cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced Immune Presentation of a Single-chain Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Molecule Engineered to Optimize Linkage of a C-terminally Extended Peptide

Major histocompatibility complex class I molecules can be expressed as single polypeptides wherein the antigenic peptide, β2-microglobulin, and heavy chain are attached by flexible linkers. These molecules, single-chain trimers (SCTs), are remarkably stable at the cell surface compared with native (noncovalently attached) class I molecules. In this study, we used a structure-based approach to engineer an F pocket variant SCT of the murine class I molecule Kb that presents the SIINFEKL epitope of ovalbumin. Mutation of heavy chain residue Tyr84 (Y84A) in the SCT resulted in enhanced serological and cytolytic CD8 T cell recognition of the covalently linked peptide due to better accommodation of the linker extending from the C terminus of the peptide. These SCTs exhibit significant cell-surface stability, which we hypothesize is rendered by their ability to continuously and efficiently rebind the covalently attached peptide. In addition, we demonstrate that SCT technology can be applied to tetramer construction using recombinant SCTs expressed in Escherichia coli. SCT-based tetramers could have applications for the enumeration of T and natural killer cells that recognize peptide·class I complexes prone to dissociation.
Government risk management priorities: a comparison of the preferences of Asian Indian Americans and other Americans.

A survey was conducted of approximately 200 Asian Indian Americans and 200 other residents of New Jersey in order to understand the risk management priorities that they want government to have. We found that Asian Indian Americans, especially younger women, focused on personal/family risks, such as alcohol and drug abuse, sexual abuse, and domestic violence. The New Jersey comparison group, in contrast, placed war/terrorism and loss of health care services and insurance at the top of their priorities for government. These results suggest stressful acculturation-related issues within the Asian Indian community. Both populations want more risk management from government than they believe government is currently providing. Respondents who wanted more from government tended to dread the risk, be fearful of the consequences, trust government, and have a feeling of personal efficacy. Within the Asian Indian American sample, wide variations were observed by language spoken at home and religious affiliation. Notably, Muslims and Hindi language speakers tended not to trust government and hence wanted less government involvement. This study supports our call for studies of recent migrant populations and Johnson's for testing ethnic identity and acculturation as factors in risk judgments. Language: en
Reserve requirements and optimal seigniorage

Abstract This note presents a model of optimizing agents who chose to hold deposits at financial intermediaries, which are required to hold fractional reserves of fiat money. When the stock of fiat money is expanded, the reserve requirement functions as a tax on deposits. The combination of reserve requirements and inflation results in a lower steady-state utility than a direct tax on deposits. The optimal monetary policy when reserves are required is to minimize reserve requirements and inflate without limit the stock of fiat money.
Deterrence or labeling: The effects of informal sanctions

A structural model incorporating the effects on subsequent deviance of reactions to previous deviance suggested by both the labeling and specific deterrence arguments, along with other logical effects necessary for correct specification, is formulated and estimated using data concerning peer reactions to classroom cheating. The results are consistent with the traditional labeling argument and contrary to the model of specific deterrence. However, the data suggest that subsequent deviance can also result from the direct effects of initial deviance and from the severity of others’ reactions independently of labeling. At best, one can conclude only that labeling is one among a number of processes by which sanctions influence recidivism.
Acid Dissociation of HBr on a Model Ice Surface

The acid ionization of HBr on ice is important in connection with the rapid springtime ozone depletion in the Arctic tropospheric boundary layer. The interaction of HBr with an ice surface is studied theoretically via electronic structure calculations on a semiconstrained HBr.(H 2 O) 1 3 model cluster at the MP2 level of theory using effective core potentials for all the heavy atoms. The heterolytic dissociation of HBr to form a H 3 O + .Br - contact ion pair is not found to occur atop this model ice lattice system, but it is found to be barrierless and energetically spontaneous when assisted by a single extra-lattice water molecule.
Multivariable time delay approximations for analysis and control

Abstract Time delays form a fundamental part of many chemical engineering systems. They cause considerable analysis and control difficulties in part because they represent infinite-dimensional elements. This paper explores the use of finite-dimensional Pade approximations in system analysis and control. For analysis, the concern is whether two systems can be compared and quality of control assessed, based on analyses of their corresponding approximations. This paper demonstrates that analysis in terms of integral square error to unit step can be performed on Pade approximations rather than delay systems. For control, the concern is how a system with delays can be controlled by a controller without explicit delays. Pade approximations were found to be useful since their rational controller designs generally work quite well for delay systems. For MIMO systems, preliminary work indicates it is necessary to factor the shortest response time of each output before applying the Pade approximation.
Degradation Experiments and Analysis of Corrosion Damage

Corrosion is one of the most damaging mechanisms in many engineering structures. To better understand how corrosion growth process takes place in AA 2024-T3 materials, research is being conducted to capture and systematically characterize the corrosion process, and develop simulation models. The objective of this study is to systematically investigate the degradation of major chemical elements (Al and Cu) in AA 2024-T3 as a function of the exposure time and electrochemical parameters during the corrosion process through experiments and develop an artificial neural network (ANN) model for the analysis and prediction. Experiments were conducted on AA 2024-T3 specimens under controlled electrochemical conditions. The chemical element map was developed through energy dispersive spectrometry technique for evaluation purposes. Based on the experimental data, an ANN model is developed for the analysis and prediction of degradation of major chemical elements at various exposure time and electrochemical parameters during the corrosion process. A very good performance of the neural network is achieved after training and validation with the experimental data. The degradation of the major chemical elements and material loss at various electrochemical parameters as a function of time was studied through ANN analysis.
When Nations Call: How Wartime Military Service Matters for the Life Course and Aging

Most scholarship on aging is based on cohorts born early in the 20th century, and these cohorts have had significant experience with war. Wartime experiences may therefore be critical but largely hidden variables underlying current scientific knowledge about aging. Evidence marshaled in this article illustrates the powerful insights gained when research on this topic is guided by lifecourse propositions and data. It reveals how wartime military service, especially during World War II, affected the short- and long-ranging development of recruits. It also highlights the need to better account for the potential legacies of service for physical, psychological, and social functioning in late life. These matters will become increasingly important as sizable World War II and Korean veteran populations move through advanced old age, and as the Vietnam veteran population moves into old age. Systematic attention to the effects of wartime service is necessary to determine the degree to which contemporary knowledge a...
Open problems and future prospects for hypernuclear physics

We appraise the current status of our knowledge of hypernuclear structure physics, and emphasize the unsolved problems. The prospects for significant advances in high resolution hypernuclear spectroscopy with CW electron beams at CEBAF or intense pion beams at the proposed PILAC facility at LPF are discussed. These facilities could greatly extend our understanding of strangeness S = {minus}1 hypernuclear systems. For S = {minus}2 systems, new events have been seen in a (K{sup {minus}},K{sup +}) hybrid counter-emulsion experiment at KEK in Japan. We give a theoretical interpretation of one of these events, as well as some further possibilities for the exploration of {Lambda}{Lambda} hypernuclear spectroscopy via {Xi}{sup {minus}}-atoms. We mention some possible enhancements of (K{sup {minus}},K{sup +}) or (K{sup {minus}},K{sup 0}) cross sections to discrete states, due to {Xi}N-{Lambda}{Lambda} configuration mixing in a shell model description of S = {minus}2 hypernuclei. Finally, we explore the possibilities for producing multi-strange nuclei or droplets of strange quark matter (``strangelets``) in relativistic heavy ion collisions.
The segregation of ancestry groups in San Antonio

Abstract Despite some evidence for the economic advancement and suburbanization of urban-bound immigrants in the United States, the preponderance of evidence points to increasing residential segregation of these groups in ethnic enclaves in U.S. cities. In this study, based on an extensive literature review, the segregation of an ancestry group is tied to the group’s SES, recency, physical and cultural distinctiveness, and social distance as judged by the majority population. The dissimilarity index (DI) is calculated for each of 28 ancestry groups in San Antonio, based on the 1990 U.S. Census, and related to explanatory indicators from various sources. The socio-economic status of a group is found to exert a non-linear influence on segregation—reducing it for below-average SES groups (the traditional immigrant assimilation model), while increasing it for above-average SES groups (a new pluralism model, reflecting the decisions of professional and entrepreneurial immigrants). The recency of an ancestry’s entry; whether it is non-European versus European; and (especially) the magnitude of its social distance rating, all play significant supplementary roles in its segregation.
Improving the Display of Wind Patterns and Ocean Currents

Considerable effort has gone into building numerical weather and ocean prediction models during the past 50 years. Less effort has gone into the visual representation of output from those forecast models and many of the techniques used are known to be ineffective. The effectiveness of a data display depends on how well critical patterns can be perceived. This paper outlines a set of perceptual principles for what makes a good representation of a 2D vector field and shows how these principles can be used for the portrayal of currents, winds, and waves. Examples are given from a series of evaluation studies that examine the optimal representation of these variables. The results suggest that for static graphic presentations, equally spaced streamlines may be optimal. If wind barbs are curved to follow streamlines, perception of local wind speed and direction as well as the overall pattern is improved. For animated portrayals of model output, animated streamlets can perceptually separate layers of information...
Co-segmentation of Textured 3D Shapes with Sparse Annotations

We present a novel co-segmentation method for textured 3D shapes. Our algorithm takes a collection of textured shapes belonging to the same category and sparse annotations of foreground segments, and produces a joint dense segmentation of the shapes in the collection. We model the segments by a collectively trained Gaussian mixture model. The final model segmentation is formulated as an energy minimization across all models jointly, where intra-model edges control the smoothness and separation of model segments, and inter-model edges impart global consistency. We show promising results on two large real-world datasets, and also compare with previous shape-only 3D segmentation methods using publicly available datasets.
Computer generated images for medical applications

Two computer graphics systems for the presentation of biomedical information for diagnosis and treatment planning are described. Both systems presented utilize computer tomographic (CT) data as input. One of the systems produces three-dimensional surface representations of organs and anatomical features found within the body. The other system is a radiation treatment planning aid which uses tomographic data in its computations.
Pay Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain: The Importance of Identity in Academic Writing

It is often believed that objective, rationalist, academic literacy leaves no room for issues of identity, and that anything remotely personal has, at best, a limited role to play in school. This belief reflects a clear and often widely accepted binary set of definitions: There is personal writing; there is academic writing. The two forms exist on their own, separate and identifiable. Issues of identity belong with personal writing but have no influence on academic writing, which is objective, detached, and analytic. The author argues that the ease with which readers often construct these categories and boundaries of writing conceals the actual permeability of them. Just as writing that is traditionally considered personal can be rigorous and analytic, academic writing is always enmeshed in issues of identity.
Singaporean Market Socialism: Some Implications for Development Theory

In 1969, the annual per capita income of Singapore was $650. By 1981, Singapore's gross national product per capita was $5,240. Such productivity placed this small developing state among the very wealthiest non‐OPEC developing countries of the world, with an unequalled 1960–82 average annual growth rate of 7.4 per cent. During the decade to 1982, real per capita GNP grew by an average of 9.2 per cent each year. In 1982, gross domestic product amounted to $14 billion. In 1983, Singaporean real GNP grew by 7.2 per cent, a performance matched only by Hong Kong and Taiwan. Unemployment was held to a level of 2.3 per cent and inflation to an even more modest 1.1 per cent. Singapore also achieved the highest national savings rate in the world, at 42 per cent of GDP. These trends produced a 1985 GNP per capita of $7,420, larger than those of Italy, Ireland, Spain, Greece, Portugal and New Zealand; and not much less than those of either Belgium or Britain (World Bank, 1987, p. 203). If the nation's GDP contracted by 1.9 per cent in 1985, it resumed expansion thereafter, at an inflation‐adjusted rate of 1.8 per cent in 1986, and 8.6 per cent in 1987 (Wall Street Journal, 1988, p. 12).
The location of virus-like particles in the male gametophyte of birch, walnut and cherry naturally infected with cherry leaf roll virus and its relevance to vertical transmission of the virus

Virus-like particles (VLPs) in close-packed paracrystalline arrays were observed in cells forming the anther walls and in the sperm cell cytoplasm of immature pollen grains developing within cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV)-infected birch (Betula pendula Roth.). VLPs within tubules, that were in some instances multiple and membrane bound, were also observed in anther cells and in pollen grains of CLRV-infected walnut (Jugians regia L.). VLPs rarely coated the outer surfaces of developing grains. Washings from intact freshly collected pollen did not contain infective agents but pollen triturates were infectious after 12 months storage at-70°C. Purified CLRV (concentration 6·4 ng/ml) was readily detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). CLRV-specific antigens (detected by ELISA) and VLPs (detected on grids coated with an antiserum prepared against CLRV) were readily removed by washing intact pollen grains from infected birch, walnut and cherry (Prunus avium L. cv. F12/1). The antigen was less tenaciously held to the surfaces of anemophilous (birch and walnut) than entomophilous (cherry) pollen. Treatment of grains before ELISA testing with CLRV-specific γ globulin virtually eliminated the antigenicity of pollen washings whereas γ globulin from a pre-immune serum had no such effect. When anti-CLRV γ globulin-treated pollen grains were disrupted, CLRV-specific antigens were liberated. VLPs trapped on CLRV-antiserum coated grids to which pollen washings or extracts from disrupted grains had been applied were identified by decoration; a halo of antibody molecules enveloped VLPs treated with CLRV-antiserum but not those treated with antiserum prepared against poplar mosaic virus.
Juggling Points and Polygons: GIS Researchers' Metadata and Search Needs

This article discusses the results of a focus group analyzing advanced and intermediate Geographic Information System (GIS) researchers’ metadata needs and information-finding behavior while using the online GIS Lookup at North Carolina State University (NCSU) Libraries, as well as a metadata normalization project that resulted from study findings. Information was gathered on what metadata is important to GIS researchers for resource discovery, how researchers want to be able to search for data sets, and the importance of controlled vocabulary for GIS keywords.
The interaction of magnesium with calcite during crystal growth at 25–90°C and one atmosphere

Abstract Calcite crystals were grown in a closed system by recrystallization of synthetic and natural aragonite crystals, in the presence of various CaCl2-MgCl2 solutions with and without NaCl. The distribution of Mg2+ between calcite and solution at the entire temperature range is heterogeneous, closely following the Doerner-Hoskins ( Doerner and Hoskins , 1925) distribution law. λMg2+C is strongly dependent on temperature, being: 0·0573 ± 0·0017 at 25°C, 0·0681 ± 0·0019 at 35°C, 0·0778 ± 0.0022 at 50°C, 0·0973 ± 0·0021 at 70°C, and 0·1163 ±0 ·0034 at 90°C. λMg2+C is independent of the absolute concentration of Ca2+ in solution as well as of the presence of NaCl. Relatively high λMg2+C values are obtained during the initial reaction stages when too-highly reactive synthetic aragonites are recrystallized. SEM micrographs show that calcite crystals grown from such aragonites are imperfect and that their earlier formed Mg-rich cores redissolve later, resulting in apparently inconsistent λMg2+C values. Calculations applying the new λMg2+C value for 25°C and the solubility data for magnesian calcites ( Chave et al., 1962) demonstrate that although no calcite should be expected to precipate directly from open sea water, its direct precipitation (or recrystallization from aragonite) is possible in closed diagenetic systems which still contain marine solutions, provided a temporary increase in the dissolved calcium concentration takes place. The λMg2+C values obtained allow for a new insight into processes of calcite cementation of reefs and a variety of other carbonate sediments, and for a more precise definition of dedolomitization chemistry.
Conference reviewing considered harmful

This paper develops a model of computer systems research to help prospective authors understand the often obscure workings of conference program committees. We present data to show that the variability between reviewers is often the dominant factor as to whether a paper is accepted. We argue that paper merit is likely to be zipf distributed, making it inherently difficult for program committees to distinguish between most papers. We use game theory to show that with noisy reviews and zipf merit, authors have an incentive to submit papers too early and too often. These factors make conference reviewing, and systems research as a whole, less efficient and less effective. We describe some recent changes in conference design to address these issues, and we suggest some further potential improvements.
The self-preserving particle size distribution for coagulation by Brownian motion—III. Smoluchowski coagulation and simultaneous Maxwellian condensation☆

Abstract A theoretical study has been made of the dynamics of coagulation with simultaneous condensation and of the behavior of the particle size distribution function. For coagulation and condensation in the continuum region the existence of self-preserving spectra—as defined in previous papers in this series—depends on a nondimensional parameter C = (3μ/4kT)[2B(S − 1)/φ 2 3 N 1 3 ] where μ and T are the viscosity and temperature of the medium, k Boltzmann's constant, φ the total volume concentration, N the total number concentration of particles, B the proportionality coefficient in the equation for the condensation rate and S the supersaturation. For C = 0 phase equilibrium exists while for C > 0 simultaneous condensation and coagulation occur. For C = 1·09 the total surface concentration (surface area of particles per unit volume of gas) is invariant with respect to time. For other values of C the supersaturation must vary with time in a particular way in order for the system to be self-preserving. The shapes of the self-preserving spectra are strongly dependent on C. Analytical solutions of the transformed kinetic equation have been found for the lower and upper ends of the spectrum and numerical solutions for the entire spectrum have been calculated for four values of C. The theory is limited to values of C smaller than of order unity.
Subspecialty training in preventive cardiology: the current status and discoverable fellowship programs.

Background Preventive cardiology is currently not an American Board of Medical Specialties-recognized subspecialty. However, several programs offer non-accredited fellowships throughout the country. No source currently exists listing all available programs, and finding programs requires time-intensive search strategies. Our aim was to find all current preventive cardiology fellowships in the United States and describe their basic structure, duties, and faculty. Methods We searched the Internet, contacted national organizations, and networked through any institution thought likely to have a fellowship. Results We found 15 programs currently offering subspecialty training in preventive cardiology but with considerably different styles, structures, duties, clinical time, lengths, and hosting departments. Conclusions We provided a list of these programs and discussed the implications for the future of formal subspecialty preventive cardiology education.
Studies on the conversion of deoxyuridylic acid to thymidylic acid by a soluble extract from rat thymus.

Abstract 1. 1. It has been shown that deoxyuridine 5′-phosphate is the immediate substrate and thymidine 5′-phosphate the product in the biosynthesis of the thymine methyl group by formaldehyde and tetrahydrofolic acid with a thymus gland homogenate. 2. 2. This reaction is obscured because both deoxyuridylic acid and thymidylic acid are dephosphorylated by the crude enzyme preparation. The dephosphorylation is retarded or reversed by adenosine triphosphate and is stimulated by Mg ++ . 3. 3. A stoichiometric proportionality with a ratio of one has been found to hold between the methyl groups formed and tetrahydrofolic acid present at suboptimal levels of the latter. 4. 4. Reduced diphosphopyridine nucleotide increased methyl group synthesis at suboptimal levels of tetrahydrofolic acid. Evidence is offered that dihydrofolic acid is only active as a cofactor after conversion to tetrahydrofolic acid by reduced diphosphopyridine nucleotide. 5. 5. It is proposed that, in the reduction of formaldehyde to thymine methyl groups, tetrahydrofolic acid serves as the reducing agent and is oxidized to dihydrofolic acid.
Effective Field Theories and Higher Dimension Operators

The contribution of heavy fermions (muons) to the electron anomalous moment in quantum electrodynamics is considered within the context of effective field theories, correct to order ..cap alpha../sup 2/m/sup 2//M/sup 2/. Although no violation of decoupling is found, it is shown that the leading contribution of the muon to the electron magnetic moment is incorrectly given by the local effective Lagrangian obtained from functional integration over heavy fields. It is also shown that this same local effective Lagrangian, with all terms retained of arbitrary order in (1/M/sup 2/), has the wrong analyticity in this variable in that the electron anomalous moment has a term of O(..cap alpha../sup 2/(m/sup 4//M/sup 4/)ln(M/sup 2//m/sup 2/)) which cannot be obtained from this local effective Lagrangian. The correct calculation of these effects requires calculation of mixed light-heavy contributions, an issue previously discussed for contributions to operators of dimension < or =4.
Modernity and Acceptance of Family Limitation in Four Developing Countries1

The relationship between the causally linked variables of modernizing experiences overall psychological modernity and acceptance of the rightness of family limitation are analyzed for their effects upon birth rates in modernizing societies. The theoretical basis of this causal relationship is examined; prior relevant research is summarized; and the results of a new empirical analysis of data from the Modernization Project at Stanford University are presented. Project data from East Pakistan India Israel and Nigeria are used to assess the effects of modernizing experiences and overall psychological modernity upon acceptance of birth control. The principal finding is that although experiences with modern institutions such as the school and the factory have some impact on acceptance of the principle of family limitation experiences with modern institutions are mostly associated with birth control when they also correlate with modern attitudes especially belief in the value of science technology and medicine. In other words institutional change must be accompanied by change in attitudes and values. Thus it is risky to assume that urbanization by itself will reduce birth rates. Also a good case can be made for the position that birth control practice can be shaped through influencing values and attitudes.
Demonstration of mismatch negativity in the monkey

In humans, deviant auditory stimuli elicit an event-related potential (ERP) component, termed "mismatch negativity" (MMN), that reflects the operation of a cortical detector of infrequent stimulus change. Epidural auditory ERPs were recorded from 3 cynomolgous monkeys in response to soft and loud clicks. "Oddball" loud or soft stimuli elicited a long-duration frontocentral negativity, peaking at approximately 85 msec, that was superimposed upon cortically generated obligatory ERP components. These data suggest that monkeys might serve as a heuristically valuable system in which to study the neurochemical and neuroanatomical substrates of early context-dependent ERP generation.
Lpconvergence of a process identification algorithm

This paper is concerned with some aspects of the adaptive optimal control of processes whose dynamic characteristics are not completely specified but assumed to be varying slowly with time. It is shown that the identification procedure involves the evaluation of process output differentials, without requiring the explicit determination of the unknown process parameters. The process input and output functions are taken to be elements of L p-spaces and the optimization procedure is briefly outlined. For any practical application of the identification algorithm the process output differentials are approximated by first-order differences of output time segments, and their corresponding adjoints by a truncated series of time sequences. Utilizing the techniques of functional analysis the Lp-space convergence of these approximating algorithms is shown.
Compressive sensing-based SAR tomography

The problem of imaging multiple scattering components in SAR tomography is addressed in this work. It is proposed to exploit the sparsity of scattering components in the elevation domain by invoking the recently-proposed compressive sensing (CS) theory to achieve the separation of multiple scattering centers with fine elevation resolution. The major advantages of the proposed CS-based method over other conventional methods are evident in single snapshot scenarios with correlated scattering components. The proposed CS-based imaging method for SAR tomography is compared to the conventional MUSIC-based imaging method and the advantages of the proposed method in a variety of imaging scenarios is shown via simulations.
Genomic approaches with natural fish populations from polluted environments

Transcriptomics and population genomics are two complementary genomic approaches that can be used to gain insight into pollutant effects in natural populations. Transcriptomics identify altered gene expression pathways, and population genomics approaches more directly target the causative genomic polymorphisms. Neither approach is restricted to a predetermined set of genes or loci. Instead, both approaches allow a broad overview of genomic processes. Transcriptomics and population genomic approaches have been used to explore genomic responses in populations of fish from polluted environments and have identified sets of candidate genes and loci that appear biologically important in response to pollution. Often differences in gene expression or loci between polluted and reference populations are not conserved among polluted populations, suggesting a biological complexity that we do not yet fully understand. As genomic approaches become less expensive with the advent of new sequencing and genotyping technologies, they will be more widely used in complementary studies. However, although these genomic approaches are immensely powerful for identifying candidate genes and loci, the challenge of determining biological mechanisms that link genotypes and phenotypes remains.
Knowledge-Based System for Design of Signalized Intersections

For an efficient traffic operation in intelligent highway systems, traffic signals need to respond to the changes in roadway and traffic demand. The phasing and timing of traffic signals requires the use of heuristic rules of thumb to determine what phases are needed and how the green time should be assigned to them. Because of the need for judgmental knowledge in solving this problem, this study has used knowledge-based expert-system technology to develop a system for the phasing and signal timing (PHAST) of an isolated intersection. PHAST takes intersection geometry and traffic volume as input and generates appropriate phase plan, cycle length, and green time for each phase. The phase plan and signal timing change when intersection geometry or traffic demand changes. This paper describes the intended system functionality, the system architecture, the knowledge used to phase and time an intersection, the implementation of the system, and system verification. PHAST's performance was validated using phase plans and timings of several intersections.
What Should I Do with My Life? An Interview with Will Crouch on the Ethics of Career Choice.

Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions college students face. However, little academic work exists to help students evaluate the ethical implications of different career paths. This interview with Will Crouch, an Oxford University student, explores his controversial work on the ethics of career choice. He argues that to pursue a career as a professional philanthropist is ethically preferable to work in the charitable sector.
Leaky "feet" and sudden death.

Increases in intracellular Ca2+ are crucial signaling events in many cell types. The cardiac isoform of the (sarco)endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release channel or ryanodine receptor (RyR2) is an important component of this signaling pathway in a wide variety of both excitable (nerve, smooth muscle, and heart) and nonexcitable (parotid, pancreas, and adrenal medulla) cells and is a critical component of excitation-contraction coupling in the heart.1,2⇓ The absence of RyR2 in knockout mice leads to an early embryonic lethal phenotype because its function is essential for regulation of the intrinsic beating rate, and this early lethality has prevented studying its absence in other cell types.3 Unlike skeletal muscle, where excitation-contraction coupling is mediated through a mechanical coupling between its RyR isoform, RyR1, and the skeletal isoform of the sarcolemmal slow voltage-gated Ca2+ channel (dihydropyridine receptor, DHPR), in cardiac muscle, Ca2+ release through RyR2 is caused by the inward Ca2+ flux through the cardiac DHPR …
Adaptive Glide Slope Control for Parafoil and Payload Aircraft

The invention of the steerable, gliding, ram-air parafoil enabled the possibility of precision, autonomous aerial payload delivery. Research and development work on guided airdrop systems has focused primarily on evolutionary improvements to the guidance algorithm, although the navigation and control algorithms have changed little since the initial autonomous systems were developed. Recent work has demonstrated the potential for dramatic improvements in landing accuracy through the incorporation of canopy incidence variation to achieve glide slope control for parafoils. The current work presents the development of a control law to implement glide slope control on an autonomous airdrop system. Autonomous landings with the control law in both simulation and flight test demonstrate an improvement in landing accuracy by a factor of two, though the improvement can be even greater in especially windy conditions. Finally, the ability to perform in-flight system identification to adapt internal control mappings t...
The relationship of patient difficulty to therapist performance in interpersonal psychotherapy of depression

The efficacy of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) in the treatment of ambulatory major depression was demonstrated in the recently completed NIMH Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program (Elkin et al. 1986). Factors which enhance or impede the administration of the treatment delimit effective patient care and should therefore be understood. This report examines the relationship of pretreatment patient attitudes and in-treatment patient difficulty to the ability of therapists to competently conduct IPT, using data from a training program in IPT. The hypothesis was that the patient's ability and willingness to establish a relationship and undertake the task demands of therapy would influence the therapist's ability to administer treatment. Patient difficulty was found to be strongly related to both therapists' and supervisors' judgements of therapist performance during IPT sessions: when patients were more difficult, therapists were judged to have performed more poorly. Patients' preexisting negative expectations about the potential outcome of treatment were associated with patient difficulty and poorer therapist performance, while the level of presenting symptomatology was not. Thus, it appears that the patient's ability to engage in a productive therapeutic relationship rather than the severity of his presenting problems influenced the therapist's ability to competently perform IPT. The findings regarding the relationship of patient difficulty to ratings of therapist performance suggest that patient difficulty should be taken into account in assessing therapist competence, whether for studies of therapeutic efficacy or for clinical supervision and training in general.
Maritime Diasporas in Asia before da Gama: An Introductory Commentary

This preface introduces the five essays that comprise this special issue of JESHO . The author provides a synoptic overview of western scholarship on the Indian Ocean and on trade diasporas in order to situate the papers. This scholarship has only recently begun to recognize the important role of the Indian Ocean in early modern history, a change that the author traces to the work of K.N. Chaudhuri, Janet Abu-Lughod, and Philip Curtin. He concludes that the five papers in this special issue collectively mark an important step forward in the historiography of the Indian Ocean. Les cinq articles qui font partie du numero du JESHO sont precedes d'une preface ou l'auteur donne une vue d'ensemble du travail scientifique occidental qui parle de l'ocean Indien et des diasporas mercantiles. D'apres l'auteur, le role capital de l'ocean Indien au debut de l'epoque moderne commence a etre mieux connu grace aux publications de K.N. Chaudhuri, de Janet Abu-Lughod et de Philip Curtin. Les cinq articles ci-compris representent, donc, un pas en avant pour l'historiographie de l'ocean Indien, selon cet auteur.
Studies of Lipase Action. VII. The Influence of the Rate of Cooling upon the Subsequent Rate of Lipolysis in Milk Stored at Low Temperatures

Summary The rate of lipolysis in milk stored at low temperatures depends upon the rate at which the milk was cooled before the storage period. To secure a minimum rate of lipolysis, the cooling time should be reduced to a few seconds. There is a critical temperature range in which the rate of cooling is most important. The upper limit of this range is approximately 20°–25° C. The lower limit is approximately zero in the case of natural milk, and approximately 10° C. in the case of temperature-activated milk.
A facile method for preparing sticky, hydrophobic polymer surfaces.

Textured surfaces consisting of nanometer- to micrometer-sized lightly sulfonated polystyrene ionomer (SPS) particles were prepared by rapid evaporation of the solvent from a dilute polymer solution-cast onto silica. The particle textured ionomer surfaces were prepared by either spin-coating or solution-casting ionomer solutions at controlled evaporation rates. The effects of the solvent used to spin-coat the film, the molecular weight of the ionomer, and the rate of solvent evaporation on the surface morphology of cast films were investigated. The surface morphologies were consistent with a spinodal decomposition mechanism, where the surface first existed as a percolated-like structure and then ripened into droplets if molecular mobility was retained for sufficient time. The SPS particles or particle aggregates were robust and resisted separation from the surface even after annealing at 120 °C for 1 week. The water contact angles on as-prepared surfaces were relatively low, ∼90°, due to the polar groups ...
Influence of Exposure Conditions on Bacterial Adhesion to Zirconium Alloys

In this paper we combine surface analytical techniques (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, optical and electron microscopy) with viable counts and statistical ANOVA methods to determine the propensity for biological adhesion on zirconium alloy surfaces. We compare the adhesion of laboratory and clinical strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Zircaloy-2 and Zircadyne-705 materials. Thermal oxidation of the alloys prior to exposure to biological species is also investigated. We present data for 72-h incubation of bacteria and alloys in both shaken and stationary environments. The results of our statistical analysis and experimental observations are relevant to the use of zirconium-based materials for biomedical applications.
To 100 Gb/in/sup 2/ and beyond in magneto-optic recording

We have made significant progress towards achieving 100 Gb/in/sup 2/. We have designed and fabricated a super-solid immersion lens (SIL), implemented a new spot size measurement technique capable of measuring very small near-field spots, fabricated centre aperture detection magnetic super resolution (CAD-MSR) media and demonstrated turbo coding for ultra high recording densities. We will report the details of this effort and the recording densities that have been achieved.
Cytotoxicity evaluation of Gutta Flow and Endo Sequence BC sealers.

Objective This study evaluated the cytotoxicity of GuttaFlow and EndoSequence BC sealers and compared them with AH Plus and Tubli-Seal sealers. Study design Samples (0.5 mg) of freshly mixed or set BC, GuttaFlow, AH Plus, and Tubli-Seal sealers were eluted with 300, 600, and 1,000 μL cell culture medium for 24 and 72 hours. L929 cells were seeded into 96-well plates at 3 × 10 4 cells/well and cultured with 100 μL eluate from each eluate group. Cells cultured only with culture medium served as control. After 24 hours' incubation, the cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay. Cell viability was calculated as the percentage of the control group, and the results were analyzed with a one-way analysis of variance. Results For the freshly mixed sealer, cell viability in the AH Plus group was less than in all of the other 3 sealer groups. The Tubli-Seal sealer group had less cell viability than the EndoSequence BC and GuttaFlow sealer groups. For the set sealer, the Tubli-Seal and AH Plus groups had less cell viability than the EndoSequence BC and GuttaFlow sealer groups. There was no cell viability difference between the EndoSequence BC and GuttaFlow sealer groups in the either freshly mixed or set sealer group. Conclusions The GuttaFlow and EndoSequence BC sealers have lower cytotoxicity than the AH Plus and Tubli-Seal sealers.
Nanostructure of Au-20% Pd layers in MoS2 multilayer solid lubricant films

Abstract High-resolution electron microscopy imaging and electron and X-ray diffraction techniques have been used to characterize the structure of low and high flux Au-20% Pd layers in Au-20% Pd/MoS 2 multilayer solid lubricant thin films. Images clearly reveal different morphologies for the metal layers in the two flux regimes, which can be correlated to the variation in fracture resistance reported by an earlier indentation study. In the lower metal flux regime, three-dimensional islands with single-crystal and multiply twinned structures are seen, while quasi-continuous, polycrystalline regions are seen in the higher flux case.
Forward/reverse dc bias or ac electroluminescence in poly(p-phenylene vinylene) prepared via sulfonium-salt and xanthate routes

Abstract In light-emitting diodes (LEDs) of standard configuration — Indium-Tin-Oxide (ITO)/polymer/metal, we observed light emission under ac or forward/reverse dc bias, using poly(p-phenylene vinylenes) prepared via the sulfonium salt (S-PPV) or xanthate (X-PPV) routes as active electroluminescent layers. S-PPV devices exhibited approximately symmetrical current-voltage characteristics under forward and reverse dc bias with the same onset voltage. The electroluminescence (EL) spectra either under a dc forward/reverse bias or ac were identical. X-PPV showed EL under reverse bias at higher voltage than in forward bias. Symmetrical current-voltage characteristics in SPPV devices is attributed to ionic impurities present in the polymer.
SOVIET FOREIGN POLICY IN THE GORBACHEVERA: A POST-REALIST EXPLANATION OF STATE ACTION

Understanding the general principles of state action and the practice of governments is a necessary basis for attempts to refine theory or to extend the analysis to non-state actors. Approaches using new concepts may be able to supplement, enrich, or extend a basic theory of state action, but they cannot substitute for it. Robert Keohane (1986, 159)
International Market Entry by U.S. Internet Firms: An Empirical Analysis of Country Risk, National Culture, and Market Size

Internet firms face somewhat unique challenges when expanding abroad. On what basis do U.S. Internet firms choose the international markets they enter? The authors posit that international market entry decisions are based on balancing perceived risks and returns inherent in a foreign target market. Drawing on a sample of almost 7,000 country entry decisions by 179 U.S. Internet firms, they find that country risk, cultural distance, and uncertainty avoidance reduce the likelihood of international market entry, whereas individualism and masculinity increase it. International market size, however, moderates these relationships by weakening the negative effects, while strengthening the positive effects.
Use of susceptibility scoring in conjunction with the genotypic transmission disequilibrium test

We explored the utility of selecting a genetically predisposed subgroup to increase the finding of a genetic signal in the Genetic Analysis Workshop 14 Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism dataset. A subgroup of affected probands with low environmental risk exposures was defined using a susceptibility score calculated from an environmental risk model. Thirty-nine probands with highly positive scores were selected, along with their parents, for use in a genotypic transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) test. We compared the results of the genotypic TDT in this subgroup to the TDT results using all probands and their parents. For some markers, the susceptibility scoring approach resulted in smaller p-values, while for other markers, evidence for a genetic signal weakened. Further explorations into genetic and environmental population characteristics that benefit from this approach are warranted.
Growth Hormone (GH) Secretion during Continuous Infusion of GH-Releasing Peptide: Partial Response Attenuation*

The synthetic hexapeptide GH-releasing peptide (GHRP; SKF the GH concentrations remained above baseline before administration of the iv GHRP bolus in all six subjects. The mass of GH secreted was indirectly determined using waveform-independent deconvolution analysis. Mean GH secretion rates (micrograms per L distribution volume/h) were calculated by dividing the GH mass by the time interval. The GH secretion rates during the infusion period (0900-1430 h) were 2.40 +/- 0.68, 2.47 +/- 0.61, 7.67 +/- 1.86, and 14.75 +/- 2.32 on the saline and GHRP (0.1, 0.3, and 1.0 micrograms/kg.h) infusion days, respectively (P less than 0.05, 1.0 micrograms/kg.h vs. saline). The GH secretion rates after the iv GHRP bolus were 18.28 +/- 3.81, 19.01 +/- 2.03, 11.70 +/- 2.55, and 7.86 +/- 0.80 on the saline and GHRP (0.1, 0.3, and 1.0 micrograms/kg.h) infusion days, respectively (P less than 0.05, 1.0 micrograms/kg.h vs. saline). Compared with the saline infusion, the GH response to GHRP infusions was dose dependent (r = 0.81; P less than 0.001). The GH response to the iv bolus was inversely related to the dose of the preceding 5.5-h continuous GHRP infusion (r = -0.58; P = 0.003), and the total amount of GH secreted (constant infusion plus the bolus infusion periods) was not different among the GHRP doses. Constant GHRP infusion stimulates GH release in man, and partial response attenuation occurs with a subsequent 1.0 micrograms/kg GHRP bolus. We hypothesize that GHRP is active at multiple sites and may act as a functional somatostatin antagonist. Further studies are needed to better determine the site(s) of GHRP action and its potential use as a diagnostic and therapeutic agent.