cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Activation of soluble guanylate cyclase by arachidonic acid and 15-lipoxygenase products.

Abstract The activity of soluble guanylate cyclase can be increased by exposure of the enzyme to arachidonic acid or to some oxidized metabolites of the fatty acid. We have tried to determine whether activation of the enzyme by arachidonate requires that the fatty acid be converted to an oxidized metabolite, either by a possible trace contaminant of a lipoxygenase or by guanylate cyclase itself, which contains a heme moiety. Soluble guanylate cyclase purified from bovine lung was activated 4–6-fold by arachidonic acid. This activation was not dependent on the presence of oxygen in the incubation medium. No detectable metabolites of arachidonic acid were formed during incubation with soluble guanylate cyclase. Addition of soybean lipoxygenase to the incubation did not increase activation by arachidonic acid. The inhibitors of lipoxygenase activity, nordihydroguaiaretic acid and eicosatetraynoic acid, had direct effects on soluble guanylate cyclase and interfered with its activation by arachidonate, whereas another lipoxygenase inhibitor, BW 755 C, did not. The data suggest that arachidonic acid increases the activity of guanylate cyclase by direct interaction with the enzyme rather than by being converted to an active metabolite.
Levels in 11B from 7Li(α, α)7Li and 7Li(α, α')7Li∗(0.48)

Abstract The absolute differential cross sections for the reactions 7Li(α, α)7Li and 7Li(α, α')7Li∗(0.48) have been measured in the range of energies and angles, 1.6 ≦ EαL ≦ 12.0 MeV, 20° ≦ θαL ≦ 150°, using thin 7Li targets. Solid state detectors were used to detect the scattered α-particles. A total of 19 scattering anomalies has been observed in this energy range. In the excitation energy range 9.88 ≦ E x ( 11 B)mB ≦ 11.27 Me , in which six levels were observed, the measured cross sections were fitted by using a multi-level R-matrix-theory program for the 7094 computer. The best fits were obtained with the spin and parity assignments 9.88 ( 3 2 + ), 10.26 ( 3 2 − ), 10.32 ( 5 2 − ), 10.60( 7 2 + ), 11.0 ( 5 2 − ), 11.27 ( 7 2 + , 9 2 + ) . Some alternatives for these assignments are discussed. These results are consistent with what is known of the level structure of the analogue nucleus 11C.
Aspects of the cross transmission to Galleria mellonella of a Baculovirus from the alfalfa looper, Autographa californica

Abstract The nuclear polyhedrosis virus originally isolated from the alfalfa looper, Autographa californica, was successfully transmitted to the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella. Both the many polyhedra per nucleus (MP) and the few polyhedra per nucleus (FP) plaque variants of this virus were found to be infective when injected intracoelomically. When polyhedra of each plaque variant were fed to G. mellonella larvae, a difference in response was observed; the MP plaque variant was estimated to be 30 times more infective than the FP variant.
Studies of Interspecific Competition Between Tetrastichus incertus and Bathyplectes curculionis, Larval Endoparasites of the Alfalfa Weevil.

Instar preference and competition tests were conducted between Tetrastichus incertus (Ratzeburg) and Bathyplectes curculionis (Thomson) for their larval host, the alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal). T. incertus females ignored 1st-stage larvae and attacked 2nd to 4th-instars. B. curculionis females preferred 1st to 3rd-instars over 4th-instars. Parasitism by B. curculionis increased under competition, while T. incertus parasitism decreased.
JOINT COUPLING DESIGN OF UNDERACTUATED GRIPPERS

The joint coupling necessary to allow for underactuation is often accomplished through compliance in the manipulator structure. Compliance is perhaps the simplest way to allow for coupling between joints without enforcing the fixed-motion coupling relationship inherent with gear or linkage couplings. Compliant couplings are a simple way to allow a joint to passively deflect without causing a fixed-motion proportional change in the joints to which it is coupled.
Remarks on the nature of first-order displacive transformations

Abstract Comments are made on the various views of the workshop participants with emphasis on points of agreement and disagreement.
Pore exclusion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for monitoring elements in bacteria: a study on microbial removal of uranium from aqueous solution.

The interstitial spaces between spherical particles in a packed column can act as a sieve that passes microorganisms below a certain size. If the bed is a perfusion-type material (containing a binary distribution of large and small pores), colloidal-size microorganisms are subject only to pore exclusion, while all molecules are subject to size exclusion among the various pores. Thus, microorganisms elute first, followed by macromolecules, and then small molecules. Coupling this separation method to an ICP magnetic sector mass spectrometer provides a sensitive, direct means to study the microbial uptake of heavy metals (i.e., uranium) from their surrounding environments. Multiple metal ions can be monitored in the microorganism and in the surrounding solution. In this way, definitive information can be provided for the remediation of radioactive waste sites. The effect of uranium on microbial growth is also discussed.
Postoperative conduction disturbances in atrial septal defect.

Abstract The electrocardiograms of 60 patients with atrial septal defect, aged 23 months to 37 years, were obtained after open heart surgery and analyzed. The over-all incidence of conduction abnormalities was 60 per cent; excluding first degree A-V block, it was 52 per cent. There was no significant difference in incidence between cases of secundum and primum atrial septal defect, or between those with patch repair and suture repair. Arrhythmia after total body perfusion lasting over one hour was not significantly higher than that following shorter perfusion times. The incidence of the various conduction disturbances was: A-V block, 28 per cent; right bundle branch block, 30 per cent; A-V junctional rhythm, 20 per cent; supraventricular tachycardia, 5 per cent; and atrial flutter, 2 per cent. As a rule, the arrhythmias were benign. Excluding right bundle branch block, they also tended to be transient. However, postoperative complete A-V block has persisted in 1 child for over a year. The P-R interval in the immediate postoperative period increased, decreased, or remained essentially unchanged; that observed several weeks later did not differ significantly from the preoperative level. Surgically induced right bundle branch block resulted in a distinct increase of the RS ratio in V 1 . This regressed after disappearance of block. The possible mechanisms for the postoperative A-V block and right bundle branch block are discussed.
A test of a controlled downhole seismic source

With the growing interest in borehole seismic investigations such as vertical seismic profiling and crosshole surveys, the need for new instrumentation has arisen, especially in the area of seismic sources. An ideal seismic downhole source should be nondestructive to the well, provide enough energy to be recorded at useful distances, produce a broad band of seismic frequencies, and create a reproducible signal. A prototype of a source that fits these requirements has been constructed and was described in a previous paper (Hardee et al., 1987).
Geography in the Social Studies: High School Simulation on Water Supply

Abstract This is a ready-to-use simulation that has high school students portraying all of the key players that decide how water from the Colorado River will be allocated. Students act as judges, lobbyists, news analysts, and even protesters during a mock water conference. Water supply is promised beyond nature's delivery, so the problem is real and will probably intensify in light of global climate change forecasts. The simulation addresses several geography standards.
Calculation of heteronuclear single bond enthalpies from pauling electronegativities

Abstract Modifications to the Pauling method of calculating single bond enthalpies are proposed. First, because bond polarity produces a decrease in equilibrium bond length which strengthens the bond, a correction is made for any deviation in the actual bond length from the covalent radius sum. Secondly, because charge-transfer from a less to a more electronegative atom is exothermic only until electronegativity equalization is achieved, a saturation effect is observed for large electronegativity differences. A correction for the effect is provided. The modified Pauling method is shown to be more accurate than the original Pauling method and valid over the entire range of bond polarity.
Phase independence of pitch produced by narrow‐band sounds

Three listeners matched the pitch of a simple tone to that of narrow‐band complex signals having different phases. The pitch matches were independent of the phases; the frequency of the simple tone approximately equaled the center of gravity of the power spectrum of each complex signal. This result is inconsistent with a model that calculates the pitch of a waveform as the average of instantaneous frequency weighted by the envelope of the waveform.
Reactive Carbonyls and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Produce a Hydroxyl Radical-like Species A POTENTIAL PATHWAY FOR OXIDATIVE DAMAGE OF RETINAL PROTEINS IN DIABETES

The pattern of oxidized amino acids in aortic proteins of nonhuman primates suggests that a species resembling hydroxyl radical damages proteins when blood glucose levels are high. However, recent studies argue strongly against a generalized increase in diabetic oxidative stress, which might instead be confined to the vascular wall. Here, we describe a pathway for glucose-stimulated protein oxidation and provide evidence of its complicity in diabetic microvascular disease. Low density lipoprotein incubated with pathophysiological concentrations of glucose became selectively enriched in ortho-tyrosine and meta-tyrosine, implicating a hydroxyl radical-like species in protein damage. Model system studies demonstrated that the reaction pathway requires both a reactive carbonyl group and a polyunsaturated fatty acid, involves lipid peroxidation, and is blocked by the carbonyl scavenger aminoguanidine. To explore the physiological relevance of the pathway, we used mass spectrometry and high pressure liquid chromatography to quantify oxidation products in control and hyperglycemic rats. Hyperglycemia raised levels of ortho-tyrosine, meta-tyrosine, and oxygenated lipids in the retina, a tissue rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Rats that received aminoguanidine did not show this increase in protein and lipid oxidation. In contrast, rats with diet-induced hyperlipidemia in the absence of hyperglycemia failed to exhibit increased protein and lipid oxidation products in the retina. Our observations suggest that generation of a hydroxyl radical-like species by a carbonyl/polyunsaturated fatty acid pathway might promote localized oxidative stress in tissues vulnerable to diabetic damage. This raises the possibility that antioxidant therapies that specifically inhibit the pathway might delay the vascular complications of diabetes.
Physiologic and molecular aspects of the Na+:HCO3- cotransporter in health and disease processes

Physiologic and molecular aspects of theNa + :HCO 3 - cotransporter in health and disease processes. Approximately 80% of the filtered load of HCO 3 - is reabsorbed in the proximal tubule via a process of active acid secretion by the luminal membrane. The major mechanism for the transport of HCO 3 - across the basolateral membrane is via the electrogenicNa + :3HCO 3 - cotransporter (NBC). Recent molecular cloning experiments have identified the existence of three NBC isoforms (NBC-1, NBC-2, and NBC-3). 1 1At the time this paper was under review, the cloning of a new NBC isoform, which is also called NBC-3, was reported (Pushkin A, Abuladze N, Lee I, Newman D, Hwang J, Kurtz I. J Biol Chem 274:16569–16575, 1999). We therefore have two distinct NBC-3 isoforms. To prevent any confusion, they are named kNBC-3 (reference 85) and mNBC-3 (Pushkin et al, see above). mNBC-3 is expressed only in myocytes and myocardium. kNBC-3 (reference 85) is the isoform expressed in kidney and other tissues. The term "NBC-3" used in this article refers to kNBC-3. Functional and molecular studies indicate the presence of all three NBC isoforms in the kidney. All are presumed to mediate the cotransport ofNa + and HCO 3 - under normal conditions and may be functionally altered in certain pathophysiologic states. Specifically, NBC-1 may be up-regulated in metabolic acidosis and potassium depletion and in response to glucocorticoid excess and may be down-regulated in response to HCO 3 - loading or alkalosis. Recent studies provide molecular evidence indicating the expression of NBC-1 in pancreatic duct cells. NBC is activated by cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and plays an important role in HCO 3 - secretion in the agonist-stimulated state in pancreatic duct cells. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent functional and molecular studies on the regulation of NBCs in physiologic and pathophysiologic states. Possible signals responsible for the regulation of NBCs in these conditions are examined. Furthermore, the possible role of this transporter in acid-base disorders (such as proximal renal tubular acidosis) is discussed.
Antibodies to glutamate and aspartate recognize non-endogenous ligands for excitatory amino acid receptors.

Antisera raised against glutaraldehyde conjugates of glutamate (Glu) and asparate (Asp) with hemocyanin proved highly specific for their respective unconjugated amino acid haptens when tested in immunocytochemical blocking experiments on sections of the rat spinal cord. In addition, immunocytochemical staining by the Glu antiserum was effectively blocked by quisqualate but not by kainate or N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA); staining with the Asp antiserum was effectively blocked by kainate, to a lesser extent by quisqualate, and was not affected by NMDA. These results may be explained by assuming that the specific binding regions of the antibodies tested share certain recognition characteristics with endogenous binding sites or receptors for excitatory amino acids and their agonists.
Adjuvant therapy of bullous pemphigoid with dapsone.

Summary Thirteen patients with recurrent severe widespread recalcitrant bullous pemphigoid (BP) were studied. These patients had been initially treated with prednisone and azathioprine, and clinically responded. However, they frequently continued to have flare-ups or activation of the disease while still on treatment with high doses of these drugs. The addition of dapsone, as an adjuvant to the treatment, helped to produce a complete clinical remission in 12 patients (92%). In addition, there was a statistically significant difference in the median dose of prednisone, before and after the institution of dapsone, and in the maintenance dose of prednisone. Patients were tapered off prednisone more easily than before and did not flare at lower doses of prednisone as previously. It is suggested that, in patients with severe, recalcitrant, recurrent disease, the addition of dapsone to the existing regime of corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressive drugs, may be beneficial. This may be especially valuable to patients in whom corticosteroids have been used for prolonged periods and in whom increasing the corticosteroid dose further may be associated with significant side-effects.
Notes on the quantum mechanics of particles constrained to curved surfaces

In the course of one's studies, it may be desired to approximate a particle constrained to a curved surface, such as a sheet of graphene or a fullerene, but without modelling the lattice of Coulomb potentials. This can be done using the machinery of differential geometry to formulate a Schr?dinger equation for a particle constrained so by applying an infinitely narrow infinite square well potential normal to the surface. The purpose of this paper is to clarify two mistakes that might be made when attempting to formulate this equation. These mistakes are: (1) incorrectly assuming that the Laplacian of the surface is the same as the Laplacian of the space, with the constrained term removed; and (2) neglecting to include the effective potential energy due to the curvature of the surface. It is also noted that the constrained approach produces results that, if the resulting Schr?dinger equation is separable, will produce one constant of separation instead of the traditional two. The emergence of the second quantum number is demonstrated and, hence, the apparent inconsistency is resolved. The prolate spheroid is given as a non-trivial example because it highlights the issues presented.
Interface engineering of graphene for universal applications as both anode and cathode in organic photovoltaics

The high transparency of graphene, together with its good electrical conductivity and mechanical robustness, enable its use as transparent electrodes in optoelectronic devices such as solar cells. While initial demonstrations of graphene-based organic photovoltaics (OPV) have been promising, realization of scalable technologies remains challenging due to their performance and, critically, poor device reproducibility and yield. In this work, we demonstrate by engineering the interface between graphene and organic layers, device performance and yield become close to devices using indium tin oxide. Our study confirms that the key issue leading to the poor performance or irreproducibility in graphene-based OPV originates from the graphene interface, and can be addressed by a simple interface modification method introduced in this work. We also show similar approach allows graphene to be used as cathode in inverted OPV geometry, thereby demonstrating the universal application of graphene as transparent conductors for both the anode and cathode.
The CH2 domain of CBP/p300 is a novel zinc finger

The transcriptional co-regulator CBP (CREB-binding protein) has a highly conserved cysteine/histidine-rich region (CH2) whose structure and function remain uncharacterized. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR spectroscopy), sequence alignment, mass spectrometry, and mutagenesis, we show that the CH2 domain is not a canonical plant homeodomain (PHD) finger, as previously proposed, but binds an additional zinc atom through the region N-terminal to the putative PHD motif. The CH2 domain and the preceding bromodomain interact and mutually stabilize each other, implying a cooperative function. We tested the hypothesis that the bromodomain and the CH2 domain can interact with histones, but found that the CH2 does not participate in histone-recognition.
The association of alcohol consumption with self-reported illness in university students.

Many reports over the years have indicated an association between alcohol consumption and infectious illness among chronic heavy drinkers; however, many patients in these studies have been chronically ill. Thus the question of whether alcohol can appreciably influence immunity in humans and affect the incidence of infectious diseases remains largely unanswered. For this study over 1,100 undergraduate students from a general education course at a large midwestern university were surveyed. Students were asked about their drinking habits and acute health problems. Analyses of their self-reports showed no increase in acute health problems or upper respiratory infections in students drinking between one and 21 drinks per week. However, students drinking 28 or more alcoholic drinks per week had significantly more health problems in the aggregate and those drinking more than 22 drinks per week had more upper respiratory infections than other students including nondrinkers. It was concluded that excessive alcohol...
BLM helicase facilitates RNA polymerase I-mediated ribosomal RNA transcription

Bloom's syndrome (BS) is an autosomal recessive disorder that is invariably characterized by severe growth retardation and cancer predisposition. The Bloom's syndrome helicase (BLM), mutations of which lead to BS, localizes to promyelocytic leukemia protein bodies and to the nucleolus of the cell, the site of RNA polymerase I-mediated ribosomal RNA (rRNA) transcription. rRNA transcription is fundamental for ribosome biogenesis and therefore protein synthesis, cellular growth and proliferation; its inhibition limits cellular growth and proliferation as well as bodily growth. We report that nucleolar BLM facilitates RNA polymerase I-mediated rRNA transcription. Immunofluorescence studies demonstrate the dependance of BLM nucleolar localization upon ongoing RNA polymerase I-mediated rRNA transcription. In vivo protein co-immunoprecipitation demonstrates that BLM interacts with RPA194, a subunit of RNA polymerase I. 3H-uridine pulse-chase assays demonstrate that BLM expression is required for efficient rRNA transcription. In vitro helicase assays demonstrate that BLM unwinds GC-rich rDNA-like substrates that form in the nucleolus and normally inhibit progression of the RNA polymerase I transcription complex. These studies suggest that nucleolar BLM modulates rDNA structures in association with RNA polymerase I to facilitate RNA polymerase I-mediated rRNA transcription. Given the intricate relationship between rDNA metabolism and growth, our data may help in understanding the etiology of proportional dwarfism in BS.
Treatment Beliefs and Techniques of Clinicians Serving Child Maltreatment Survivors

A significant focus in the child maltreatment field is greater dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatments (EBTs). Research has attempted to identify attitudes toward EBTs and training experiences that predict clinicians' use of EBTs; however, these findings have yielded mixed results. This study reports on the results of a nationwide (United States) sample of 256 clinicians serving child maltreatment survivors, who completed questionnaires assessing beliefs about the clinical process, treatment technique selection, and attitudes toward EBTs. Psychometric data are presented on two new scales. The first scale examines clinicians' beliefs about two components of the clinical process: (1) the extent to which treatment should be structured/directed by the clinician and (2) children's verbal capacity to discuss traumatic events. The second scale assesses clinician-reported selection of various treatment techniques and contains four subscales: Cognitive-Behavioral, Play/Experiential, Psychodynamic, and Uncommon. Using these scales, a series of analyses were performed to determine which attitudes, beliefs, and training variables were associated with the selection of treatment techniques. After controlling for the impact of other variables, significant associations between the two clinical process beliefs and cognitive-behavioral and play/experiential techniques utilization were observed. Implications of these results for increasing implementation of EBTs with child maltreatment survivors are discussed. Language: en
Medical Management of Urinary Stone Disease

A variety of dietary and metabolic factors may contribute or cause stone formation in idiopathic calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis. Dietary factors include a high intake of animal proteins, oxalate and sodium, and a low intake of fluids and potassium-containing citrus products. Some of the metabolic causes of stones are hypercalciuria, hypocitraturia, gouty diathesis, hyperoxaluria, and hyperuricosuria. Dietary modification, to be applied in all patients with stones includes a high fluid intake, restriction of oxalate and sodium, and balanced diet with animal proteins complemented by adequate intake of fruits and vegetables. When dietary modification is ineffective in controlling stone formation or in the presence of severe metabolic derangements, a pharmacologic intervention may be necessary. In a simple approach, thiazide or indapamide with potassium citrate is recommended for patients with hypercalciuria, and potassium citrate alone for the remaining normocalciuric subjects.
Degrees of Separation An Ourstory About Working-Class and Poverty-Class Academic Identity

This autoethnographic text invites readers into identity work at the interstices of growing up working class and becoming an academic. Influenced by mystory scholarship, the author has crafted a performance-oriented "ourstory" that blends academic, personal, biographical, and popular culture discourses. Following an introduction, the author presents four scenes chronicling her own and one research participant's moments from precollege through present day. The text uses a wide-angle lens to view the social dimensions of being a first-generation college student and academic. In proximate existential moments, readers also move inward, being exposed to two vulnerable, incomplete, and sometimes contradictory "selves-in-process." A critical text reflecting the belief that the ethnographic, aesthetic, and political can never be neatly separated, it seeks to provoke us to deconstruct the degrees of separation between private troubles and public issues.
Inelastic light emission from spherical particles and cylindrical fibers

The inelastic light-scattering properties of molecules embedded in small dielectric spheres and cylinders are presented. The angular distribution of inelastically scattered radiation is shown to differ from that of elastically scattered radiation from the same dielectric particle. Furthermore, the inelastic emission spectra from the embedded molecules exhibit additional peaks which are not present for the same molecules embedded in a much larger dielectric object. The angular distribution, which is a complicated function of the size, shape and refractive index of the host dielectric particle and the internal molecular distribution, contains information needed to deduce the concentrations of the embedded molecules, as well as to characterize the morphology of the dielectric particle. The emission spectra contain the natural mode resonances of the particle in addition to the usual bulk-observed spectral characteristics of the embedded molecules. Consequently, both angular and spectral distributions are important in the interpretation of inelastic scattering (spontaneous Raman or fluorescence) from molecules embedded in or coated on dielectric particles.
Ask me better questions: active learning queries based on rule induction

Active learning methods are used to improve the classification accuracy when little labeled data is available. Most traditional active learning methods pose a very specific query to the oracle, i.e. they ask for the label of an unlabeled example. This paper proposes a novel active learning method called RIQY (Rule Induced active learning QuerY). It can construct generic active learning queries based on rule induction from multiple unlabeled instances. These queries are shorter and more readable for the oracle and encompass many similar cases. Also the learning algorithm can achieve higher accuracy rates by asking fewer queries. We evaluate our algorithm on 12 different real datasets. Our results show that we can achieve higher accuracy rates using fewer queries compared to the traditional active learning methods.
ICAT: incremental combinational ATPG

An incremental ATPG system for combinational circuits, ICAT, is presented. ICAT uses the hypothesis that, if a circuit modification is small, the old tests for the circuit before modification can provide crucial information to speed up generation of new tests for the modified circuit. Four incremental techniques in ICAT maximally utilize information from the old tests with minimal storage requirements. The four incremental techniques are augmented with a fast, effective deterministic test generation algorithm in ICAT. The experimental results from the evaluation of three different classes of modifications to ISCAS circuits show the incremental technique to be efficient and effective. >
Grazing and Fire Impacts on Macrolichen Communities of The Seward Peninsula, Alaska, U.S.A

We sought to assess impacts of fire and grazing by reindeer and caribou on lichen communities in northwestern Alaska. Macrolichen abundance was estimated from 45, 0.38-ha plots. Eighteen of those plots, scattered throughout the southern Seward Peninsula, represented two levels of grazing, heavy and light. We found lightly grazed areas had taller lichens and greater total lichen cover than heavily grazed sites. Minor yet statistically significant changes in community structure were also observed between heavily and lightly grazed sites. However, lichen species richness did not differ by grazing status. Overall, average lichen height appears to be the best indication of grazing intensity on the Seward Peninsula. Apart from the 18 grazing plots, 8 additional plots were established in previously burned sites to represent reference conditions with a known time since disturbance date. These plots provided a framework of vegetation recovery from severe, recent disturbance towards pre-disturbance conditions. Patterns in lichen, bryophyte and vascular plant characteristics from these fire plots in combination with our findings from the grazing plots were then used to interpret the disturbance history of new plots. These new plots comprise the remaining 19 plots (of the total 45) that were sampled within the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (BELA). We believe the location of BELA, regardless of disturbance history, is more favorable to vascular plants and Sphagnum, and lichens grow taller in response, compared to areas on the Seward Peninsula further south. In addition, lower cover in the Preserve may be attributed to site or climatic differences rather than grazing.
Learning Complex Population-Coded Sequences

In humans and primates, the sequential structure of complex actions is apparently learned at an abstract "cognitive" level in several regions of the frontal cortex, independent of the control of the immediate effectors by the motor system. At this level, actions are represented in terms of kinematic parameters --- especially direction of end effector movement --- and encoded using population codes. Muscle force signals are generated from this representation by downstream systems in the motor cortex and the spinal cord. In this paper, we consider the problem of learning population-coded kinematic sequences in an abstract neural network model of the medial frontal cortex. For concreteness, the sequences are represented as line drawings in a two-dimensional workspace. Learning such sequences presents several challenges because of the internal complexity of the individual sequences and extensive overlap between sequences. We show that, by using a simple module-selection mechanism, our model is capable of learning multiple sequences with complex structure and very high cross-sequence similarity.
Remodeling sperm chromatin in Xenopus laevis egg extracts: the role of core histone phosphorylation and linker histone B4 in chromatin assembly.

We find that the remodeling of the condensed Xenopus laevis sperm nucleus into the paternal pronucleus in egg extracts is associated with phosphorylation of the core histones H2A, H2A.X and H4, and uptake of a linker histone B4 and a HMG 2 protein. Histone B4 is required for the assembly of chromatosome structures in the pronucleus. However neither B4 nor core histone phosphorylation are required for the assembly of spaced nucleosomal arrays. We suggest that the spacing of nucleosomal arrays is determined by interaction between adjacent histone octamers under physiological assembly conditions.
Basic Mechanisms and Pathways of Neuroimmunomodulation (Nim): Triggers (and Problems for Future Research)

(1990). Basic Mechanisms and Pathways of Neuroimmunomodulation (Nim): Triggers (and Problems for Future Research) International Journal of Neuroscience: Vol. 51, No. 3-4, pp. 335-337.
BoxRouter 2.0: A hybrid and robust global router with layer assignment for routability

In this article, we present BoxRouter 2.0, and discuss its architecture and implementation. As high-performance VLSI design becomes more interconnect-dominant, efficient congestion elimination in global routing is in greater demand. Hence, we propose a global router which has a strong ability to improve routability and minimize the number of vias with blockages, while minimizing wirelength. BoxRouter 2.0 is extended from BoxRouter 1.0, but can perform multi-layer routing with 2D global routing and layer assignment. Our 2D global routing is equipped with two ideas: node shifting for congestion-aware Steiner tree and robust negotiation-based Aa search for routing stability. After 2D global routing, 2D-to-3D mapping is done by the layer assignment which is powered by progressive via/blockage-aware integer linear programming. Experimental results show that BoxRouter 2.0 has better routability with comparable wirelength than other routers on ISPD07 benchmark, and it can complete (no overflow) the widely used ISPD98 benchmark for the first time in the literature with the shortest wirelength. We further generate a set of harder ISPD98 benchmarks to push the limit of BoxRouter 2.0, and propose the hardened ISPD98 benchmarks to map state-of-the-art solutions for future routing research.
Parallel Computation in Word Formation

Taking the Distributed Morphology model as a starting point, this article presents and develops the hypothesis that parallel computations drive some word formation processes. Along the way, some Distributed Morphology assumptions, particularly those concerning contextual allomorphy, are revised. It is argued that event structure is a syntactic head independent of the presence of a vP. Nominalizations in Spanish, which often exhibit verbal thematic vowels between the root and the nominalizing affix, turn out to be an ideal testing ground for theoretical hypotheses.
A generalized model for coupled lines and its applications to two-layer planar circuits

A generalized network model for asymmetrical and inhomogeneous coupled lines has been derived based on normal mode parameters. This model is useful for synthesis of single and multilayer coupled-line circuits, such as planar baluns and directional couplers. The synthesis procedures are described and have been verified by comparing with analysis results. >
Induction of Hypoxia in Vascular Endothelial Cell Culture

In this chapter, we will describe the use of a hypoxia chamber with a two-gas (carbon dioxide and nitrogen) supply in order to investigate the effects of low oxygen tension on angiogenesis. For this assay we describe the effects using human umbilical vein endothelial cells but in practice the protocol can be modified and optimized for use with any source of endothelial cells.
A Hierarchial Bayes Approach to System Reliability Analysis

The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty of 1996 banned any future nuclear explosions or testing of nuclear weapons and created the CTBTO in Vienna to implement the treaty. The U.S. response to this was the cessation of all above and below ground nuclear testing. As such, all stockpile reliability assessments are now based on periodic testing of subsystems being stored in a wide variety of environments. This data provides a wealth of information and feeds a growing web of deterministic, physics-based computer models for assessment of stockpile reliability. Unfortunately until 1996 it was difficult to relate the deterministic materials aging test data to component reliability. Since that time we have made great strides in mathematical techniques and computer tools that permit explicit relationships between materials degradation, e.g. corrosion, thermo-mechanical fatigue, and reliability. The resulting suite of tools is known as CRAX and the mathematical library supporting these tools is Cassandra. However, these techniques ignore the historical data that is also available on similar systems in the nuclear stockpile, the DoD weapons complex and even in commercial applications. Traditional statistical techniques commonly used in classical re liability assessment do not permit data from these sources to be easily included in the overall assessment of system reliability. An older, alternative approach based on Bayesian probability theory permits the inclusion of data from all applicable sources. Data from a variety of sources is brought together in a logical fashion through the repeated application of inductive mathematics. This research brings together existing mathematical methods, modifies and expands those techniques as required, permitting data from a wide variety of sources to be combined in a logical fashion to increase the confidence in the reliability assessment of the nuclear weapons stockpile. The application of this research is limited to those systems composed of discrete components, e.g. those that can be characterized as operating or not operating. However, there is nothing unique about the underlying principles and the extension to continuous subsystem/systems is straightforward. The framework is also laid for the consideration of systems with multiple correlated failure modes. While an important consideration, time and resources limited the specific demonstration of these methods.
Fundamental Stochastic Models

A number of basic probability models and solutions are discussed in this chapter. These include basic distributions and the Poisson process. A large number of probability problems with a networking orientation are presented. Also examined are multiple access models, switching elements, tree networks, some interconnection networks and a multiple bus system.
Symmetry fractionalization and anomaly detection in three-dimensional topological phases

In a phase with fractional excitations, topological properties are enriched in the presence of global symmetry. In particular, fractional excitations can transform under symmetry in a fractionalized manner, resulting in different symmetry enriched topological (SET) phases. While a good deal is now understood in 2D regarding what symmetry fractionalization patterns are possible, the situation in 3D is much more open. A new feature in 3D is the existence of loop excitations, so to study 3D SET phases, first we need to understand how to properly describe the fractionalized action of symmetry on loops. Using a dimensional reduction procedure, we show that these loop excitations exist as the boundary between two 2D SET phases, and the symmetry action is characterized by the corresponding difference in SET orders. Moreover, similar to the 2D case, we find that some seemingly possible symmetry fractionalization patterns are actually anomalous and cannot be realized strictly in 3D. We detect such anomalies using the flux fusion method we introduced previously in 2D. To illustrate these ideas, we use the 3DZ_2 gauge theory with Z_2 global symmetry as an example, and enumerate and describe the corresponding SET phases. In particular, we find four nonanomalous SET phases and one anomalous SET phase, which we show can be realized as the surface of a 4D system with symmetry protected topological order.
Josephus's Portrait of Joshua

As one deeply involved in the politics of his day, whether in Palestine or in Rome, and as a student of Thucydides and of Plato (particularly of the latter's Republic ), Josephus was much concerned with examining the qualities of the ideal leader of the state, convinced as he was, with Plato, that the wrong kind of leadership could and did bring about its downfall. Since one of the most important qualities of a great leader is to be able to discern the qualities of people and, above all, to select a worthy successor, the fact that Moses, the greatest leader that the Israelites had ever had, chose as his successor Joshua led Josephus to the conclusion that Joshua possessed the qualities of an ideal statesman. As Josephus puts itin an editorial comment ( Ant . 3.49) which has no biblical basis, Joshua possessed five crucial qualities: he was extremely courageous, valiant in endurance of toil, highly gifted in intellect, highly gifted in speech, and distinguished for piety in worshiping God. Again, when summarizing his qualities upon Joshua's death (5.188), Josephus singles out four qualities—his supreme intelligence, his supreme skill in speaking lucidly (σαφώς) to the multitude, his stout-heartedness and great daring, and his utmost dexterity in directing affairs (Πρνλανeσαι) in peacetime and his adaptabilityto every occasion. If we combine these two accounts we see that Josephus stressed in Joshua the qualities of wisdom, eloquence, courage, endurance, flexibility, and piety.
Magnetization of Gd cluster: Anomalous thermal behavior

Theoretical studies of the temperature (T) dependence of magnetization of Gd13 clusters have been carried out within a classical Heisenberg model using Monte-Carlo simulations. It is shown that for a broad range of values of , defined as the ratio between competing ferro and anti-ferro magnetic couplings, the cluster magnetization increases with T in the low T region, as seen in experiment. The clusters are also shown to exhibit a wide distribution of moments at a given T, which broadens significantly with increasing T. It is suggested that this may affect the observed magnetic behavior of magnetic clusters in Stern-Gerlach experiments.
A Univariate Extension of Jensen's Inequality

The res ult in this paper exp lains some of the qualitative nature of Jensen's inequality. It is shown that the more disperse the distribution of a random variable is, the small er is the expectation of any concave function of it. This result can be used to show the inadequacy of some current methods of reporting environmental data by using geometric means, and it extends the result of I. Billick, D. Shier, and C. H. Spiegelman, where symmetry of th e error in environmental mellsurements is assumed.
The surgery of Crohn's disease.

The surgery of Crohn’s disease has evolved gradually since the original description in 1932. Initially, local resectional surgery was carried out when possible, but the high morbidity and mortality led to the more limited bypass procedure. Today, resection and reanastomosis is the procedure of choice, and resection of bypassed segments is recommended. Surgical intervention is usually required for the complications of the disease, which include intestinal obstruction, intraabdominal abscess, fistulae, free perforation, massive hemorrhage, and toxic megacolon. With careful preoperative and meticulous surgical technique, operative therapy may be done today with low morbidity and mortality rates.
Enzyme Immunoassays for Antinuclear Antibodies

To evaluate the potential advantages and disadvantages of the EANA, the immunopathology laboratory of the Henry Ford Health System compared the qualitative and quantitative results from several EANA assays to those from a well-standardized FANA assay and then correlated them with the clinical data.
Selective Versus Non-selective α-Blockade Prior to Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy for Pheochromocytoma.

Background The optimal preoperative α-blockade strategy is debated for patients undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytomas. We evaluated the impact of selective versus non-selective α-blockade on intraoperative hemodynamics and postoperative outcomes.
A critical assessment of regulatory triggers for products of biotechnology: Product vs. process

Regulatory policies governing the safety of genetic engineering (rDNA) and the resulting products (GMOs) have been contentious and divisive, especially in agricultural applications of the technologies. These tensions led to vastly different approaches to safety regulation in different jurisdictions, even though the intent of regulations-to assure public and environmental safety-are common worldwide, and even though the international scientific communities agree on the basic principles of risk assessment and risk management. So great are the political divisions that jurisdictions cannot even agree on the appropriate triggers for regulatory capture, whether product or process. This paper reviews the historical policy and scientific implications of agricultural biotechnology regulatory approaches taken by the European Union, USA and Canada, using their respective statutes and regulations, and then critically assesses the scientific underpinnings of each.
The large-scale growth of higher fungi.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the large-scale growth of higher fungi. Many fungi can be grown in large masses on cheap carbohydrate material, such as molasses, vegetable waste, potatoes, and sulfite waste liquor from the wood-pulping industry. Other fungi are being used in the beer and whiskey industries; still others have been developed for fat production. Proteins produced by fungi offer important industrial possibilities. Fungi can be produced in quantity within a few hours or days. Fungi are often divided by mycologists into two groups: higher fungi and lower fungi. The mushrooms, particularly the mushroom of commerce Agaricus bisporus , are the best known higher fungi. The term “mushroom” is most frequently applied to the gill-bearing fungi as characterized by Agaricus but, in the broadest sense, include the “boletes,” with pores replacing the gills, the puffballs, the morel with a spongy reproductive structure, and even the subterranean truffles.
C/Ebpβ Inhibits Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Cells Via Interaction with NF-κb p50.

Abstract The CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) family of proteins bind DNA via their C-terminal basic region – leucine zipper (BR-LZ or bZIP) domains and activate transcription via N-terminal trans-activation domains. We previously demonstrated that C/EBPα inhibits apoptosis when the immature hematopoietic Ba/F3 cell line is withdrawn from IL-3 and that a C/EBPα BR mutant that does not bind NF-κB p50 but retains the ability to bind NF-κB p65 is inactive. We have now sought to extend these findings to C/EBPβ. We first created two point mutations in C/EBPβ, R240G and ΔK253. The C/EBPβ(R240G) is analogous to the C/EBPα(R300G) BR variant that does not bind NF-κB p50 or inhibit apoptosis, and C/EBPβ(ΔK253) is analogous to the C/EBPα(ΔK313) LZ variant that does not bind DNA but retains the ability to interact with NF-κB p50 and inhibit apoptosis. In co-ip experiments using transiently transfected 293T extracts, both C/EBPβ and C/EBPβ(ΔK253) interacted with NF-κB p50, whereas C/EBPβ(R240G) did not, as predicted. In contrast, all three isoforms bound NF-κB p65. And in gel shift assay, C/EBPβ bound a consensus C/EBP site, whereas neither C/EBPβ(R240G) nor C/EBPβ(ΔK253) bound DNA, again as expected. Ba/F3 cell lines were then generated stably expressing C/EBPβ-ER, C/EBP(R240G)-ER, or C/EBPβ(ΔK253)-ER proteins, via transduction with pBabePuro retroviral vectors and puromycin selection of pooled populations. Western blot analysis confirmed similar expression of each transgene. Ba/F3 lines were removed from IL-3 and cultured with or without estradiol, to activate the ER fusion proteins. Remarkably, both CEBPβ-ER and C/EBPβ(ΔK253)-ER prolonged survival of the cells during the first 48 hrs after IL-3 withdrawal, similar to the activity of C/EBPα-ER, whereas C/EBPβ(R240G)-ER was ineffective. Current efforts focus on identifying genetic targets of C/EBPβ:NF-κB p50 cooperation relevant to the observed inhibition of apoptosis, on assessing activities of C/EBPβ and it variants in normal hematopoietic cells isolated from adult marrow, and on determining the activities of the long and short (LAP and LIP) C/EBPβ translational isoforms. Overall, the finding that C/EBPβ inhibits apoptosis in cooperation with NF-κB p50 is significant due to the expression of both C/EBPβ and activated NF-κB in several human lymphoma subsets and in solid tumors such as breast cancer. Targeting this interaction with small molecules may provide a novel therapeutic approach for these malignancies.
Abstract TMP42: Distinguishing Clinical and Radiologic Features of Non-Traumatic Convexal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Introduction: Small case series have suggested that cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) are the most common causes of non-traumatic convexal S...