6 of 8), hypertension (7 of 8), overt coronary artery disease (4 of 8), diabetes (2 of 8), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (1 of 8). All stenoses were in the 80–99% category, and all were asymptomatic. All patients tolerated temporary clamping with flow reversal with no electroencephalogram changes. There were no deaths, strokes, transient ischemic attacks, or myocardial infarctions. All patients were discharged on the first postoperative day. Follow-up ranged from 7 to 21 months. One patient developed in-stent restenosis (asymptomatic). Conclusions Direct CAS with flow reversal appears to be a safe, less invasive alternative to CEA.
Investigation to Determine Resonant Behavior from Propellant Slosh in Spinning On-Orbit Propellant Storage and Transfer Systems

Future space missions emphasize on long duration capabilities and the utilization of on-orbit propellant storage and transfer systems as essential pieces of the space transportation infrastructure. The development of orbital propellant storage and transfer systems has been established as one of NASA’s Flagship Technology Demonstration Programs in an effort to advance space exploration and mission duration capabilities. Many conceptual designs utilize spinning upper-stages from existing launch vehicle configurations. Liquid propellants onboard spinning space systems have a significant effect on spacecraft attitude and stability. Resonant modes, propellant excitations, and viscous effects can induce fluid motions within partially filled propellant tanks, known as fuel slosh which causes energy dissipation. A thorough understanding of fuel slosh dynamics and its effects on rotational stability are essential for developing on-orbit propellant storage and transfer technologies. This investigation has a significant impact on related NASA programs, slosh research, vehicle dynamics, rendezvous operations, and advancements in fluid management technologies for long duration space missions.