cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in solvent exposure reveal the kinetics and equilibria of adsorbed protein unfolding in hydrophobic interaction chromatography.

Abstract Hydrogen exchange has been a useful technique for studying the conformational state of proteins, both in bulk solution and at interfaces, for several decades. Here, we propose a physically based model of simultaneous protein adsorption, unfolding and hydrogen exchange in HIC. An accompanying experimental protocol, utilizing mass spectrometry to quantify deuterium labeling, enables the determination of both the equilibrium partitioning between conformational states and pseudo-first order rate constants for folding and unfolding of adsorbed protein. Unlike chromatographic techniques, which rely on the interpretation of bulk phase behavior, this methodology utilizes the measurement of a molecular property (solvent exposure) and provides insight into the nature of the unfolded conformation in the adsorbed phase. Three model proteins of varying conformational stability, α-chymotrypsinogen A, β-lactoglobulin B, and holo α-lactalbumin, are studied on Sepharose™ HIC resins possessing assorted ligand chemistries and densities. α-Chymotrypsinogen, conformationally the most stable protein in the set, exhibits no change in solvent exposure at all the conditions studied, even when isocratic pulse-response chromatography suggests nearly irreversible adsorption. Apparent unfolding energies of adsorbed β-lactoglobulin B and holo α-lactalbumin range from −4 to 3 kJ/mol and are dependent on resin properties and salt concentration. Characteristic pseudo-first order rate constants for surface-induced unfolding are 0.2–0.9 min −1 . While poor protein recovery in HIC is often associated with irreversible unfolding, this study documents that non-eluting behavior can occur when surface unfolding is reversible or does not occur at all. Further, this hydrogen exchange technique can be used to assess the conformation of adsorbed protein under conditions where the protein is non-eluting and chromatographic methods are not applicable.
Efficient learning of VAM-based representation of 3D targets and its active vision applications

There has been a considerable interest in using active vision for various applications. This interest is primarily because active vision can enhance machine vision capabilities by dynamically changing the camera parameters based on the content of the scene. An important issue in active vision is that of representing 3D targets in a manner that is invariant to changing camera configurations. This paper addresses this representation issue for a robotic active vision system. An efficient Vector Associative Map (VAM)-based learning scheme is proposed to learn a joint-based representation. Computer simulations and experiments are first performed to evaluate the effectiveness of this scheme using the University of Illinois Active Vision System (UIAVS). The invariance property of the learned representation is then exploited to develop several robotic applications. These include, detecting moving targets, saccade control, planning saccade sequences and controlling a robot manipulator.
Involvement of nitric oxide synthase in the delayed vasodilator response to ultraviolet light irradiation of rat skin in vivo.

1. The role of nitric oxide synthase and cyclo-oxygenase in the skin blood flow response to ultraviolet light B (u.v.B) irradiation was investigated in the rat in vivo. 2. Local skin blood flow changes were measured in the shaved dorsal skin of anaesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats with a laser Doppler flow probe. 3. u.v.B irradiation caused delayed onset vasodilation and by 18 h basal blood flow increased by 125 +/- 25% (P canavanine = L-NMMA. The effect of L-NAME was reversed partially by the co-injection of an excess of L-arginine. 6. Topical application of the corticosteroid, clobetasol 17-propionate, immediately after irradiation inhibited the 18 h u.v.B response in a dose-dependent manner. 7. The delayed onset microcirculatory vasodilation induced by u.v.B involves both nitric oxide synthase and cyclo-oxygenase in this in vivo model. Topical corticosteroids may attenuate the response by inhibiting both prostaglandin and nitric oxide synthesis pathways.
Source apportionment of visual impairment during the California regional PM10/PM2.5 air quality study

Abstract Gases and particulate matter predictions from the UCD/CIT air quality model were used in a visibility model to predict source contributions to visual impairment in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), the southern portion of California's Central Valley, during December 2000 and January 2001. Within the SJV, daytime (0800–1700 PST) light extinction was dominated by scattering associated with airborne particles. Measured daytime particle scattering coefficients were compared to predicted values at approximately 40 locations across the SJV after correction for the increased temperature and decreased relative humidity produced by “smart heaters” placed upstream of nephelometers. Mean fractional bias and mean fractional error were −0.22 and 0.65, respectively, indicating reasonable agreement between model predictions and measurements. Particulate water, nitrate, organic matter, and ammonium were the major particulate species contributing to light scattering in the SJV. Daytime light extinction in the SJV averaged between December 25, 2000 and January 7, 2001 was mainly associated with animal ammonia sources (28%), diesel engines (18%), catalyst gasoline engines (9%), other anthropogenic sources (9%), and wood smoke (7%) with initial and boundary conditions accounting for 13%. The source apportionment results from this study apply to wintertime conditions when airborne particulate matter concentrations are typically at their annual maximum. Further study would be required to quantify source contributions to light extinction in other seasons.
Radioactive decay of 110mAg

Abstract The γ-rays from 110 m Ag have been measured with a Ge(Li) spectrometer. Several weak transitions were found which are compared with the results of other recent measurements and with a recently proposed 110 Cd level scheme.
Design of a Long-Lived Thyrotropin Antagonist from Derivatives of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin*

Previous studies have revealed that desialylated forms of hCG have a high potency to inhibit both the binding of bovine TSH (bTSH) to human thyroid membranes and the bTSH-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity therein. The biological activities of these desialylated forms, however, are greatly reduced in vivo due to the high affinity of asialo-glycoproteins for hepatic receptors and their consequent rapid clearance from the circulation. Intact purified hCG (hCGp), on the other hand, has little affinity for hepatic receptors and has a relatively long half-life in vivo, but displays only negligible inhibitory potency in the human thyroid. In the present studies, we have sought to obtain one or more compounds derived from hCG that are able to inhibit binding to TSH to the high affinity receptor in human thyroid membranes, and, consequently, could inhibit the stimulatory effect of TSH and Graves' immunoglobulin G and which also display a relatively low affinity for the hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptor and, ...
Dynamic properties of charmonium

Nonrelativistic quark models of charmonia are tested by comparison of theoretical charmonium decay constants, form factors, and $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ widths with experiment and lattice gauge computations. The importance of relativistic effects, a running coupling, and the correct implementation of bound state effects are demonstrated. We describe how an improved model and computational techniques resolve several outstanding issues in previous nonrelativistic quark models such as the use of ``correction'' factors in quark model form factors, artificial energy prescriptions in decay constant calculations, and ad hoc phase space modifications. We comment on the small experimental value of ${f}_{\ensuremath{\psi}(3S)}$ and the D-wave component of the $J/\ensuremath{\psi}$. Decay constants and $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ widths for bottomonium are also presented.
AGU Board and Council Close Out Productive Year

The AGU Board of Directors and Council both held meetings in San Francisco the weekend before Fall Meeting, wrapping up a very busy and productive year. The Board and Council have a joint work plan (see http://sites.agu.org/leadership/bod/), and meetings are planned to provide a flow of information between the two groups, as well as to staff and other parts of the Union, including committees and task forces, editors, and sections and focus groups. Outcomes from the meetings are posted on AGU's website: Board outcomes can be found at http://sites.agu.org/leadership/bod/board-outcomes/ and Council outcomes at, http://sites.agu.org/leadership/science-council/council-outcomes/.
Thalamic projections to the somatosensory cortex of the echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus

Evoked potential studies (Lende, '64) suggest that echidnas have a single, topographically organized somatosensory area (SMI) that spans a mediolaterally oriented sulcus called sulcus alpha. A motor area (MI) is situated on the prealpha gyrus. This study examines the cytoarchitecture and thalamic afferents of SMI in the echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus. SMI contains two cytoarchitectonic fields. A caudal field extends across the postalpha gyrus and onto the floor of sulcus alpha. It has a well-developed layer 4 and a relatively small number of medium-sized pyramidal cells in layer 5. The rostral field extends from the floor of sulcus alpha onto its rostral bank. It also has a well-developed layer 4 but has a large number of large pyramidal cells in layer 5. Layer 4 thins as it is followed onto the crown of the prealpha gyrus. The remainder of this gyrus contains a single cytoarchitectonic field with a thin layer 4 and a layer 5 heavily populated with larger pyramidal cells. This field corresponds to the physiologically defined motor area MI. Thalamic afferents to SMI were examined by placing pressure injections of horseradish peroxidase into the two cytoarchitectonic fields. An injection that involved both fields retrogradely labeled neurons throughout the ventral posterior nucleus of the thalamus. An injection restricted to the caudal field labeled a band of neurons that extends rostrocaudally throughout the ventral part of the ventral posterior nucleus. An injection restricted to the rostral field labeled a band of neurons situated dorsally in the ventral posterior nucleus. No other thalamic groups contained labeled neurons comparable to the labeling seen in the intralaminar or posterior nuclei following a horseradish peroxidase injection into SI of marsupial or placental mammals. These results indicate that SMI in Tachyglossus contains two cytoarchitectonic fields that resemble areas 3a and 3b in some placental mammals, suggesting that the constellation of cytoarchitectonic fields corresponding to areas 4, 3a, and 3b is a basic mammalian character which has been modified in marsupial and many placental mammals.
Decoding Split and Pool Combinatorial Libraries with Electron-Transfer Dissociation Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Screening of bead-based split and pool combinatorial chemistry libraries is a powerful approach to aid the discovery of new chemical compounds able to interact with, and modulate the activities of, protein targets of interest. Split and pool synthesis provides for large and well diversified chemical libraries, in this case comprised of oligomers generated from a well-defined starting set. At the end of the synthesis, each bead in the library displays many copies of a unique oligomer sequence. Because the sequence of the oligomer is not known at the time of screening, methods for decoding of the sequence of each screening “hit” are essential. Here we describe an electron-transfer dissociation (ETD) based tandem mass spectrometry approach for the decoding of mass-encoded split and pool libraries. We demonstrate that the newly described “chiral oligomers of pentenoic amides (COPAs)” yield non-sequence-specific product ions upon collisional activated dissociation; however, complete sequence information can be obtained with ETD. To aid in the decoding of libraries from MS and MS/MS data, we have incorporated 79Br/81Br isotope “tags” to differentiate N- and C-terminal product ions. In addition, we have created “Hit-Find,” a software program that allows users to generate libraries in silico. The user can then search all possible members of the chemical library for those that fall within a user-defined mass error.
In vivo gene therapy of a murine pancreas tumor with recombinant vaccinia virus encoding human interleukin-1beta

Background. Recombinant vaccinia virus (VV) encoding human interleukin-1β (vMJ601hIL-1β) given intravenously persists in tumor tissue and expresses hIL-1β for at least 9 days after treatment and is associated with significant retardation of tumor growth. To document the significance of this approach and to further elucidate the mechanism, this study compares the antitumor effect of vMJ601hIL-1β administered either intravenously or intratumorally and intravenous recombinant hIL-1β protein. Methods. C57BL/6 mice with established subcutaneous pancreatic tumors were randomized to treatment with intravenous or intratumoral vMJ601hIL-1β, wild-type VV, saline solution, or intravenous recombinant hIL-1β protein in a blinded fashion. Toxicity and tumor size were measured. Data were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon tests. Results. Treatment with intratumoral vMJ601hIL-1β repeatedly resulted in significant reduction in tumor size as compared with saline treated controls (p 0.52). Wild-type VV given intratumorally or intravenously had no antitumor effect versus saline controls (p>0.30). No significant toxicity or deaths resulted from vMJ601hIL-1β treatment. Recombinant hIL-1β protein administered intravenously caused severe toxicity (median lethal dose ≈ 100 μg/kg), and no significant antitumor effect was observed at sublethal doses versus saline controls (p=0.19). Conclusions. Direct, in vivo hIL-1β gene delivery and expression by recombinant VV given intravenously or intratumorally results in significant tumor growth inhibition, which appears to be a consequence of local, intratumoral vaccinia infection and production of hIL-1β.
A Common Progenitor at the Heart of Development

Formation of the heart requires the coordinated functions of cardiac myocytes, smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and connective tissue elements. Several recent studies now reveal that these different cell types arise from a common progenitor (Kattman et al., 2006; Moretti et al., 2006; Wu et al., 2006). These findings raise interesting questions about the lineage relationships of cardiovascular progenitor cell populations and suggest possibilities for cardiac repair in both congenital and acquired heart disease.
Low-temperature transport properties of UPt3 and TiBe2 and single-component Fermi liquid theory

A single-component Fermi liquid model is used to estimate the quasiparticle-quasiparticle scattering contribution to the transport properties of the heavy-electron systems UPt3 and TiBe2. The scattering amplitudes are obtained from an analysis of the low-temperature behavior of the specific heat. The calculated transport coefficients are in good agreement with measurements on UPt3; the electrical resistivity of TiBe2 lies an order of magnitude below the calculation.
An NP-complete matching problem

Abstract We show that a restricted form of the perfect matching problem for bipartite graphs is NP-complete. The restriction involves partitions of the vertices of the graph. This problem is still NP-complete if the degrees of the vertices are restricted to be 3 or less. For degrees restricted to 2 or less, a polynomial time algorithm exists.
Specific-heat measurements on superconducting bi-ca-sr-cu and tl-ca-ba-cu oxides: absence of a linear term in the specific heat of bi-ca-sr-cu oxides

Specific-heat data, extending from 0.4 to 120 K, in both a zero field and at 7 T, are reported for five samples of Bi-Ca-Sr-Cu oxide and one of Tl-Ca-Ba-Cu oxide. The occurrence of bulk superconductivity in all six samples is shown by Meissner-effect measurements, and confirmed for the Tl sample and two Bi samples by the specific-heat data. In a zero field, the Tl sample shows a contribution to the specific heat that is linear in temperature and comparable to those reported for Y${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$. For all samples of the Bi compound the linear term is zero within the experimental uncertainty, and is at least an order of magnitude smaller.
STUDIES ON PROTEINS OF NORMAL AND DISEASED THYROID GLANDS

ABSTRACT Distribution of protein and I131 in centrifugally fractionated thyroid homogenates, and the electrophoretic, solubility and ultracentrifuge characteristics of the soluble fraction were studied in normal and diseased human thyroid glands. In the normal glands, 64–82 per cent of the protein and 95 per cent of the I131-label appeared in the soluble fraction. Thyroglobulin comprised 70–79 per cent of the soluble protein. Normal thyroglobulin had a Svedberg constant (0.5 per cent solution in 0.9 per cent NaCl) of 18–20, and salted out of phosphate buffer at 1.7–1.9 M. No protein with greater mobility than thyroglobulin was detected on paper electrophoresis in barbital buffer. In all diseased glands, an increased proportion of light-weight (Sw.20 = 4) protein was observed, and the thyroglobulin usually had greater solubility in phosphate buffer. In the soluble fraction of some colloid goiters, 1 follicular adenoma, 3 congenital goiters and 1 thyroid carcinoma, a protein as yet indistinguishable from al...
Functional relationships between denudation and hillslope form and relief

Abstract Functional relationships between landscape morphology and denudation rate allow for the estimation of sediment fluxes using readily available topographic information. Empirical studies of topography-erosion linkages typically employ data with diverse temporal and broad spatial scales, such that heterogeneity in properties and processes may cloud fundamental process-scale feedbacks between tectonics, climate, and landscape development. Here, we use a previously proposed nonlinear model for sediment transport on hillslopes to formulate 1-D dimensionless functions for hillslope morphology as well as a generalized expression relating steady-state hillslope relief to erosion rate, hillslope transport parameters, and hillslope length. For study sites in the Oregon Coast Range and Gabilan Mesa, CA, model predictions of local relief and average hillslope gradient compare well with values derived from high-resolution topographic data acquired via airborne laser altimetry. Our formulation yields a nondimensional number describing the extent to which the nonlinearity in our gradient-flux model affects slope morphology and landscape response to tectonic and climatic forcing. These results should be useful for inferring rates of hillslope denudation and sediment flux from topography, or for coarse-scale landscape evolution simulations, in that first-order hillslope properties can be calculated without explicit modeling of individual hillslopes.
Influence of surfactants on microbial degradation of organic compounds

Abstract Surfactants have the ability to increase aqueous concentrations of poorly soluble compounds and interfacial areas between immiscible fluids, thus potentially improving the accessibility of these substrates to microorganisms. However, both enhancements and inhibitions of biodegradation of organic compounds in the presence of surfactants have been reported. The mechanisms behind these phenomena are not well understood. To better understand the factors involved and the current state of knowledge in this field, a search of the literature concerning the influence of commercial surfactants and biosurfactants on microbial metabolism has been conducted. Factors pertaining to surfactant‐substrate interactions such as emulsification, solubilization, and partitioning of hydrocarbons between phases, all of which can influence accessibility of substrates to microorganisms, are of concern. Also, due to the direct interaction of surfactants with microorganisms, it appears that steric or conformational compatibi...
Formosan subterranean termite swarming behavior and alate sex-ratio (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

The Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki) was first sighted in the cities of New Orleans and Lake Charles, Louisiana, in 1966. Its distribution in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans 23 years later (1989) and in 1991 and 1992 is reported here using counts of alates from light-traps. Light-trappings revealed a Quarter-wide distribution of the termite.C. formosanus shows an extended pause in flight behavior in the middle of the two-month flight season that is predictable and independent of weather. A colony-level mechanism, namely, developmental inhibition of nymphs by alates, may regulate this intermission in flight. The sex-ratio of light-trapped alates varies over time, but is generally female-biased, especially at the height of the flight season.
Establishing Criteria for Assessment of Efficacy of Antimicrobial Agents in Acute Otitis Media

In a recent article, Dagan et al. ([1][1]) report on the comparative bacteriologic efficacies of oral azithromycin and oral cefaclor in children with acute otitis media. The authors assert that based on a double-tympanocentesis method of evaluating bacteriologic eradication in otitis media
Scheme for negating the stimulated Brillouin scattering power limit in remotely interrogated interferometric fiber sensor arrays

We describe an approach to the interrogation of fiber sensor arrays over long fiber links which greatly eases the limits on optical power handling capability of the system imposed by Stimulated Brillouin Scattering. The technique relies on matching the coherence properties of the source to the operational characteristics of the interferometric sensors.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Validation of the minor injury severity scale: Expert and novice quantification of minor injury

This article investigates the validity of the Minor Injury Severity Scale (MISS) as a behavioral, objective measure of injury-induced tissue damage. The MISS is a scale that allows a coder to quantify the physical signs of an injury (e.g., bleeding, swelling) for 22 different kinds of minor injury. Inter-coder reliability of the MISS, as well as experts' and novices' ratings of ease of use, accuracy, and applicability were examined. Severity rankings made by school nurses with extensive experience assessing and treating injuries served as the criterion. Nurses' severity rankings on an open-ended Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the MISS were compared with the VAS and MISS rankings of laypersons having no previous medical training. These data suggest that the MISS has adequate construct validity and is more reliable than the VAS for layperson use. In addition, the majority of coders found the MISS to be easier to use, to be more accurate, and to have more practical applicability than the VAS, irrespective of medical expertise. Limitations of this study and future potential applications of the MISS are also discussed.
Grand Challenges in Educational Psychology

Educational Psychology has a long tradition as a specialty within the field of psychology, formally recognized as a discipline in 1910, when the Journal of Educational Psychology (JEP) began publication. Early psychologists, such as William James and Wilhelm Wundt (e.g., Wundt, 1874; James, 1900) both focused on issues central to educational psychology today (e.g., cognitive processes, memory, and effective teaching).
Novel GABA analogues as hypotensive agents

Abstract The actions of four analogues of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on blood pressure and heart rate were measured in the cat after intracerebroventricular administration. These compounds were previously found to inhibit binding to GABAA receptors of neuronal membranes from the CNS of the rat. Each of the drugs, together with GABA, produced an average maximum reduction in blood pressure of 27.63% ± 12.5. However, aminoethanethiosulfonic acid (AETS) was the most potent (ED50 = 2.24 × 10−10 mol/kg) of the drugs, followed by 5-phenyl-2-pyrrole propionic acid (PPP), urocanic acid (UCA), m-aminobenzoic acid (MABA) and GABA. None of the compounds produced a significant effect on heart rate. The fact that these analogues mimicked the action of GABA on the cardiovascular system of the cat and that they were able to inhibit binding to GABAA receptors, indicates that they may be GABAA agonists.
Influence of Moving Visual Environment on Sit-to-Stand Kinematics in Children and Adults

The effect of visual field motion on the sit-to-stand kinematics of adults and children was investigated. Children (8 to12 years of age) and adults (21 to 49 years of age) were seated in a virtual environment that rotated in the pitch and roll directions. Participants stood up either (1) concurrent with onset of visual motion or (2) after an immersion period in the moving visual environment, and (3) without visual input. Angular velocities of the head with respect to the trunk, and trunk with respect to the environment, w ere calculated as was head andtrunk center of mass. Both adults and children reduced head and trunk angular velocity after immersion in the moving visual environment. Unlike adults, children demonstrated significant differences in displacement of the head center of mass during the immersion and concurrent trials when compared to trials without visual input. Results suggest a time-dependent effect of vision on sit-to-stand kinematics in adults, whereas children are influenced by the immediate presence or absence of vision.
The role of norepinephrine in adult rat somatosensory (SmI) cortical metabolism and plasticity

Stimulation of rat facial vibrissae increases glucose utilization in the corresponding barrels (lamina IV) and associated columns in laminae I–VIa of the contralateral first somatosensory (SmI) cortex as assessed autoradiographically by the uptake of [14C]2-deoxyglucose (2-DG). Chronic deafferentation (2 months) by bilateral vibrissectomy with sparing of the C3 vibrissa (SC3) in adult Sprague-Dawley rats produced no change in the rate of LCGU but led to an increased areal extent of the metabolic representation of the SC3 barrel (39%, P < 0.001) and column (31%, P < 0.003) as compared to rats with fully intact vibrissae. In other rats with intact facial vibrissae, 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the locus coeruleus (LC) depleted ipsilateral cortical norepinephrine (NE) by more than 90% and, 2 months later, led to an 11% and 21% increase in C3 barrel and column metabolic representations, respectively, as compared to the contralateral SmI cortex with intact NE levels (P < 0.05). When bilateral vibrissectomy was combined with a unilateral LC lesion, the SC3 barrel and column metabolic representation on the LC-intact side enlarged as expected but no enlargement occurred on the NE-depleted side (20% difference; P < 0.05). Therefore, the effect of NE on the SmI cortex depends on the status of its afferent input. NE inhibits the spread of metabolic activity beyond the activated barrel and column in the intact cortex, but independently modulates plastic enlargement in the partially deafterented SmI cortex.
INFORMATION SHARING AND GROUP CONFLICT: GOING BEYOND DECISION MAKING TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECTS OF INFORMATION SHARING ON GROUP PERFORMANCE

We investigated the role of task and relationship conflict as mediators of the relationship between information sharing and group performance. We suggest that, in addition to the commonly studied effect of conflict on information sharing, the reverse causal direction is theoretically likely and relevant in today's business climate. Specifically, we hypothesize that information sharing will reduce both task and relationship conflict with beneficial effects on team performance in established groups. We also explore boundary conditions to these conflict‐reducing effects of information sharing, suggesting that the lower a group's task interdependence, the more information sharing reduces task conflict, and the lower a group's average general mental ability, the more information sharing reduces relationship conflict. Analysis of data from 38 groups supported our expectations, revealing the expected negative relationships between information sharing and both task and relationship conflict, as well as the expected moderating effects of task interdependence and general mental ability.
LABORATORY STUDIES FOR THE APPROVAL OF AQUACULTURE DRUGS

Abstract All drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must be shown to be safe and efficacious. The data required to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of a new animal drug are typically produced through controlled studies conducted by pharmaceutical firms that invest considerable time and money into the process. Factors that have contributed to the paucity of approved drugs for U.S. aquaculture include the relatively limited market for aquaculture drugs and the difficulty involved in conducting studies traditionally carried out in the drug approval process in an aquatic environment. One approach to this problem has been the development of data from other sources. In recent years, government, academic, and private researchers have conducted studies in an attempt to produce the data necessary to satisfy the requirements for the approval of new animal drugs in aquaculture. The data may then be made publicly available and can be used by a sponsor of the drug product to satisfy part of t...
Analog compilation based on successive decompositions

This paper describes an approach to silicon compilation of analog functional blocks and the physical assembly of mixed analog and digital blocks. The initial driving applications are High Voltage ASICs. Details of behavior to layout synthesis, or decompositions, are presented together with the results from an implementation of the compiler. The compiler has been used to compile CMOS operational amplifiers. Results and examples are given in which device sizes, bias currents and layout are obtained from performance specifications and process parameters.
Optical Filters Synthesis Using Fourier Series

A simple method of multilayer filter synthesis is developed. The method is based on expanding the reflectance amplitude in a Fourier series and deducing the indices of refraction from the Fourier coefficients. The utility of the method is demonstrated by solving a general representative model for optical filters. The simplicity of the method is due to the fact that we deal directly with the reflectance amplitude. The method is applicable to cases of equal or unequal thickness films. To achieve a practicable design solution, the computed refractive indices are scaled and matched to a given set of available materials using the criterion that the error in the Fresnel amplitudes at each interface is a minimum, illustrative design examples are demonstrated.
Tunable filter comparator for spectral calibration of near-ambient temperature blackbodies

The calibration of infrared (IR) radiometers, thermal imagers and electro-optical systems relies on use of extended area blackbodies (BB) operating in the ambient environment. "Flat plate" designs, typically using a thermoelectric heat pump backed with an air- or liquid-cooled radiator, allow one to adequately meet the requirements of geometrical size and temperature span. The tradeoff comes in the form of limited temperature uniformity and lower emissivity that such an approach can provide given the limitations in achievable thermal conductivity of the plate and reflectance of the black paint, respectively. The availability of spectrally resolved radiance temperature data for infrared calibrators has become especially vital in the last few years with the widespread use of multi- and hyper-spectral electro-optical systems that enable better detection and identification of targets. In an effort to increase the measurement accuracy of IR spectral radiance of near-ambient BB calibrators, NIST has recently built a dedicated capability which is a part of its new AIRI (Advanced Infrared Radiometry and Imaging) facility. The Tunable Filter Comparator (TFC) is a key new element in this setup, allowing us to perform a precise comparison of the unit under test (UUT) with two reference blackbodies of known temperatures and emissivity. The report describes the major design features of the TFC comparator, the algorithm used for signal processing, and results of a performance evaluation of the TFC. The TFC development has enabled us to achieve BB radiance temperature comparisons with a standard deviation of 5 to 15 mK at temperatures of 15-150 C across the 3 to 5 µm and 8 to 12 µm atmospheric band ranges with a relative spectral resolution of 2 to 3%.
The Dental Student as Technician: An 18‐Year Follow‐Up of Clinical Laboratory Programs

In 1977, a survey of American and Canadian dental schools was conducted by Weintraub to determine the delegation of laboratory procedures in preclinical and clinical complete and removable partial denture programs. This was performed in light of challenges raised to the value of requiring dental students, rather than laboratory technicians, to perform the various laboratory procedures involved in the fabrication of complete and removable partial dentures. Since 1977, the rate of edentulism has declined in the United States, and fewer edentulous patients have sought regular dental care. In addition, approximately 20% fewer curriculum hours have been spent in dental schools in removable prosthodontic instruction; a declining number of graduating dental students have felt comfortable with their level of knowledge of removable prosthodontics, especially complete dentures, and have performed fewer removable prosthodontic procedures in practice because of a perceived lack of treatment cost-effectiveness. The present study, an 18-year follow-up to the 1977 survey, was designed to determine if such trends toward a deemphasis on removable prosthodontic treatment have affected the mechanisms of instruction in and the extent to which dental schools instruct students about removable prosthodontics laboratory procedures. The 1995 survey was mailed to 53 American dental schools. Forty-six schools returned the completed survey, for a response rate of 87%. Results showed that the proportion of schools with removable prosthodontic preclinical programs, especially those in removable partial dentures, increased, as did the relative amount of material presented to students in these programs. This was accomplished primarily through the enhancement of laboratory technician support, both in-house and commercial, of student preclinical removable prosthodontic laboratory procedures. The conflict between these outcomes and the call by the dental community, as well as that of the 1995 Institute of Medicine Study, for a reduced emphasis on teaching students about the technical details involved in removable prosthesis fabrication is recognized and explored.
Intracranially recorded interictal spikes: relation to seizure onset area and effect of medication and time of day.

Abstract Objective The relationship between seizures and interictal spikes remains undetermined. We analyzed intracranial EEG (icEEG) recordings to examine the relationship between the seizure onset area and interictal spikes. Methods 80 unselected patients were placed into 5 temporal, 4 extratemporal, and one unlocalized groups based on the location of the seizure onset area. We studied 4-h icEEG epochs, removed from seizures, from day-time and night-time during both on- and off-medication periods. Spikes were detected automatically from electrode contacts sampling the hemisphere ipsilateral to the seizure onset area. Results There was a widespread occurrence of spikes over the hemisphere ipsilateral to the seizure onset area. The spatial distributions of spike rates for the different patient groups were different ( p Conclusion The spatial distribution of spike rates is strongly associated with the location of the seizure onset area, suggesting the presence of a distributed spike generation network, which is related to the seizure onset area. Significance The spatial distribution of spike rates, but not the area with the highest spike rate, may hold value for the localization of the seizure onset area.
EG-03EXPRESSION OF PRMT5 CORRELATES WITH MALIGNANT GRADE IN GLIOMAS AND PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN TUMOR GROWTH

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) catalyzes the formation of ω-NG,N′G-symmetric dimethylarginine residues on histones as well as other proteins. The modification play an important role in cell differentiation and tumor cell growth. However, the role of PRMT5 in human glioma cells has not been characterized. In this study, we assessed protein expression profiles of PRMT5 in control brain, WHO grade II astrocytomas, anaplastic astrocytomas, and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) by immunohistochemistry. PRMT5 was low in glial cells in control brain tissues and low grade astrocytomas. Its expression increased in parallel with malignant progression, and was highly expressed in GBM. Knockdown of PRMT5 by small hairpin RNA caused alterations of p-ERK1/2 and significantly repressed the clonogenic potential and viability of glioma cells. These findings indicate that PRMT5 is a marker of malignant progression in glioma tumors and plays a pivotal role in tumor growth.
Paraffin hydrocarbon patterns in petroleum-polluted mussels

Abstract This paper explains how modern analytical techniques can be used to detect hydrocarbons in marine organisms at extremely low concentrations, below those detectable by taste or smell.
On the Synthesis of Mixed-Metal and Mixed-Pnicogen 13-15 Ring-Systems.

Abstract : Several pathways toward the synthesis of mixed-metal and mixed-pnicogen 13-15 ring systems have been explored. Equilibration reactions have proven successful toward the preparation of the latter compounds while most attempts to prepare mixed-metal compounds have resulted in unexpected and novel 13-15 species. These reactions and their products are discussed.
Evaluation of methods using celite to concentrate norovirus, adenovirus and enterovirus from wastewater

Enteroviruses, noroviruses and adenoviruses are among the most common viruses infecting humans worldwide. These viruses are shed in the feces of infected individuals and can accumulate in wastewater, making wastewater a source of a potentially diverse group of enteric viruses. In this study, two procedures were evaluated to concentrate noroviruses, adenoviruses and enteroviruses from primary effluent of wastewater. In the first procedure, indigenous enteroviruses, noroviruses and adenoviruses were concentrated using celite (diatomaceous earth) followed by centrifugation through a 30K MWCO filter and nucleic acid extraction. The second procedure used celite concentration followed by nucleic acid extraction only. Virus quantities were measured using qPCR. A second set of primary effluent samples were seeded with Coxsackievirus A7, Coxsackievirus B1, poliovirus 1 or enterovirus 70 before concentration and processed through both procedures for recovery evaluation of enterovirus species representatives. The pairing of the single step extraction procedure with the celite concentration process resulted in 47-98% recovery of examined viruses, while the celite concentration process plus additional centrifugal concentration before nucleic acid extraction showed reduced recovery (14-47%). The celite concentration process followed by a large volume nucleic acid extraction technique proved to be an effective procedure for recovering these important human pathogens from wastewater.
Contexts and social correlates of long-distance calling by male chimpanzees

Abstract Abstract. Chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes , live in unstable social groups, whose members associate in temporary parties of varying size and composition. Male chimpanzees utter a long-distance vocalization, the pant-hoot, that has been hypothesized to maintain spatial contact between conspecifics within and between parties. To test this hypothesis, the contexts in which calls by males were produced and the effects several social factors had on pant-hoot production were examined. Males travelled significantly more often before and after hooting than expected by chance. In addition, high-ranking males gave more pant-hoots than lower-ranking individuals, and variation in party size did not affect call production. These data are consistent with the proposed spacing function of pant-hooting, and do not support the suggestion that hooting is a simple manifestation of the high arousal levels caused by social or feeding excitement. Additional observations revealed that subjects called more frequently when alliance partners were nearby, compared with when they were absent. Males also called more when their close associates were nearby relative to situations when those associates either accompanied them or were absent. In contrast, the presence of preferred grooming partners and oestrous females within earshot did not affect the production of pant-hoots by males. These results suggest that males may pant-hoot to particular audiences within their social group, specifically to maintain contact with and to recruit allies and associates. Investigation of how chimpanzees respond to pant-hoots will be necessary to confirm this hypothesis.
Making Time for Dissertation Grants Strategies for Social Work Students and Educators

Grant writing is a necessary skill for becoming an independent and successful social work researcher. Since social work dissertation grants are a relatively new trend, students face many challenges in identifying, preparing, and submitting dissertation grants. Lack of resources and experiences, difficulties in protecting time for grant writing, and the uncertainty of success can hinder work on dissertation grants. Thus, this article provides an overview of dissertation grants, including a review of grant mechanisms, suggestions for preparing grants in the context of program milestones, and identifying institutional infrastructure to facilitate submissions. Strategies discussed include how to learn about funding priorities, how to establish timelines to account for grant deadlines, and how to use peer reviews to guide the revision process.
The effect of visual obstructions on the sexual behaviour of guppies: the importance of privacy

Sexual selection is the outcome of behavioural interactions within and between the sexes. Numerous studies show how individuals modify their sexual behaviour in response to ecological or social conditions, and such changes may therefore affect the evolutionary outcome of sexual selection. Our study examined the effect of habitat structure on the sexual behaviour of male and female guppies, Poecilia reticulata. We asked whether the ability of males to observe other courting males would affect the rates of male courtship and courtship interference and the sexual responsiveness of females. Specifically, we manipulated visibility using opaque barriers in laboratory aquaria and found that there was less male interference behaviour in aquaria containing visual obstructions than in aquaria without barriers, regardless of whether the male was courting sexually responsive (virgin) or unresponsive (nonvirgin) females. In addition, sexual responsiveness of virgin females to male displays was significantly increased in aquaria with barriers relative to aquaria without barriers. Finally, the display frequency of males courting virgin females was significantly reduced in aquaria with barriers, probably as a result of the females' increased rate of sexual response. Evidently, the barriers impede visibility enough that males are less likely to observe and interfere with the courtship of other males, and therefore, females are less likely to flee or lose interest in a courting male. Ultimately, characteristics of the visual environment could affect females' ability to choose mates and in turn could potentially affect the evolutionary outcome of sexual selection.
Incorporating flexibility in Anton, a specialized machine for molecular dynamics simulation

An effective special-purpose supercomputer for molecular dynamics (MD) requires much more than high-performance acceleration of computational kernels: such accelerators must be balanced with general-purpose computation and communication resources. Achieving this balance was a significant challenge in the design of Anton, a parallel machine that will accelerate MD simulations by several orders of magnitude. Anton executes its most computationally demanding calculations on a highly specialized, enormously parallel, but largely non-programmable high-throughput interaction subsystem (HTIS). Other elements of the simulation have a less uniform algorithmic structure, and may also change in response to future advances in physical models and simulation techniques. Such calculations are executed on Antonpsilas flexible subsystem, which combines programmability with the computational power required to avoid ldquoAmdahlpsilas Lawrdquo bottlenecks arising from the extremely high throughput of the HTIS. Antonpsilas flexible subsystem is a heterogeneous multiprocessor with 12 cores, each organized around a 128-bit data path. This subsystem includes hardware support for synchronization, data transfer and certain types of particle interactions, along with specialized instructions for geometric operations. All aspects of the flexible subsystem were designed specifically to accelerate MD simulations, and although it relies primarily on what may be regarded as ldquogeneral-purposerdquo processors, even this subsystem contains more application-specific features than many recently proposed ldquospecializedrdquo architectures.
Invariant CR Mappings

This paper concerns CR mappings between hyperquadrics. We emphasize the case when the domain is a sphere and the maps are invariant under a finite subgroup of the unitary group. We survey known results, provide some new examples, and use them to prove the following result. For each d there is a CR polynomial mapping of degree 2d + 1 between hyperquadrics that preserves the number of negative eigenvalues. Thus rigidity fails for CR mappings between hyperquadrics.
Loneliness and smoking: The costs of the desire to reconnect

People have a fundamental need to belong, which influences self and identity regulation processes and health outcomes. Deficits in belongingness motivate people to seek out sources of renewed affiliation. What consequences might this desire for reconnection have for smoking? The current work proposes a theoretical model in which feelings of social exclusion predict higher rates of smoking, presumably out of desire to regain a sense of social belonging. To provide an initial test of this theoretical model, we show that loneliness consistently predicted higher smoking in nationally representative samples of adults (Studies 1 and 1) and late adolescents (Study 3). The effect of loneliness on smoking was strongest among people living in environments in which smoking was socially acceptable. Discussion centers on the fruitfulness of bridging perspectives on self and identity regulation processes to understand the causes of negative health behaviors.