cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intracellular β-glucanase activity of Phytophthora palmivora

The mycelium of Phytophthora palmivora contains enzymes capable of hydrolysing β-d-1,3-glucans by endwise removal of glucose units. This laminarinase (β-1,3-glucan glucohydrolase) activity is found intimately associated with particulate fractions (3000–100 000 × g); very little is secreted into the culture medium. Laminarin-oligosaccharides are also cleaved. The rate of hydrolysis was greatest with laminaribiose, reached a minimum with laminaritetraose and rose again with laminaripentaose and laminarin. These results suggest the existence of a β-1,3-glucosidase together with the β-1,3-glucanase in the subcellular particles but separation of these two activities was not achieved. Maximum laminarinase activity occurred at 40 °C and pH 5–6. The laminarinase does not require the addition of metal ions for activity and is inhibited by heavy metal ions particularly Hg2+. Motile zoospores from P. palmivora contain both particulate and soluble β-1,3-glucanase activities. A cytoplasmic glucan isolated from the mycelium of P. cinnamomi was digested by enzymes from the mycelium or zoospores of P. palmivora but at a much slower rate than laminarin.
Some behavioral implications of cognitive styles in childhood

Of the large number of cognitive‐style dimensions introduced into the psychological literature over the past 40 years, only a relatively small number have survived to serve as foci of contemporary research. The present paper considers three styles for which there is an available literature based on child samples—field dependence‐independence, reflection‐impulsivity, and breadth‐narrowness of categorization. These constructs are defined conceptually and operationally, their developmental trajectories are examined, and their implications for behavior are pursued. All three styles demonstrate meaningful developmental continuities or discontinuities, and all are shown to have important behavioral implications. The child's location at one polar extreme of a style is often advantageous with respect to the child's adaptive functioning, location at the opposite extreme can be disadvantageous. Such contrasts pose conceptual difficulties for those who view cognitive styles as a value‐free alternative to cognitive a...
Generational changes and party identification

The party identification of nonblack voters, separated by region, is examined within three broadly bounded cohorts or political generations consisting of those whose first votes were cast prior to 1932, those of the New Deal era whose first votes were cast between 1932 and 1964, and the post-New Deal generation who have come of voting age since 1964. Inter- and intragenerational comparisons are presented for three political eras reflected in NES data: 1952–60, 1964–76, and 1980–88. Outside the South, the post-New Deal generation was more pro-Democratic in the period 1964–76 than was the older New Deal generation. However, they also led the surge away from the Democrats and to the Republican party between 1980 and 1988. Nevertheless, in the latter period they were less dominantly Republican than were the members of the New Deal generation. In the South the better educated voters of the post-New Deal generation led the realignment that largely eroded the Democratic plurality between 1960 and 1988. Nationally, the policy preferences of the post-New Deal generation in the 1980s further polarized party differences between Democrats and Republicans. This occurred largely because of the substantially greater liberal cast of post-New Deal Democrats' preferences. On other issues, party differences were maintained, but Republicans as well as Independents and Democrats in the post-New Deal generation exhibited visibly more liberal preferences than did their older partisan counterparts in the New Deal generation.
A collapsible metal cage for holding and observing rabbits.

A routine and important part of toxicity testing is the recording of adverse signs and behavioural changes in animals following treatment with a drug. To facilitate the observation of such effects on rabbits an open metal cage was designed, and this has been in regular use in our laboratory since September 1974. Particular design aspects which have been incorporated into the cage include freedom of movement for the rabbits, hygiene, portability and storage.
Fire safety concerns for rail rapid transit systems

Abstract A fire within an underground rail rapid transit system, particularly in a tunnel location, poses a highly hazardous condition to passengers, transit employees and emergency response personnel. Certain considerations in the improvement of fire safety are universal to all transit systems. A number of problems have been identified by the National Transportation Safety Board, an independent U.S. government accident investigation agency, as warranting immediate attention to minimize the threats posed. The Safety Board's concern was heightened by several accidents on rail rapid transit systems involving many passengers. The fact that during peak hours, a single rail rapid transit train could carry as many as 1500 to 2000 passengers was not overlooked. Specifically, the Safety Board reviewed the following topical areas which may complicate fire and life safety in confined rail rapid transit tunnel locations: - transit car materials: combustibility and toxicity; - emergency tunnel ventilation; - tunnel emergency evacuation considerations; - communications; - breathing equipment; - mobility. It is hoped that the lessons learned in our accident investigations involving fire and emergency evacuations will add to the collective knowledge of transit systems and emergency response personnel to further minimize the hazards.
Dichroic FSS design for angularly stable response using homogenization

Dichroic frequency selective surface having stable filtering characteristics over a wide range of incidence angle is designed. The resonator layer is first represented by a homogeneous material slab using effective medium parameters. An optimal quarter-wave superstrate layer is subsequently applied. Angularly stable filtering responses are confirmed with simulation results.
In vitro techniques for the assessment of neurotoxicity.

Risk assessment is a process often divided into the following steps: a) hazard identification, b) dose-response assessment, c) exposure assessment, and d) risk characterization. Regulatory toxicity...
Nutritional Enhancement of Soy Meal via Aspergillus oryzae Solid-State Fermentation

ABSTRACT Antinutritional factors in soy meal (SM) include trypsin inhibitor, galactooligosaccharides (GOSs), structural polysaccharides, and large-molecular-weight protein. These antinutritional factors limit the usage of SM for young monogastric animals. Aspergillus oryzae solid-state fermentation was applied to eliminate these factors, and changes in physical and chemical characteristics of SM were investigated. A. oryzae–treated SM was more nutrient dependent than oxygen dependent, which was illustrated by scanning electron microscopy. After 36 h of fermentation, the concentration of GOSs (raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose) and trypsin inhibitor decreased from an initial value of 9.48 mmol/100 g to a nondetectable level. Structural polysaccharides decreased by 59% (w/w), and the degree of hydrolysis of SM protein increased from an initial value of 0.9 to 7% (w/w) through the seven-day fermentation. Fermentation also modified nutritional factors. Protein content increased from 50.47 to 58.93% (w/w) a...
Disc Variance of Beall Mitral Valve

Abstract Disc variance in Beall mitral prostheses in 5 patients is reported. All 5 showed disc deformity. Erosion of the Teflon covering of the cage struts was present in varying degrees in 4 of the 5 patients. Disc grooving was present as early as sixteen days after operation. Severe thinning and notching of the disc were noted at autopsy in 3 patients who survived two years following prosthetic valve operation. In I of these two-year survivors the disc destruction was so extensive that incompetence developed; the valve failure contributed to the patient's death. Disc variance must be anticipated in patients with Beall mitral prostheses inserted prior to March of 1968, when the valve fabrication was changed.
Vibrational state dependence of the N2+(v=0–3) + HCl reaction at thermal energies

N2+(v=0–3) + HCl reaction rate constant is studied at thermal energies. The rate constants for v=0, 1, 2, and 3 are 5.3(±1.6)×10−10, 8.3(±2.5)×10−10, 7.9(±2.4)×10−10, and 8.0(±2.4)×10−10 cm3 molecule−1 s−1, respectively, showing little or no dependence on vibrational excitation. Vibrational deactivation of the N2+ is at most 20% of the total removal rate. The branching ratio for the charge transfer channel to the hydrogen transfer channel is also not altered significantly by N2+ vibrational excitation.
Testosterone processing by pituitary cells in culture: An examination of the role of 5α-reduction in androgen action on the gonadotroph

Abstract Dispersed rat pituitary cells were exposed to [1.2.6,7- 3 H] testosterone ([ 3 H]T, 10 8 M) to assess the role of 5α-reduction in T regulation of gonadotroph secretion. After 4 to 48 hours of exposure, [ 3 H]T metabolites isolated by thin-layer chromatography were characterized in medium and cell homogenates as well as hound to androgen receptors salt-extracted from purified nuclear pellets. Receptor-bound 5α-[ 3 H]dihydrotestosterone ([ 3 H]DHT)/total [ 3 H]androgens rose progressively from 16% at 4 hours to more than 50% at 48 hours. Coincubation with 4-MA (10- to 1,000-fold molar excess) or testosterone-17β-carboxylic acid (TCA: 1,000-fold excess) reduced receptor-bound [ 3 H]DHT/[ 3 H]androgen to less than 10% and 20%, respectively, but elevated [ 3 H]T-receptor levels. Despite inhibiting 5α-reductase activity. TCA and 4-MA had no effect on T suppression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated luteinizing hormone secretion or T enhancement of total (cell + secreted) follicle-stimulating hormone levels. Tlie results suggest that 5α-reduction to DHT is not essential for the expression of the direct influences of T on gonadotropin synthesis and secretion in rat gonadotrophs.
A methodology for evaluating tax reform proposals

Abstract Recent contributions to the theory of optimal taxation have shared a concern with the design of a tax structure de novo. In this paper, an attempt is made to use optimal tax theory as a framework for evaluating proposed changes in an existing tax system. Using data for the United States from 1967, five different tax reform proposals are examined on the basis of their impact on an explicit social welfare function.
How abundant is pedogenic magnetite? Abundance and grain size estimates for loessic soils based on rock magnetic analyses

[1] The upper soil horizons of many modern and ancient soils are enriched in fine-grained pedogenic ferrimagnetic minerals. We use three grain-size- and concentration-dependent proxies (anhysteretic remanent magnetization/isothermal remanent magnetization ratios, coercivity spectra derived from alternating field demagnetization of saturation isothermal remanent magnetization and hysteresis properties) to quantify the abundance and grain size of the pedogenic magnetic component. Our analyses of modern loessic soils from the midwestern United States show that relatively small additions (2–10 vol % of the total ferrimagnetic component) of fine-grained (coarse superparamagnetic to fine pseudosingle domain) magnetite or maghemite are sufficient to explain the changes in concentration and grain-size-dependent properties observed in the upper soil horizons. Furthermore, the pedogenic components of all studied sites display a narrow range of magnetic properties, which argues for a common origin of these particles over a wide range of climatic conditions.
Prematurity and parental expectations: too early and now too much.

CASE: Hami is a 3-year-old boy who is a former premature 25-week infant with a birth weight of 1 pound 9 ounces. He had a relatively smooth Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) course; he required intubation for 1 month and went home on room air. He had a left Grade I intraventricular hemorrhage that was resolved by 2 months of life. He had 7 blood transfusions for anemia over the first 3 months of life. A brainstem auditory evoked potential test was normal at hospital discharge, and he showed no evidence of retinopathy of prematurity. He never had seizure activity. He was discharged to home at 3 months where he did well and thrived on a high calorie formula. He walked at 17 months and spoke his first words at 2 years. He was enrolled in Early Intervention at the time of discharge from hospital; monthly home visits were increased to weekly visits by an early childhood educator at 12 months. When he was 12 months, he was enrolled in a family day care with 4 other children younger than 3 years. Hami's language development was slow; at 2.5 years of age, he was beginning to make 2 word combinations. Early intervention services were increased to include an additional hour of speech and language therapy as well as a play group. Hami's mother is 33 years old, and this is her first child. She worked as an accounting assistant, but she was able to be home with Hami for the first year of his life. She returned to full-time work on his first birthday. Hami's father is 35 years old and works for the national electrical grid as a manager. They are not married but have lived together for the last 5 years. Dad works evenings and cares for Hami from 4 to 6 PM after childcare; mom returns from work at 6 PM. Dad leaves for work at 7 PM and works till 2 AM. Their relationship has been strained by the child care demands, their work schedules, and Hami's developmental progress. Hami's primary care pediatrician specializes in children with complex medical problems. The parents express concern at the 3-year-old visit that Hami's language is not progressing as it should be. They are concerned that he is much more active than the other 3 year olds in his child care setting. Early intervention has initiated the transition process to a public school placement, and the parents are very concerned that he is too young, too active, and too much of a handful to be "in the big public school." What would you do next?
Evidence for the up-regulation of stearoyl-ACP (Δ9) desaturase gene expression during cold acclimation

Our previous studies demonstrated that an increase in 18:2 (linoleate) in the purified plasma membrane fraction during cold acclimation is associated with genetic variations in cold acclimation capacity. This increase was found only in genotypes that are able to cold acclimate and was reversible on deacclimation suggesting a link between the accumulation of 18:2 and acquisition of freezing tolerance. The present study was aimed at understanding the association between the induction of stearoyl-ACP (acyl carrier protein) (Δ9) desaturase and the ability to cold acclimate. Our approach was to study the induction of Δ9 desaturase at the transcript level using potato Δ9 desaturase gene-specific primers and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). For this purpose, total RNA fromSolanum tuberosum (cold sensitive, unable to acclimate) andSolanum commersonii (cold tolerant, able to cold acclimate) was extracted before and after cold acclimation. RT-PCR produced a single band and sequence analysis confirmed that the amplified band was Δ9 desaturase. While the cold acclimating species,Solanum commersonii, exhibited an increase in Δ9 desaturase transcript levels after cold acclimation, the cold non-acclimating species,Solanum tuberosum, exhibited no change. Our results show that the increase in Δ9 desaturase gene transcripts during cold acclimation is associated with the cold acclimation response in potato.
Synergistic effect of estradiol benzoate and dihydrotestosterone on aggression in mice.

Abstract Orchiectomized CD-1 mice were treated with several steroids, alone and in combination, and then tested for aggressiveness against group-housed, intact “stimulus” mice. Estradiol benzoate (EB) in combination with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) elicited aggression equivalent to that shown by intact, sham-operated animals and by testosterone-treated subjects. EB alone was less effective than EB with DHT. DHT alone elicited no more aggression than that observed in control animals. The data suggest a synergism between EB and DHT within the central nervous system in the induction of aggressive behavior.
Graph coloring, minimum-diameter partitioning, and the analysis of confusion matrices

Abstract It is well known that minimum-diameter partitioning of symmetric dissimilarity matrices can be framed within the context of coloring the vertices of a graph. Although confusion data are typically represented in the form of asymmetric similarity matrices, they are also amenable to a graph-coloring perspective. In this paper, we propose the integration of the minimum-diameter partitioning method with a neighborhood-based coloring approach for analyzing digraphs corresponding to confusion data. This procedure is capable of producing minimum-diameter partitions with the added desirable property that vertices with the same color have similar in-neighborhoods (i.e., directed edges entering the vertex) and out-neighborhoods (i.e., directed edges exiting the vertex) for the digraph corresponding to the minimum partition diameter.
Electron&#8212;Hole plasma instabilities

A semiconductor plasma slab will support three classes of slow quasi-static waves: 1) bulk waves which involve space-charge disturbance throughout the bulk of a thick slab, 2) surface waves which involve surface charge disturbance along one surface of a thick slab, and 3) thin-layer waves which involve dipolar surface charge disturbance on either side of a thin plasma slab. A review of the linear stability theory for these waves indicates that each wave class can support one or more potentially unstable two-stream modes. Four of these modes should be observable in InSb: 1) a thin-layer wave interaction in the low magnetic field limit ( \omega_{ce}\tau_{e} \ll 1 ), 2) a collision-induced mode supported by the thin-layer waves when \omega_{ce}\tau_{e} \gsim 1 , 3) a corresponding collision-induced mode supported by the bulk space-charge waves when \omega_{ce}\tau_{e} \gsim 1 , and 4) a mode which results from the interaction of surface waves. The second mode has been well documented experimentally.
A dual compute resource strategy for computational model-assisted therapeutic interventions

Acquiring and incorporating intraoperative data into image-guided surgical systems has been shown to increase the accuracy of these systems and the accuracy of image-guided surgical procedures. Even with the advent of powerful computers and parallel clusters, the ability to integrate highly resolved computer model information in the planning and execution of image-guided surgery is challenging. More often than not, the computational times required to process preoperative models and incorporate intraoperative data for feedback are too cumbersome and do not meet the real time constraints of surgery, for both planning and intraoperative guidance. To decrease the computational time for the surgeon and minimize the resources in the operating room, we have developed a dual compute node framework for image-guided surgical procedures: (i) a high-capability compute resource which acts as a server to facilitate preoperative planning, and (ii) a low-capability compute resource which acts as a server node/compute node to process the intraoperative data and rapidly integrate the model-based analysis for therapeutic/surgical feedback. In this framework, the preoperative planning utilities and intraoperative guidance system act as client-nodes/graphics-nodes that are assisted by the model-assistant. Processed data is transferred back to the graphics node for planning display or intraoperative feedback depending on which resource is engaged. In order to efficiently manage the data and the computational resources we also developed a novel software manager. This dual-capability resource compute node concept and the software manager are reported in this work, and the low-capability resource compute node is investigated within the context of image-guided liver surgery using data acquired during hepatic tumor resection therapies. Preliminary results indicate that the dual node concept can significantly decrease the computational resources and time required for image-guided surgical procedures.
Radial basis function approximation in the dual reciprocity method

The Dual Reciprocity Method (DRM) is a class of boundary element techniques wherein, the domain integral resulting from the nonhomogeneous terms in Poisson type equations is transferred to an equivalent boundary integral by using suitable approximation functions. The use of radial basis functions (RBF) as approximating functions for this purpose has several advantages over conventional interpolation techniques. In this work, the convergence property of RBF for two dimensional problems is examined numerically. The interpolation error is quantified for a particular test function and the local behavior of the RBF is illustrated. The RBF are then used for approximation in DRM to solve nonlinear Poisson type equations and the results are compared with known exact solutions. The close agreement of the numerical solution to the exact solution, for a uniform mesh refinement, demonstrates the convergence properties of the RBF and the accuracy of their use in DRM.
Improved contralateral subtraction images by use of elastic matching technique

A contralateral subtraction technique has been developed to assist radiologists in the detection of asymmetric abnormalities such as lung nodules on a single chest radiograph. With this technique, a contralateral subtraction image is obtained by subtracting a right/left reversed “mirror” image from the original one. The lesions in the subtraction image may be enhanced because most of the symmetric skeletal structures, such as peripheral ribs, are eliminated. Although the quality of the previous contralateral subtraction images is relatively good, severe misregistration artifacts, mainly due to serious asymmetry of the ribs in the two lungs of the original image, were observed in some cases, and minor misregistration artifacts were also observed in many cases. In this study, we employed three image warping techniques. An initial global warping technique was applied to reduce severe misregistration artifacts in the subtraction image caused by asymmetric rib structures. Additional two iterative warping techniques based on an elastic matching technique were used for accurate registration of the local structures of ribs, so that minor artifacts present in many subtraction images obtained with the previous technique were greatly reduced. With the new technique, the percentage of chest images, which were rated as being of adequate, good, or excellent quality of subtraction images by use of a subjective evaluation method, was improved from 91% to 97%. In particular, the number of cases with excellent quality was greatly increased from 15% to 42%. The contralateral subtraction technique can be used for detection of asymmetric abnormalities, such as lung nodules, pneumothorax, pneumonia, and emphysema, on peripheral lungs in single chest radiographs, and it therefore has potential utility in a large proportion of abnormal chest images.
In Search of Process Innovations The Role of Search Depth, Search Breadth, and the Industry Environment

Although a significant corpus of work focuses on the impact of search strategies on product innovations, we have a limited understanding of search strategies for process innovations, including the potential role of the industry environment. Process innovations are central to improving a firm’s productivity and contributing to efficiency and gross domestic product growth. As a result of the complexity of identifying, developing, and implementing process innovations, firms increasingly draw on external sources of knowledge. Building on key tenets in the knowledge search, innovation, and industry environment literatures, we investigate search strategies, process innovations, and industry dynamics in a sample of 505 firms spanning 23 manufacturing industries. We find that search breadth is negatively related to process innovation outcomes and that search depth is positively related to process innovation outcomes. Furthermore, high industry process heterogeneity mitigates the negative impact of search breadth ...
Effects of local anesthetics on membrane properties. I. Changes in the fluidity of phospholipid bilayers.

The effect of the local anesthetic dibucaine on the solid to liquid-crystalline phase transition in phospholipid vesicles was studied by calorimetry and fluorescence polarization. The partition coefficient (> 3000) of dibucaine in the membranes of vesicles prepared from acidic phospholipids was more than 20 times higher than in neutral phospholipid membranes under the same conditions. Calorimetric measurements on vesicles prepared form acidic phospholipids (bovine brain phosphatidylserine; dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol) showed that dibucaine (1 · 10−4M) produced a significant reduction in the gel-liquid crystalline transition temperature (Tc). This fluidizing effect of dibucaine on acidic phospholipid membranes was even more marked in the presence of Ca2+. In contrast, dibucaine at the same concentration did not alter the Tc of neutral phospholipids (dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine). Significant increase in the fluidity of neutral phospholipid membranes occurred only at higher dibucaine concentrations (2 · 10−3M. Measurements of the fluorescence polarization and lifetime of the probe, 1,6-diphenylhexatriene, in acidic phospholipid vesicles revealed that dibucaine (1 · 10−4M caused an increase in the probe rotation rate indicating an increase in the fluidity of the phospholipid membranes. A good correlation was obtained between fluorescence polarization data on dibucaine-induced changes in membrane fluidity and calorimetric measurements on vesicles of the same type.
Effect of histamine on lung cyclic AMP levels in normal and pertussis-vaccinated mice

Abstract The effect of histamine on lung cAMP metabolism in normal and Bordetella pertussis -vaccinated mice was investigated. Histamine was shown to elevate lung cAMP in both types of animals in a dose-dependent manner. Pertussis-vaccinated mice, however, showed a marked shift to the left in the histamine dose-response curve. The ED 50 for normal and pertussis-vaccinated mice was 8·0 and 0·25 mg/kg respectively. The histamine-induced rise in cAMP was maximum 1 min after injection and diminished thereafter. The effect of histamine on pulmonary cAMP may be mediated indirectly, as it occurred in vivo but not in vitro .
Benchmarking Transportation Safety Performance via Shift-Share Approaches

The measurement of safety performance is a critical task for transportation agencies to monitor the quality of services and evaluate operation efficiency. This article presents and compares safety performance between and among four passenger transportation modes in the United States—highway, transit, railroad, and aviation—using national data from 2002 through 2010. The research utilizes data collected and reported by transportation agencies to meet federal reporting requirements and does not involve the collection of additional data. After a brief review and comparison of transportation-safety performance definitions, the authors evaluate three different types of metrics: number, ratio, and rate, which are applied to all four modes. This article highlights the approach used to compare the share of fatalities/injuries of a particular mode to its share of personal (for highway mode) or passenger (for transit, rail, and aviation) miles traveled compared to the overall multimodal passenger transportation sys...
Unopposed orexic pathways in the developing fetus

Abstract Fetal swallowing has important roles in fetal gastrointestinal development, and perhaps fetal somatic growth and maturation. Ingestive behavioral responses must develop in utero to provide for acquisition of water and food intake during the neonatal period. At birth, the rat, ovine and human fetus have developed mechanisms to acquire food via intact mechanisms of taste, suckling and swallowing. Our preliminary studies suggest that in sheep and likely in human fetuses, putative orexic-mediated ingestive responses are present near term gestation. We hypothesize that both orexic (appetite) and satiety mechanisms develop during the last third of gestation and the related neurotransmitters involved in this process are functional. The potential in utero imprinting of orexic mechanisms may influence infant, childhood and ultimately adult appetite “set-points”. Thus, dysfunctional appetite, and perhaps obesity, may result from maternal environmental influences during critical stages of development.
Abstract 1031: Sphingolipid metabolism as a therapeutic target in chemotherapy resistant and hormone therapy resistant breast cancer

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Endocrine- and chemo-resistance are major causes for failure of treatment in recurrent breast cancer. Normal apoptotic pathways targeted by chemotherapeutic agents become altered, diminishing their efficacy and increasing resistance mechanisms. The proapoptotic sphingolipid compound N-Octanoyl-D-erythro-sphingosine (C8-ceramide) mimics endogenous long chain ceramide and is a potent drug in endocrine-/chemo-resistant breast cancer cells. In this study, we examined basal expression levels of modifier enzymes for endogenous ceramide regulation across drug sensitive, chemoresistant and hormone therapy- resistant breast cancer cells lines. Differences were found among UDP-galactose ceramide galactosyltransferase, sphingosine kinase-1, and acid sphingomyelinase gene expression in: MCF-10A, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7TN-R cell lines. Using C8-ceramide as the lead compound, 8 novel ceramide analogs were synthesized with either enol or amide backbone substitutions and tested for biological activity. The enol substitution was found to be the most potent, with (2S,3R,E)-2-((E)benzylideneamino)octadec-4-ene1,3-diol (Analog C) displaying the greatest reduction in proliferation. Analog B appeared to be the most potent cytotoxic drug in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines with IC50 values of 6.2uM and 3.0 uM respectively. In the cytotoxicity assay MCF-7TN-R cell line, Analog A appeared to be the most potent with an IC50 of 2.4uM. The clonogenic proliferation assay provided very different, yet promising results. Analog D had the lowest IC50 of 460nM in MDA-MB-231, Analog C had an IC50 of 100nM in MCF-7TN-R, and Analog A had an IC50 of 1.48uM in the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. All of the IC50s for proliferation assays were at least an order of magnitude more potent than the control drug C8 (IC50 of 5uM). Due to the potency of these drugs, these results exemplify the potential of novel ceramide-targeted therapies in chemo-resistant and endocrine-resistant breast cancer cell lines. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1031.
Interplanetary magnetic clouds: Topology and driving mechanism

A model is developed to study the origin and propagation of magnetic clouds. Starting with an equilibrium current loop embedded in an ambient plasma consistent with the solar corona, magnetic energy is injected by increasing the loop current. This causes the loop to rise, propelling plasma and magnetic field away from the Sun. Using a simple model of the interplanetary medium, the subsequent dynamics of the loop is calculated to 1 AU and beyond. The macroscopic properties of the resulting structures at 1 AU closely resemble those of observed magnetic clouds. Thermal effects indicate that clouds remain magnetically connected to the Sun in order to yield observed temperatures near 1 AU.
Dominant negative c-Src inhibits angiotensin II induced activation of NHE3 in OKP cells

Dominant negative c-Src inhibits angiotensin II induced activation of NHE3 in OKP cells. Background Angiotensin II is a potent stimulator of the proximal tubule apical membrane Na/H antiporter, encoded by NHE3. The nonreceptor tyrosine kinase, c-Src, plays a key role in regulation of NHE3 by acidosis in the proximal tubule, and in signaling effects of angiotensin II in vascular smooth muscle. Methods The present studies examined the role of c-Src in mediating angiotensin II-induced NHE3 activation in cultured OKP cells. c-Src was inhibited with herbimycin A, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and expression of a dominant negative c-Src, c-Src K295M . Results Herbimycin A blocked angiotensin II induced increases in Na/H antiporter activity. In two clonal cell lines expressing vector alone, angiotensin II increased Na/H antiporter activity, while in three clones expressing c-Src K295M , angiotensin II had no effect. Cyclic AMP and protein kinase A have been proposed to be key mediators in regulation of NHE3 by angiotensin II. 10 -4 m 8-bromo cAMP induced a 40 to 50% inhibition of Na/H antiporter activity in cells expressing c-Src K295M , similar to that seen in wild-type OKP cells. In addition, cells expressing c-Src K295M responded normally to 10 -7 m dexamethasone with a 50 to 80% increase in Na/H antiporter activity. Conclusions These studies demonstrate that c-Src is required for angiotensin II-induced increases in NHE3 activity. Thus, c-Src plays a key role in antiporter activation by acidosis and angiotensin II.
Reputation, Learning, and Coordination in Distributed Decision-Making Contexts

From an organizational perspective, there are many decisions that are not strictly individual. A decision-making process may need to be distributed across multiple participants, each of whom contributes to the final decision by performing one or more tasks. A participant may be a person, a group, a team, or an artifact such as a computerized decision-support system. Computers are routinely used to support individual decision making. However, their potential for supporting distributed decision making is only beginning to be actualized. Further progress in exploring and realizing this potential can benefit greatly from a formal model that accounts for the diverse phenomena that can occur within a distributed decision maker. When considering computer-based support for distributed decision making, the issue of coordinating the multiple participants becomes the central concern. Coordination defines the structural and dynamic patterns of inter-participant relationships in an organization. It has several aspects including planning, control, and review. Planning involves task decomposition, subtask allocation and synthesis. Control indicates mediation, negotiation and execution. And review deals with performance evaluation which will then contribute to organizational learning. Moreover, coordination occurs in a context of concurrent problem-solving tasks where multiple decisions are pending simultaneously. Bits and pieces of these coordination facets have been somewhat supported by existing computer technologies, such as decision-support systems and computer-mediated communication systems. However, systematic study of such support possibilities depends on formal models of distributed decision making as organizing paradigms. In this paper, we present a model of distributed decision making that is particularly concerned with the ongoing coordination among participants in multiple simultaneously active decision processes. Basic outlines of the model are presented as an initial foundation for understanding the possibilities of computer-based support for distributed decision making. The model takes the view that an organization is dynamic in terms of its capacity for improved coordination over time and through experience. It accommodates a bidding perspective as the context for coordination. The use and adjustment of entity reputation offers a means for improved coordination over time, and for capturing the phenomenon of organizational learning.
Side effects of antipsychotic drugs. Avoiding and minimizing their impact in elderly patients.

Antipsychotic drugs are very useful in treatment of psychosis and severe agitation in the elderly. Their use for other behavioral problems is contraindicated. Antipsychotics have many potential side effects (e.g., sedation, cardiovascular effects, anticholinergic effects, incontinence, reduced appetite, such motor disturbances as drug-induced parkinsonism, akathisia, dystonia, TD). Prevention, by using the minimum dose and duration of treatment possible, is the key to managing motor side effects. If prevention fails, drug-induced parkinsonism and dystonia may improve with use of anticholinergics, and akathisia may improve with use of benzodiazepines or low-dose propranolol. There is no proven treatment for TD, which is most likely to be observed during dose reduction or after discontinuation of antipsychotic drugs. Compared with older agents, newer antipsychotic drugs are less likely to cause parkinsonism, akathisia, and dystonia and may cause TD less often. More research is needed to clarify use of the new drugs in the elderly.
The learning of choices between bets

Abstract A “choice between bets” situation was analyzed in terms of Estes's scanning model. On each trial, the subject was offered a choice between two alternative bets. He was asked to choose the bet which was most likely to win on that trial. Following his choice, feedback was given for both bets. Wins and losses on both bets were programmed independently according to simple noncontingent random schedules. The principal independent variables were the values of the probabilities of wins and losses on the two bets. All pairwise combinations of .8, .5, and .2 were employed, yielding six main experimental conditions. An additional condition was run in which subjects received feedback only for the choice made on each trial. Twenty-four subjects were assigned to each experimental condition. The scanning model adequately predicted final choice proportions for all conditions. A linear learning model in conjunction with the scanning model was applied to the sequential statistics with some success.
Spatial and temporal dynamics of a subtidal estuarine gastrotrich assemblage

The community and population ecology of the gastrotrich fauna from a single subtidal sand flat in North Inlet, South Carolina, USA, was studied over a 15 month period. An analysis of the temporal and small-scale spatial (horizontal and vertical) distribution of the total assemblage and its component species was used to gain insight into the types of processes (biological and physical) which serve to organize the structure of this meiobenthic taxocene. Samples, consisting of replicate cores which were spaced at 4 horizontal scales (1 m, 25 cm, 10 cm, and 4 cm) and vertically partitioned, were collected at least once each month between February 1976 and April 1977. The assemblage was characterized by both high monthly densities (x) and species richness (38 species identified). The 8 dominant species, 5 of which are in the family Thaumastodermatidae, numerically comprise 89% of the total gastrotrich population. Horizontally, individuals are only slightly to moderately aggregated, forming clumps on the order of 4 to 10 cm in size. The patches of the dominant species tend to coincide. The vertical distribution of the fauna in the sediment is restricted to the top 10 cm, with species being segregated with respect to each other in this dimension. Temporal density fluctuations of all species tend to parallel changes in water temperature. Indirect evidence suggests that interspecific competition is the single most important process structuring this gastrotrich assemblage.
Time-Domain Electromagnetic Scattering Simulations on Multicomputers

A series of bistatic radar cross sections of a perfectly conducting sphere over a frequency range were processed on one shared and three distributed memory computers. A comparative study was conducted for both the total field and the scattered field formulations. The accuracy criteria for the grid point density per wavelength and the placement of the truncated far-field boundary were also established for the present characteristic-based finite volume scheme. The numerical accuracy of all simulations has been validated with theoretical results.
Analysis of the solidus lines for PbTe and SnTe

Experimental values of p-n, PTe 2, and T along the solidus lines of PbTe and SnTe, and for compositions within the homogeneity range of SnTe are fit using the simple model of a nondegenerate semiconductor compound containing fully-ionized native defects. As a result values for the intrinsic material parameters of these compounds at high temperature are obtained as well as some indication of the uncertainty in these.
A rapid and sensitive method for studying the binding of ribonucleotide polymers to mammalian ribosomal subunits.

Abstract A sensitive and rapid method has been developed for studying the interactions of ribonucleotide homopolymers with isolated liver ribosomal subunits. Small amounts of ribosomal subunits are first immobilised on Millipore filters. The homopolymers are then allowed to interact with the ribosomes by slow passage through the filters. Conditions are described under which both the large and the small subunits can bind poly(A) and poly(U) as well as poly(G). The poly(A) and poly(G) binding sites can be shown to be different.
Implications of various spin-one relativistic wave equations for intermediate-energy deuteron-nucleus scattering.

Various relativistic treatments are applied to deuteron-nucleus elastic scattering at intermediate energies. There are various possibilities for spin-one wave equations. Here we have considered three of them, the Kemmer-Duffin-Petiau, Proca, and Weinberg equations. Second-order equations are obtained from each using a similar set of approximations. Elastic-scattering observables including the differential cross section, and the vector and tensor analyzing powers are calculated using all three equations. The different predictions are compared with each other and with experimental data for 400 MeV $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$(d,d${)}^{58}$Ni and 700 MeV $^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$(d,d${)}^{40}$Ca. We find that within the approximations made and for the assumed interactions there are no significant differences between the three sets of predicted observables.
A Note on Semi-Probabilistic Grading

This note describes the results of using a semi-probabilistic grading system to determine students' grades in a graduate course in quantitative methods. That is, the students are required to make policy decisions to handle traditional sorts of problems, such as inventory and queuing problems. The points a student receives are some known function of his firm's profits for a particular period, the period having been simulated for each student's firm in accordance with a prespecified probability distribution, given the student's recommendations. In addition, he receives a grade on the assignment based on its a priori quality rather than its ex post success. This note describes the results of using this system, results which in turn lead to some interesting speculations about decision-making and decision makers in general. In particular, it is suggested that even persons well aware of sophisticated procedures for making a rational choice among alternatives will not necessarily take advantage of these procedures, and further, that luck plays a more significant role in success than one might be inclined to concede.
Low voltage — Enhanced actuation MEMS cantilevers using Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 electrets

This work introduces a new technique of producing electrets using Al2O3-SiO2 bilayer dielectric stack deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. The surface potential of the charged electret was -100V corresponding to a negative charge density of ~12pC/cm2. Microcantilevers patterned on this layer responded to voltages as low as 1Vpp, indicating their potential use as high efficiency actuators. The electret retained its charge for as long as 5 weeks in 0.1 mTorr vacuum without any surface treatments. The plasma-assisted atomic layer deposited SiO2 layer with its higher bandgap of 9 eV produces the charges that are trapped in the lower bandgap Al2O3 away from the surface. The superlattice produced by Al2O3/SiO2 stack contains the charges and prevent discharge.
Becoming Dead: The Entangled Agencies of the Dearly Departed

This article introduces the themes of the essays in this special issue in juxtaposition with illustrative comparative examples, including one from my work with Samburu pastoralists in northern Kenya. As the title suggests, at the core of the 2003 AAA session of which these articles represent a subset, was a concern with personhood and the entanglement of agencies that occurs in the practices surrounding death. Examining death directly and as its own optic (in the words of Nadia Seremetakis), these articles illuminate the varied implications of death as process. As death erupts unwanted and forcefully into social relations, the ontological status of dead persons wavers uncertainly—a process that can have surprising implications for memory and personhood. Thus, as the session from which these articles are drawn demonstrates, death may demand intensive and loving memory work, but it may as well result in deliberate erasure, in the total annihilation of persons. Thus, death represents a rupture not only of the social fabric but also of the contours of personhood.
Interaction of low-energy electrons with condensed matter: stopping powers and inelastic mean free paths from optical data

Abstract A model is described for evaluating energy loss per unit pathlength and inelastic mean free path for low-energy electrons (≲ 10 keV) from optical data on the medium of interest. Exchange between the incident electron and electrons in the medium is included. Results from the optical-data model are compared with previous theoretical calculations and with experimental data.
Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel caspase-3 variant that attenuates apoptosis induced by proteasome inhibition.

Caspase-3 plays an important role in programmed cell death as an execution-phase caspase in degradation of many substrate proteins. We identified a naturally occurring short caspase-3 variant (caspase-3s) from a human carcinoma cell line that is resulted from alternative mRNA splicing. Analysis of nucleotide sequence reveals a deletion of the exon 6 in this variant that resulted in an altered reading frame in the C-terminus, leading to an altered amino acid sequence and a truncated protein. Caspase-3s shares the same amino acid sequence as caspase-3 in the N-terminus containing the prodomain and the majority of the large subunit. The variant is 95 amino acid residues shorter at the C-terminus and is missing the conserved QACRG sequence in the catalytic site. Caspase-3 and caspase-3s are coexpressed in all human tissues examined. Several cancer cell lines also show coexpression of caspase-3 and caspase-3s, both at the mRNA and protein levels. Overexpression of caspase-3s in 293 cells is more resistant to apoptosis induced by proteasome inhibition. Furthermore, we identified that proteasome inhibition stabilized the level of caspase-3s.