cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of Surfactants and Antibody Immobilization Strategy on Reducing Nonspecific Protein Interactions for Molecular Recognition Force Microscopy

Specific and nonspecific interactions between antibody-modified probes and substrate-immobilized proteins were monitored by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Probes were modified with anti-ovalbumin IgG antibodies immobilized in either an oriented or a random manner. The oriented immobilization of whole IgG was accomplished through the use of Protein A, and random immobilization was carried out with glutaraldehyde. Nonspecific interactions may lead to false detection of antibody-antigen binding events even when the antigen binding sites are properly positioned by an oriented immobilization strategy. Thus, nonionic and zwitterionic surfactants, including Tween 20, Tween 80, Triton X-100, and CHAPS, were evaluated to determine if nonspecific binding events could be reduced without compromising the desired specific antibody-antigen binding. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and surface plasmon resonance assays were also employed to study antibody-antigen binding as a function of immobilization strategy and surfactant concentration. The data from these studies indicate that Protein A can be used to immobilize whole IgG onto AFM probes for force measurement experiments and that a surfactant is useful for improving the selectivity for such measurements.
Apprehension productivity of police in large U. S. cities

The apprehension productivity of police in a sample of large U.S. cities was analyzed to determine the variations in apprehension rate between cities and within cities, over time, using Part I arrests per sworn officer as an indicator of arrest productivity. It was found that wide variations exist, both between and within cities over time, when arrest productivity is measured by that ratio. When comparing cities, the range in that measure went from a high of 12.06 to a low of 2.18. Changes within cities over the time period 1968 through 1973 varied from as much as a 47.7 percent increase to a 39.4 percent decrease. An analysis was performed to determine whether crime workload (reported Part I crimes) or police resources (sworn officers) had the greater influence on the generation of arrests. Because of multicollinearity between the variables, it was not possible to conclude which had the greater influence.
Catalytic carbonylation of functionalized diamines: application to the core structure of DMP 323 and DMP 450.

W(CO)6-catalyzed carbonylation provides an alternative to phosgene or phosgene derivatives such as 1,1-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) for the conversion of amines to ureas. As an illustration, the core structure of the HIV protease inhibitors DMP 323 and DMP 450 has been prepared by catalytic carbonylation of diamine intermediates from the original syntheses.
Lipid raft redox signaling platforms in endothelial dysfunction.

In response to various stimuli, membrane lipid rafts (LRs) are clustered to aggregate or recruit NADPH oxidase subunits and related proteins in vascular endothelial cells (ECs), forming redox signa...
On the effect of natural resources on interstate war

Many analysts expect that a decline in natural resources and a rise in resource demand will increase the risk of interstate war in the coming decades. Other researchers reject this expectation. Emp...
270. Donepezil augmentation for cognitive impairment in euthymic bipolar patients

administered lateral orbitofrontal rTMS to 7 subjects with GAD. On separate days, subjects received right or left high frequency, right or left low frequency, or placebo rTMS in a counterbalanced, single blind, randomized order. Serial self-rated visual analogue scales measuring anxiety and mood were performed. We hypothesized that right high frequency rTMS would increase anxiety whereas right low frequency rTMS would decrease anxiety based on: (1) data suggesting that the orbitofrontal cortex is important in anticipatory anxiety; (2) studies of healthy volunteers and depressed patients as well as a single case report in a GAD patient suggesting that high frequency prefrontal rTMS temporarily increases anxiety, and (3) the theory that high and low frequency rTMS may have opposite effects on brain function. Preliminary analysis reveals that placebo stimulation significantly decreased anxiety during the hour after stimulation. Also, relative to placebo stimulation, a trend exists suggesting that all the active stimulation types were anxiogenic. There did not appear to be a significant difference in anxiety ratings between the active stimulation cells. These results do not support our hypothesis. In fact, they suggest that single session lateral orbitofrontal stimulation may be anxiogenic, regardless of hemisphere or frequency. Pain with the active stimulation cells may have confounded our results.
Cytokines in fluids from polycystic kidneys.

Cytokines in cyst fluids from polycystic kidneys. We sought evidence of cytokine presence and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) bioactivity in 104 aerobic culture negative cyst fluids (CFs) from 13 kidneys of 13 patients with symptomatic normal to end-stage autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). ELISAs were used to detect IL-1β, interleu-kin-2 (IL-2), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and stromelysin. Prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) was detected by radioimmunoassay. IL-1 β was present in 65 of 94 ( 2 in 9 of 10 fluids (0.03 to 0.49 ng/ml). Of 51 fluids with immunoreactive IL-1/3, 36 were mitogenic for thymocytes. IL-1β concentrations correlated directly with those of IL-2; IL-1β presence was associated with higher stimulation indices, higher mean concentrations of TNFα, IL-2, stromelysin, and PGE 2 , and with positive endotoxin assays, suggesting activation of the cytokine cascade in vivo. Cytokine, stromelysin and PGE 2 concentrations did not correlate with sodium or non-sodium solute concentrations, nor with CF blood, osmolality, or endotoxin activity, indicating that differences in concentrations among fluids could not be explained by differences in water content. These data identify cytokines as candidate contributors to the morbidity and pathogenesis of ADPKD.
Translation as a site of language policy negotiation in Jewish day school education

This article examines how students and teachers at a non-Orthodox Jewish day school in New York City negotiate the use of translation within the context of an institutionalized language policy that stresses the use of a sacred language over that of the vernacular. Specifically, this paper analyzes the negotiation of a Hebrew-only policy through the ethnographic examination of language choices during activities surrounding scripture study and prayer. The ethnographic data reveal not only how the translating choices were linked with the discourses of authenticity, intentionality, and affect, but also how the language policy was challenged in daily classroom practices. A key finding is that choices to translate from the sacred language, Hebrew, to the vernacular, English, were neither ideologically neutral nor simply limited to the linguistic sphere of rendering a sacred text comprehensible. Rather, they offer insight into the ways in which translation practices reflect broader questions regarding religious ...
Structure and AC conductivity of nanocrystalline Yttrium oxide thin films

Abstract Yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3 ) thin films were grown at substrate temperatures (T s ) ranging from room temperature (RT) to 500 °C and their structural and electrical properties were evaluated. The results indicate that Y 2 O 3 films grown at RT-100 °C were amorphous (a-Y 2 O 3 ). Y 2 O 3 films began to show cubic phase (c-Y 2 O 3 ) at T s = 200 °C. The average grain size varies from 5 to 40 nm as a function of T s . Room temperature ac electrical conductivity increases from 0.4 (Ω-m) − 1 to 1.2 (Ω-m) − 1 with increasing T s from RT to 500 °C. The frequency dispersion of the electrical resistivity reveals the hopping conduction mechanism. Frequency dispersion of the electrical resistivity fits to the modified Debye's function, which considers more than one ion contributing to the relaxation process. The mean relaxation time decreases from 2.8 to 1.4 μs with increasing T s indicating that the effect of microstructure of the Y 2 O 3 films is significant on the electrical properties.
Stimulus-secretion coupling processes in brain: dependence upon extracellular calcium concentration.

Abstract The relationship between [Ca 2+ ] 0 and secretion was investigated in crude synaptosomal fractions from the cerebral cortex and the corpus striatum of the rat. The sigmoid nature of the relationship was analyzed with a linearizing modification of the Michaelis-Menten equation. Higher [K + ] 0 increased calcium-dependent release of [ 3 H]dopamine from striatal synaptosomes. Log releaselog [Ca 2+ ] 0 curves were shifted upward and to the left. Higher [K + ] 0 also increased the slope, or sigmoidicity, of the relationship. In the presence of 56 mM [K + ] 0 , release of [ 3 H]dopamine was greater than that of [ 14 C]γ-aminobutyrate from striatal synaptosomes at all the [Ca 2+ ] 0 tested. The differences in release resulted simply from an upward shift of the curves, as no differences were observed in either the apparent K m for calcium or the sigmoidicity of the relationship. Release of [ 14 C]γ-aminobutyrate from cortical and striatal synaptosomes was also investigated. KCl-facilitated, calcium-dependent release of γ-aminobutyrate from cortical synaptosomes was greater than release from striatal synaptosomes. In addition to an upward shift of the log release-log [Ca 2+ ] 0 plot, the curve for cortical synaptosomes exhibited less sigmoidicity. No differences in the K m for calcium were observed. The similarity of K m values for calcium of the secretion systems for different transmitters and for different regions suggests that a similar rate-limiting process(es) may exist in the different secretion systems. However, the differences in sigmoidicity and maximal rates of secretion suggest that the systems do differ in at least some aspects.
External iliac and common iliac artery angioplasty and stenting in men and women.

Abstract Objective: The effect of anatomic location of stent placement on the outcome of iliac artery angioplasty and stenting is not defined. Analyses of patency rates of external iliac artery (EIA) and common iliac artery (CIA) stents have provided conflicting results and have not considered men and women independently. The purpose of this study was to estimate the influence of the anatomic location of stenting on the outcome of iliac angioplasty and stent placement in both men and women. Methods: From 1995 to 1999, 247 iliac angioplasty and stent placement procedures (303 stents) were performed in 67 women and 122 men, and all were included in a retrospective cohort study. The criteria prepared by the Ad Hoc Committee on Reporting Standards (Society for Vascular Surgery/International Society for Cardiovascular Surgery) were followed. The TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus classification was used to characterize the type of iliac lesions. Both univariate (Kaplan-Meier [KM]) and multivariate analyses (Cox proportional hazards model) were used to determine the association among the variables, cumulative patency, limb salvage, and survival. Results: Indications for iliac angioplasty with stenting were disabling claudication (65%), limb salvage (33%), and blue toe syndrome (2%). Primary stenting was performed in 103 procedures (42%). Stents were placed selectively after iliac angioplasty mainly for residual stenosis or pressure gradient (43%). Patients with EIA stents, as compared with those who had CIA stents, had more extensive lesions (TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus type C lesions), poorer runoff, smaller vessel size, and less frequency of hyperlipidemia ( P P =.001), stratified analyses revealed that women with EIA stents had the poorest outcome, with 61%, 47%, and 23% primary patency rates at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively, (KM, log-rank test, P P Conclusions: Women undergoing EIA angioplasty with stent placement have significantly reduced primary patency rates. Despite initial technical success, these patients are at increased risk of long-term failure and might require subsequent procedures to obtain clinical success. Conversely, men undergoing EIA stenting have a more favorable outcome than women. (J Vasc Surg 2001;34:440-6.)
Eponymous, anonymous: Queen Anne's sign and the misnaming of a symptom.

Tracing the historical origins of an eponymous medical sign can be fraught with dilemmas, particularly when the evidence for the naming comes from portraiture. Laterally truncated eyebrows, a sign ...
Opening the axion window

Abstract In this paper I consider models where the strong CP problem is solved by means of a Peccei-Quinn symmetry carried by exotic colored fermions. An example is Kim's recently proposed composite invisible axion model. Axions from such models don't couple to electrons, and have model dependent photon couplings which may differ from the standard coupling by a factor of 10 −2 − 10 +1 . As a result, laboratory detection of relic axions may be very difficult, and astrophysical bounds on the axion mass are weakened. Pulsar observations place no strong bound on such an axion unless the core is known not to be superfluid. Normal fusion stars allow an axion mass as large as m a ⋍ 20 eV for certain models.
Photoactive Chitosan: A Step Toward a Green Strategy for Pollutant Degradation

This article is a highlight of the paper by Ferrari et al. in this issue of Photochemistry and Photobiology. It describes the innovative use of rose bengal-conjugated chitosan as a reusable green catalyst that photo-degrades phenolic compounds in aqueous media, and thereby has decontamination potential of polluted waters. Whether a next-generation photoactive polymer that produces singlet oxygen is a solution to pollutant degradation can be argued. It is as yet unclear what polymeric sensitizer would be practical on a large scale. Nonetheless pursuing this goal is worthwhile.
A novel and efficient method for power pad placement optimization

In this paper, we propose a novel and efficient iterative method for pad placement optimization of power grid with flip chip technology. Power grid with optimized pad placement has less IR-drop values. We develop a new method to calculate new locations of all pads. Placing pads at the new locations reduces local IR-drop values. In order to reduce global IR-drop values, we develop a graph-based strategy to decide which pads are moved to the new locations. After each movement of the pads, a static IR-drop analysis is performed. We develop multigrid accelerated modified Simulated Annealing method (MG_SA) and compare it with the proposed method on a set of test cases. Experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms MG_SA with similar or less IR-drop values and much less runtime.
Towards total scene understanding: Classification, annotation and segmentation in an automatic framework

Given an image, we propose a hierarchical generative model that classifies the overall scene, recognizes and segments each object component, as well as annotates the image with a list of tags. To our knowledge, this is the first model that performs all three tasks in one coherent framework. For instance, a scene of a `polo game' consists of several visual objects such as `human', `horse', `grass', etc. In addition, it can be further annotated with a list of more abstract (e.g. `dusk') or visually less salient (e.g. `saddle') tags. Our generative model jointly explains images through a visual model and a textual model. Visually relevant objects are represented by regions and patches, while visually irrelevant textual annotations are influenced directly by the overall scene class. We propose a fully automatic learning framework that is able to learn robust scene models from noisy Web data such as images and user tags from Flickr.com. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework by automatically classifying, annotating and segmenting images from eight classes depicting sport scenes. In all three tasks, our model significantly outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms.
Cellular/Tissue Engineering

This article briefly reviews a few important technical challenges in the field of tissue engineering and describes current and potential strategies to advance the engineering of functional skeletal muscle toward potential clinical use in the repair of muscle damage.
What accounts for integrated reading-to-write task scores?:

Reading-to-write (RTW) tasks are becoming increasingly popular and have already been used in several high-stakes English proficiency exams, either replacing or complementing a prompt-based essay test. However, it is still not clear that what accounts for successful or unsuccessful performance on an integrated reading–writing task is owing to the hybrid nature of reading and writing skills and to potential rater effects on test score variability. Thus, in this study, data-driven analytic rubrics for the RTW task were developed first. Then, the analytic subscores of 83 college ESL students’ responses to the RTW task were obtained. Correlational analyses were first used for the data to explore the relationship of the writing and reading skills engaged in different aspects of the RTW task. A multivariate G-study was also applied to examine the degree of variability attributable to test takers and raters on analytic subscores. The results indicate that a RTW task may tap into both reading and writing abilities...
Congenital coronary aneurysms with angina pectoris and myocardial infarction treated with saphenous vein bypass graft.

Abstract A young woman with bilateral congenital coronary arterial aneurysms associated with myocardial infarction and angina pectoris was successfully treated with a saphenous vein bypass graft. Possible clinical and laboratory manifestations of such aneurysms are discussed, and possible complications of saphenous vein graft surgery in treatment of this lesion are noted. The finding of coronary arterial aneurysms during coronary arteriography warrants close follow-up study since in many patients the lesion appears to progress to myocardial infarction.
Interaction between the neural crest and extracellular matrix proteins in craniofacial skeletogenesis.

11 This additional skeletogenic potential of the cranial neural crest makes it qualitatively different from trunk neural crest and, in some ways, similar to mesodermal tissue. One skeletal derivative of the cranial neural crest is Meckel's cartilage. Meckel's cartilage is a central rod of cartilage that runs the length of the developing mandible.11 ~14 Initially, the mandibular skeleton consists only of Meckel's cartilage, which presumably functions developmentally as a skeletal element. Later, Meckel's cartilage becomes surrounded by six membranous bones.1113 In birds this cartilage persists into adult life,1115 but in mammals it is only a temporary structure that disappears within the body of the mandible.1116 The role of Meckel's cartilage in mammalian mandibular bone formation and even basic information on the migratory patterns and differentiative fates of mammalian neural crest cells are not well understood.
Immunohistochemical evidence for the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger in squid olfactory neurons

The olfactory organs from the squid Lolliguncula brevis are composed of a pseudostratified epithelium containing five morphological subtypes of chemosensory neurons and ciliated support cells. Physiological recordings have been made from two of the subtypes and only the type 4 neuron has been studied in detail. Odour-stimulated increases in intracellular calcium and rapid activation of an electrogenic Na+/Ca2+ exchanger current in type 4 neurons suggest that the exchanger proteins are localized very close to the transduction machinery. Electrophysiological studies have shown that olfactory signal transduction takes place in the apical ciliary regions of olfactory neurons. Using polyclonal antiserum against squid Na+/Ca2+ proteins, we observed specific staining in the ciliary region of cells that resemble type 2, 3, 4 and 5 neurons. Staining was also observed in axon bundles, and in muscle tissue. Collectively, these data support the model that Na+/Ca2+ exchanger proteins are localized to transduction machinery in cilia of type 4 neurons and suggest that the other olfactory subtypes also use Ca2+ during chemosensory responses.
Outcome of Patients with Right Ventricular Failure on Milrinone after Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation

Purpose The purpose of this study was to separate out patients with right ventricular (RV) failure after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation into those who required prolonged Milrinone therapy versus right ventricular assist device (RVAD) and to analyze outcomes in each of these subgroups. Methods and Materials From March 2006 through July 2011, one hundred patients underwent implantation of a continuous flow LVAD (93 HeartMate II and 7 HeartWare devices) as a bridge to transplant (n=68) and destination therapy (n=32). Postoperative RV failure occurred in eleven patients - six who were treated with prolonged Milrinone and five who underwent RVAD placement. Results Patients with RV failure had significantly reduced survival compared to patients without RV failure (p=0.007). However, this was only for patients who required RVADs who had a 1-month, 6-month, and 12-month survival of 40.0%, 20.0%, and 20.0%, respectively, versus 97.0%, 91.0%, and 85.0% for patients without RV failure (p figure 1 ] All patients on Milrinone were successfully discharged from the hospital. Milrinone was weaned off in five patients at 17 days, 18 days, 3 months in two patients, and 4.5 months. One patient on Milrinone was transplanted at 9 months. Conclusions Patients with post-LVAD RV failure requiring prolonged Milrinone have similar outcomes as non-RV failure LVAD patients. However, as LVADs become a more widely used therapy for refractory, end-stage heart failure, it will be important to reduce the incidence of RV failure, as it yields significant morbidity and increases cost.
Large acceptance magnetic spectrometers for polarized deep inelastic electron scattering

The design of two magnetic spectrometers for the measurement of the spin-dependent structure function g/sub 1//sup n/ of the neutron and a test of the Bjorken sum rule are described. The measurement consists of scattering 23-GeV polarized electrons off a polarized /sup 3/He target and detecting scattered electrons of 7 to 18 GeV at 4.5 degrees and 7 degrees . Each spectrometer is based on two large aperture dipole magnets bending in opposite directions. Proper choice of the deflection angles and the distance between the two dipoles in each spectrometer allows a tolerable background. Each spectrometer is equipped with a pair of Cerenkov detectors, a pair of scintillation hodoscopes, and a lead-glass shower calorimeter providing electron and pion identification with angular and momentum resolutions sufficient for the experimental measurement. >
Comparing NursePractitioners and Physicians A Simulation Study on Processes of Care

The question "where is the 'nurse' in the nurse-practitioner" is addressed by comparing processes of care employed by nurse-practitioners (NP) and physicians (MD) in the overall management of commonly occurring problems in primary care practice. Subjects in a nonrandom sample of 15 NPs and 11 MDs independently described their proposed management of two pediatric and two adult hypothetical cases. NP and MD responses were compared to identify differences in the inclusion of explicit process criteria items in the following categories: problem assessment, diagnostic plan, therapeutic plan, health education, follow-up. The differences between NPs and MDs were almost entirely in the NPs' more frequent inclusion of expressive "caring" functions which have traditionally been the focus of nursing practice. The extent to which "care" as well as "cure" process variables affect outcome measures is discussed with regard to testing the effectiveness of the "care" component of health services, regardless of the professional identity of the provider.
Management of Infants with Apnea and Potential Apnea A Survey of Pediatric Opinion

Conflicting opinions and inadequate data have led to confusion regarding the relationship of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and infantile apnea. Consensus regarding appropriate eval uation and management strategies for infants presumed at risk has not been reached. This study surveyed pediatric opinion regarding these issues. Questionnaires were mailed to 1000 randomly selected members of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and to faculty at all approved U.S. pediatric residency programs. Results indicated that respondents as a group were uncertain about the relationship between SIDS and apnea. Most respondents would (1) initially evaluate infants presenting with apnea at either a hospital or an apnea evaluation center, (2) refer subsequent siblings of SIDS infants to an apnea center, and (3) recommend no intervention, but provide reassurance, to anxious parents requesting a "test for SIDS" for a normal newborn. Respondents' comments showed diverse opinions regarding appropriate evaluation and manage...
Pedagogy of Reflective Writing in Professional Education

Educators in professional programs are challenged to utilize pedagogical approaches that best prepare students with knowledge, values, and skills for professional practice. Providing academic content alone may not provide the problem-solving skills necessary for practice in a complex world in which practitioners must analyze, evaluate, and revise knowledge. Thus, reflective process becomes a core skill for functioning effectively in a diverse and complex practice environment. Analysis of data from focus groups with social work students is presented. Implications for using reflective writing are discussed as a pedagogical tool for preparing students for professional practice.
Role of Cyclin Kinase Inhibitor p21 in Systemic Autoimmunity

The cyclin kinase inhibitor protein p21 affects multiple processes relevant to the immune system, including cell cycle progression, replicative senescence, hemopoietic stem cell quiescence, and apoptosis. Therefore, malfunction of this protein may be a contributor to the pathogenesis of systemic autoimmunity. Here, we report that mixed background p21-deficient 129/Sv x C57BL/6 mice showed increased in vitro and in vivo T cell cycling and activation, moderate hypergammaglobulinemia and, at low penetrance, anti-chromatin autoantibodies. Homeostatic anti-self MHC/peptide ligand-induced proliferation of p21-deficient T cells was also enhanced. However, lymphoid organ enlargement was very mild, presumably due to increased apoptosis of the rapidly dividing cells. Moreover, the older p21-deficient mice had kidney pathology representing a similar, but slightly more advanced, state than that seen in the control mice. The timing and severity of the above serologic, cellular, and histologic manifestations in p21-deficient mice were unaffected by gender. Thus, p21 deficiency significantly enhances T cell activation and homeostatic proliferation, and can induce mild autoimmune manifestations at a low incidence without gender bias, but does not in itself generate the full spectrum of lupus-like disease.
Angus Maddison. The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective. Paris: OECD, 2001. 383 pp. £44 cloth; £19 paper.

According to Angus Maddison, the last millennium turned out well economically; world population increased twenty-two fold, per capita income, thirteen fold, and Gross Domestic Product (GDP), three hundred fold. In 1000 AD, the average infant could expect to live to age twenty-four, today, to age sixty-six. In recent centuries, the most rapid growth has been in Western and Central Europe, North America and Japan, but in the last fifty years, a “Resurgent Asia” demonstrates that catch up is possible. Not all the news is good. Growth has been unequal. In the last eighty years, the gap between the richest regions and the rest of the world has grown; in 1820 it was 2:1, in 1998 7:1.
A potentially critical role of phospholipases in central nervous system ischemic, traumatic, and neurodegenerative disorders

Phospholipases are a diverse group of enzymes whose activation may be responsible for the development of injury following insult to the brain. Amongst the numerous isoforms of phospholipase proteins expressed in mammals are 19 different phospholipase A2's (PLA2s), classified functionally as either secretory, calcium dependent, or calcium independent, 11 isozymes belonging to three structural groups of PLC, and 3 PLD gene products. Many of these phospholipases have been identified in selected brain regions. Under normal conditions, these enzymes regulate the turnover of free fatty acids (FFAs) in membrane phospholipids affecting membrane stability, fluidity, and transport processes. The measurement of free fatty acids thus provides a convenient method to follow phospholipase activity and their regulation. Phospholipase activity is also responsible for the generation of an extensive list of intracellular messengers including arachidonic acid metabolites. Phospholipases are regulated by many factors including selective phosphorylation, intracellular calcium and pH. However, under abnormal conditions, excessive phospholipase activation, along with a decreased ability to resynthesize membrane phospholipids, can lead to the generation of free radicals, excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis/necrosis. This review evaluates the critical contribution of the various phospholipases to brain injury following ischemia and trauma and in neurodegenerative diseases.
The Size of Macronuclear DNA and Its Relationship to Models for Maintaining Genic Balance

Synopsis. A considerable amount of evidence is now available to indicate that the DNA in the ciliates Oxytricha and Stylonychia undergoes fragmentation when the micronucleus forms a macronucleus. Some evidence suggests that fragmentation may also occur in Tetrahymena and possibly in Paramecium. It is shown that some regulatory or nonrandom segregational mechanism must operate during cell divisions to maintain genic balance in Tetrahymena. Both the hypothesis of macronuclear subunits and also a new hypothesis based on replicative control of DNA are capable of explaining the currently know biochemical, cytological, and genetic facts.
Electrical conductivity measurements in liquid metals by rotational technique

The rotational contactless inductive measurement technique has been developed to measure the electrical conductivity of liquid metals. This method is based on the phenomena when a conductor material rotates in a magnetic field, circulating eddy currents are induced and generate a damping torque proportional to the electrical resistivity of the material. The technique was tested to measure the conductivity of five conductors and one low melting composite (LMA-158).
The effects of cauda epididymal plasma on the motility and acrosome reaction of hamster and guinea pig spermatozoa in vitro

Hamster cauda epididymal plasma (CEP) was found to sustain the motility of hamster epididymal spermatozoa in vitro. The active component was stable to boiling and its elution volume on Sephadex G-10 was identical to that of the heat stable “sperm motility factor” (SMF) found in several other body tissues and fluids, including spermatozoa. These observations suggest that the sperm motility stimulating activity in hamster CEP may be due to the presence of SMF, which could thus serve to maintain adequate levels of SMF within cauda epididymal spermatozoa. Inclusion of hamster CEP in the culture medium inhibited the acrosome reaction of hamster and guinea pig spermatozoa in vitro; inhibitory activity was not lost following dialysis. We infer that inhibitory substances present in hamster CEP may be one means by which the environment within the male reproductive tract is rendered unfavorable for the occurrence of acrosome reactions.
Gene quests and the social ethics of research

(1994). Gene quests and the social ethics of research. Amyloid: Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 283-285.
Combining stimulus fading, reinforcement, and extinction to treat food refusal

The food refusal of a 6-year-old girl with destructive behavior was treated using stimulus fading, reinforcement, and escape extinction. Intake increased and compliance with prompting procedures remained relatively stable despite the increased consumption requirement.
Usage Management in Cloud Computing

User concerns regarding data handling within the cloud will gain increasing importance as cloud computing becomes more pervasive. Existing service level agreement (SLA) frameworks are not designed for flexibly handling even relatively straightforward usage policies. This paper introduces the notion and importance of usage management in cloud computing. It provides an analysis of features and challenges involved in deploying a usage management framework over a distributed cloud environment to enable automated and actionable interpretation, reasoning and enforcement of usage policies. Finally, a preliminary architecture for such a framework is proposed.
The deflecting multicast switch

We introduce a novel multicast switching paradigm, the deflecting multicast switch (DMS), which accomplishes the replication and routing functions of a multicast switch simultaneously. The architecture is shown to have low connection complexity and can be implemented in a modular fashion. A self-routing and self-replication algorithm with minimal control overhead is described which allows for distributed control of these functions. A key requirement of ATM, namely the maintenance of cell sequence in a session, is easily ensured. Analytical results are presented for the calculation of the cell loss probability, the number of stages to guarantee an upper bound on the cell loss probability and the buffer delays. For the case of uniform traffic patterns, numerical results are presented which exhibit the number of stages required for a fixed cell loss probability as well as the buffer delays.
Manipulation of the ZGS Beam for Targeting

The feeding of as many as four experimental areas from a single ZGS pulse calls for a flexible system for controlling the spill of the beam. The beam is displaced radially into as many as four targets plunged into position after radial damping of the beam has occurred. Beam spills have been adjusted in time duration from 5 microseconds to 500 milliseconds during a flat-top period of the main magnet cycle. Spills shorter than about 0.5 millisecond are accomplished by a pulsed magnetic bump which displaces the orbit center. Spills longer than about 0.2 milliseconds are accomplished by programmed adjustment of the accelerating rf so as to expand or contract the orbit radius. Radiation level monitors in the vicinity of the targets or in the experimental beam lines are used to feedback a signal into the rf program which results in the reduction of spill irregularities due to main magnet ripple and other noises. Such a spill has rf structure and is "on" from 25% to 50% of the time. The repeatability for placing the beam into a given position for targeting is about 0.01 inch without employing feedback from radiation level monitors. A description of the equipment and instrumentation is given along with the performance.
The Impact of the Alexander Technique on Improving Posture and Surgical Ergonomics During Minimally Invasive Surgery: Pilot Study

Purpose: One of the main ergonomic challenges during surgical procedures is surgeon posture. There have been reports of a high number of work related injuries in laparoscopic surgeons. The Alexande...
UBVR and Hubble Space Telescope Mid-Ultraviolet and Near-Infrared Surface Photometry and Radial Color Gradients of Late-Type, Irregular, and Peculiar Galaxies*

We introduce a data set of 142 mostly late-type spiral, irregular, and peculiar (interacting or merging) nearby galaxies observed in UBVR at the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT), and we present an analysis of their radial color gradients. We confirm that nearby elliptical and early- to mid-type spiral galaxies show either no or only small color gradients, becoming slightly bluer with radius. In contrast, we find that late-type spiral, irregular, peculiar, and merging galaxies become on average redder with increasing distance from the center. The scatter in radial color gradient trends increases toward later Hubble type. As a preliminary analysis of a larger data set obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we also analyze the color gradients of six nearby galaxies observed with NICMOS in the near-IR (H) and with WFPC2 in the mid-UV (F300W) and red (F814W). We discuss the possible implications of these results on galaxy formation and compare our nearby galaxy color gradients to those at high redshift. We present examples of images and UBVR radial surface brightness and color profiles, as well as of the tables of measurements; the full atlas and tables are published in the electronic edition only.
Relationship between cardiac quiescent periods derived from seismocardiography and echocardiography

The seismocardiogram (SCG) is a measure of chest wall acceleration due to cardiac motion that could potentially supplement the electrocardiogram (ECG) to more reliably predict cardiac quiescence. Accurate prediction is critical for modalities requiring minimal motion during imaging data acquisition, such as cardiac computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For seven healthy subjects, SCG and B-mode echocardiography were used to identify quiescent periods on a beat-by-beat basis. Quiescent periods were detected as time intervals when the magnitude of the velocity signals calculated from SCG and echocardiography were less than a specified threshold. The quiescent periods detected from SCG were compared to those detected from B-mode echocardiography. The quiescent periods of the SCG were found to occur before those detected by echocardiography. A linear relationship between the delay from SCG- to echocardiography-detected phases with respect to heart rate was found. This delay could potentially be used to predict cardiac quiescence from SCG-observed quiescence for use with cardiac imaging modalities such as CT and MRI.
Infrastructure Investment: A State, Local, and Private Responsibility

Despite huge and ongoing budget deficits, some policymakers are proposing to increase federal spending on infrastructure. President Obama, for example, has called for passage of a $50 billion plan for new infrastructure investment. The president and other leaders believe that more federal spending on roads, rail, and other assets would boost growth and create jobs. The U.S. economy certainly needs infrastructure. The important policy issue, however, is who can deliver it most efficiently — the federal government, state and local governments, or the private sector. To maximize benefits, infrastructure spending should be allocated to the highest valued projects and constructed in the most cost-effective manner. Yet decades of experience show that when the federal government gets involved in infrastructure, investment often gets bogged down in politics, mismanagement, and cost overruns. This bulletin discusses the advantages of devolving infrastructure activities to the states and the private sector. It examines the global trend toward greater reliance on businesses to finance, design, build, and manage facilities such as highways, bridges, and airports. Policymakers should study these innovations and work to reduce barriers to private infrastructure investment in the United States.
RETHINKING THE SOCIOLOGY OF WORK, WORKERS AND THE WORKPLACE

The sociology of work has long been central to theory and research in industrial relations. Nevertheless, changes in the nature of work and employment relations over the past three decades have created a need to rethink some of the central concepts by which we study work, workers and the workplace. I briefly discuss some of these major changes and then summarise some of the challenges they pose for the sociology of work and industrial relations. These include the need to rethink how we conceptualise employment relations, organisations, worker agency, occupations and space. Meeting these challenges also provides opportunities for sociologists of work to contribute to public policy.
Introduction: Tectonics, volcanism, and stratigraphy within the evolving transform margin north of San Francisco Bay, California

The geology and tectonic history of the northern San Francisco Bay (North Bay) region, California, has not previously been studied in great detail despite the proximity of major population centers to the San Andreas Fault system. Here, the transition from subduction to transform margin tectonics
Nonlinear System Identification Applied to the Biomechanical Response of the Human Trunk during Sudden Loading

Current techniques in biomechanics are not sufficient for modeling sudden loads. Modeling techniques used in intelligent system identification, where self-adapting basis functions identify time-varying model parameters, may provide a superior method for describing human trunk dynamics during sudden loading. By deriving time-varying system dynamics, more insight is gained into how the trunk responds to sudden loads. Six males were subjected to sudden loads with varying conditions of expectation, fatigue, and training. Electromyographical and trunk motion data were recorded, and processed using a novel system identification algorithm to yield dependent measures of peak and average trunk stiffness, peak muscular torque, work, and impulse. This system identification model yielded valid, accurate, and robust results with minor experimental cost. The model calculated physiologically valid stiffness magnitudes ranging from an average stiffness mean of 532 Nm/rad (standard deviation = 306 Nm/rad) to a peak stiffness mean of 1314 Nm/rad (standard deviation = 814 Nm/rad). The model root mean square accurately predicted empirical angular displacement at a value of 0.1˚. Across varying model inputs, dependent variable output magnitudes differed by less than 5%. On average, the model required 4000 iterations per trial (less than 5 minutes per trial) to converge and obtain dependent variable output. Model output indicated that expectation significantly increased peak and average stiffness (p<0.0001) by 70% and 113% respectively, and significantly decreased peak torque, work, and impulse magnitudes (p<0.0001) by 36%, 63%, and 56% respectively; training significantly decreased peak torque and work magnitudes (p<0.05) by 25% and 36% respectively; the interaction of expected loads with training significantly increased peak and average stiffness (p<0.05) by 17% and 20% respectively, and decreased impulse magnitude (p<0.05) by 53%; and the interaction of unexpected loads with fatigue significantly decreased work and impulse magnitudes (p<0.05) by 23% and 17% respectively. These results led to workplace recommendations that could potentially reduce low back pain. This intelligent system identification approach is easy to implement and has potential application to address a multitude of research questions in the field of biomechanics.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Electrochemical Properties of a Series of Sterically Varied Iron(II) Alkoxide Precursors and Their Resultant Nanoparticles

A new family of iron(II) aryloxide [Fe(OAr)2(py)x] precursors was synthesized from the alcoholysis of iron(II) mesityl [Fe(Mes)2] in pyridine (py) using a series of sterically varied 2-alkyl phenols (alkyl = methyl (H-oMP), isopropyl (H-oPP), tert-butyl (H-oBP)) and 2,6-dialkyl phenols (alkyl = methyl (H-DMP), isopropyl (H-DIP), tert-butyl (H-DBP), phenyl (H-DPhP)). All of the products were found to be mononuclear and structurally characterized as [Fe(OAr)2(py)x] (x = 3 OAr = oMP (1), oPP (2), oBP (3), DMP (4), DIP (5); x = 2 OAr = DBP (6), DPhP (7)). The use of tris-tert-butoxysilanol (OSi(OBut)3 = TOBS) led to isolation of [Fe(TOBS)2(py)2] (8). The new Fe(OAr)2(py)x (1–6) were found, under solvothermal conditions, to produce nanodots identified by PXRD as the γ-maghemite phase. The model precursor 3 and the nanoparticles 6n were evaluated using electrochemical methods. Cyclic voltammetry for 3 revealed multiple irreversible oxidation peaks, which have been tentatively attributed to the loss of alkoxide ...
Mechanical properties and damage characterization of triaxial braided composites in environmental conditions

Under environmental conditions, triaxial braided composites exhibit complex behavior and damage mechanisms. This paper investigates the damage mechanisms of these complex composites under varying e...
Analysis of Shear Lag Effect of Steel and Concrete Composite Box Girders

Based on the basic principle of warping displacement function setting,a series of parabolic warping displacement functions that meet the basic warping mode of concrete composite box girders were selected for the proposed approach. The energy variation principle was applied to establish the governing differential equations and corresponding natural boundary conditions in consideration of the effect of shear lag. Then the analytical solutions to typical simply supported composite girders under mid-span concentrated load were derived. The static calculation examples verified the rationality and applicability of selecting quadratic parabolic warping displacement functions. Meanwhile,the measured results and the analytical solutions were compared with the finite element calculations so as to confirm the effectiveness of the approach. The calculation formula based on energy principle can meet the practical needs in engineering and the calculation is simple.
Comparative Analysis on Control and Protection System of ±800 kV UHVDC and ±500kV HVDC

Unlike the traditional DC project,the pole of UHVDC consisted of two 12-pulse converters connected in series. This paper describes the way of a by-passed converter start /exit when the pole is in full operation and the firing angle control of that time,the firing angle control of rectifier and inverter in steady-state operation;it also compares the by-pass breaker protection and the 2 out of 3 protection model with its advantages.
Development and characterization of Sindbis virus with encoded fluorescent RNA aptamer Spinach2 for imaging of replication and immune-mediated changes in intracellular viral RNA.

Viral RNA studies often rely on in situ hybridization and reverse transcriptase-PCR to provide snapshots of RNA dynamics in infected cells. To facilitate analysis of cellular RNAs, aptamers Spinach and Spinach2 that bind and activate the conditional fluorophore 3, 5-difluoro-4-hydroxybenzylidene imidazolinon have been developed. To determine the feasibility of applying this technology to viral RNA, we have used cDNA clones of the TE strain of Sindbis virus (SINV) to construct multiple viruses containing one or two copies of tRNA-scaffolded Spinach2 after a second subgenomic promoter, TEds-1Sp and TEds-2Sp within the 3′UTR, TE-1UTRSp, or after a second subgenomic promoter and in the 3′UTR, TEds-1Sp+1 UTRSp. TEds-1Sp+1 UTRSp gave the brightest signal and replicated well in cell culture, while TEds-2Sp was the dimmest and replicated poorly. Selection of baby hamster kidney cells infected with TEds-1Sp+1 UTRSp for improved signal intensity identified a virus with a stronger signal and point mutations in the tRNA scaffold. Imaging of SINV in BHK cells showed RNA to be concentrated in filopodia that contacted and transferred RNA to adjacent cells. The effect of treatment with anti-E2 antibody, which effects non-cytolytic clearance of SINV from neurons, on viral RNA was cell-type-dependent. In antibody-treated BHK cells, intracellular viral RNA increased and spread of infection continued. In undifferentiated and differentiated AP7 neuronal cells antibody treatment induced viral RNA clearance. Both viruses with two inserted aptamers were prone to deletion. These studies form the basis for further development of aptamer-labelled viral RNAs that will facilitate functional studies on the dynamics of infection and clearance.