cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of sangivamycin and xylosyladenine on the synthesis and methylation of polysomal ribonucleic acid in Ehrlich ascites cells in vitro

Abstract The pyrrolopyrimidine, sangivamycin, and the adenosine analog, xylosyladenine, were examined for their effects on the synthesis and methylation of polysomal RNA in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in vitro. The synthesis of non-polyriboadenylic acid (non-poly (A) −) and poly(A)-containing RNA was inhibited 50 per cent at concentrations of 7 × 10−6 M and 3 × 10−6 M xylosyladenine, respectively, when adenosine deaminase was inhibited with 2'-deoxycoformycin. Sangivamycin inhibited the synthesis of non-poly(A)- and poly(A)RNA by 50 per cent at concentrations of 5 × 10−5 M and 2 × 10−5 M respectively. Electrophoretic separation of non-poly(A)RNA into rRNA and tRNA indicated that the inhibitory effects of both drugs were more pronounced on 28S than on 18S rRNA, and that xylosyladenine but not sangivamycin inhibited the synthesis of tRNA. Assessment of the effects of both analogs on the methylation of polysomal RNA revealed that xylosyladenine inhibited the methylation of nonpoly(A)-and poly(A)RNA, while sangivamycin only weakly affected the latter species of RNA. Base methylation of the affected species of RNA was inhibited slightly more than 2'-O-methylation by both drugs. These results indicate that sangivamycin is a more selective inhibitor of polysomal RNA in comparison to xylosyladenine under conditions where adenosine demainase is not a limiting factor.
Phosphorescence Probes of Molecular Mobility, Oxygen Permeability, and Dynamic Site Heterogeneity in Amorphous Soybean Glycinin

The physical properties of amorphous biomolecules are important to the stability of low-moisture foods and pharmaceuticals. In the amorphous solid state, slow molecular motions are suitable for study by phosphorescent techniques. We use phosphorescence of erythrosin B dispersed in soy glycinin films to characterize the molecular mobility, oxygen permeability, and dynamic heterogeneity of the protein matrix. Films are spread from concentrated solutions of probe/protein at mole ratios of 0.045/1. Measurements as a function of temperature are made of phosphorescence intensity decays, emission spectra, and time-resolved emission spectra. Decays are fit with a stretched exponential function and both lifetimes and stretching exponents decrease with temperature. Arrhenius analysis of non-radiative quenching constants suggests that the protein matrix undergoes a broad softening transition between 70 and 120C during which additional modes of molecular motion are activated. The stretching exponent, a measure of the breadth of distribution of lifetimes and hence probe site heterogeneity, decreases gradually with temperature up to 70C and more steeply at higher temperatures, providing evidence of the onset of softening at 70C. Oxygen quenching rates, calculated from a comparison between emission lifetimes in the presence and absence of oxygen, vary roughly linearly with collisional quenching rates, which suggests that the local molecular mobility responsible for collisional quenching also modulates oxygen permeability. Delayed emission spectra are fit to a double lognormal function that provides peak emission energy and bandwidth. Bandwidth increases dramatically above 70C, which reflects an increase in the width of the distribution of energetically distinct matrix environments and provides further evidence of softening. The emission spectra blue shift with increasing delay time providing strong evidence that probes reside in distinct sites that vary in molecular mobility. Research supported by CSREES.
Using enhanced GRACE water storage data to improve drought detection by the U.S. and North American Drought Monitors

NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites measure time variations of the Earth's gravity field enabling reliable detection of spatio-temporal variations in total terrestrial water storage (TWS), including groundwater. The U.S. and North American Drought Monitors rely heavily on precipitation indices and do not currently incorporate systematic observations of deep soil moisture and groundwater storage conditions. Thus GRACE has great potential to improve the Drought Monitors by filling this observational gap. GRACE TWS data were assimilating into the Catchment Land Surface Model using an ensemble Kalman smoother enabling spatial and temporal downscaling and vertical decomposition into soil moisture and groundwater components. The Drought Monitors combine several short- and long-term drought indicators expressed in percentiles as a reference to their historical frequency of occurrence. To be consistent, we generated a climatology of estimated soil moisture and ground water based on a 60-year Catchment model simulation, which was used to convert seven years of GRACE assimilated fields into drought indicator percentiles. At this stage we provide a preliminary evaluation of the GRACE assimilated moisture and indicator fields.
Achieving adaptive ends through equivocality: A study of organizational antecedents and consequences

Abstract Confronting complex situations is the hallmark of strategic decision-making. While these situations may be perceived as equivocal, organizations must cope, act, and thrive within such ambiguities. This study explores the manifestation and regulation of equivocality during strategic marketing decision-making. The results indicate that organizations that tolerate ambiguity perceive greater equivocality in problem situations and exhibit greater adaptive behavior; however, the findings come with a caveat: while experienced firms may enjoy these benefits, the situation is more complex for firms with limited product-market knowledge.
Protein-Amino Acid Evaluation of Steam-Processed Feather Meal

Abstract Five chick bioassays were carried out to evaluate the protein quality of a commercially available, steam-processed feather meal. The meal was assayed and found to contain 86.8% CP, .45% methionine, 4.19% cystine, 1.72% lanthionine, and 1.45% lysine. Fed as the sole source of protein, methionine and lysine were first- and second-limiting amino acids, respectively; histidinc and tryptophan were equally third limiting. Two assays conducted to establish bioavailable cystine concentrations yielded values of 2.92% in one assay and 2.89% in the other. Based upon the total sulfur amino acid concentration as determined chromatographically and, converting methionine and lanthionine to cystine equivalents, a bioavailability of 52% was calculated. With methionine-fortified corn-soybean meal diets it was shown that at least 10% of the dietary crude protein (24%) could be provided as feather meal. With methionine and lysine supplementation, up to 40% of the dietary crude protein could be supplied by feather meal with little depression in chick rate and efficiency of weight gain.
The strict stability of dynamic systems on time scales

The strict stability of dynamic systems on time scales is examined with sufficient conditions. Results analogous to Lyapunov's theorems ae proved and discussed using a comparison principle.
Comparative biochemistry of mammalian arylsulfatase C and steroid sulfatase.

Abstract 1. 1. Hepatic arylsulfatase C (ASC) and steroid sulfatase (SS) from six of eleven mammals (rat, dog, baboon, cow, goat, and sheep) coeluted from DEAE-Sephacel as a single anionic species. A minor cationic peak of ASC and SS activity was also recovered from solubilized microsomes derived from the domestic cat. Characterization of the cationic activities indicated they were most likely contributed by a protein structurally related to the anionic isozyme. Properties of ASC and SS activities occurring in these seven species were most consistent with the presence of both activities in the same enzyme. 2. 2. Guinea-pig liver SS activity was partitioned between an alkylsulfatase (hydrolyzing dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS)) and an arylsulfatase (hydrolyzing both estrone sulfate (E1S) and 4-methylumbelliferyl sulfate (4MUS) at a comon active site). These enzymes were physically separable by ion-exchange chromatography and possessed distinct immunological and chemical properties. 3. 3. Porcine, squirrel, and human livers possessed a major isozyme of ASC that lacked both E1S- and DHEAS-sulfatase activities. The human hepatic ASC was separable from SS by electrophoresis and was partially resolved from SS by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography. The ASC isozyme lacking SS activity was heat-labile in all three species.
Regulation of Fertility, Survival, and Cuticle Collagen Function by the Caenorhabditis elegans eaf-1 and ell-1 Genes

EAF2, an androgen-regulated protein, interacts with members of the ELL (eleven-nineteen lysine-rich leukemia) transcription factor family and also acts as a tumor suppressor. Although these proteins control transcriptional elongation and perhaps modulate the effects of other transcription factors, the mechanisms of their actions remain largely unknown. To gain new insights into the biology of the EAF2 and ELL family proteins, we used Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to explore the in vivo roles of their worm orthologs. Through the use of transgenic worms, RNAi, and an eaf-1 mutant, we found that both genes are expressed in multiple cell types throughout the worm life cycle and that they play important roles in fertility, survival, and body size regulation. ELL-1 and EAF-1 likely contribute to these activities in part through modulating cuticle synthesis, given that we observed a disrupted cuticle structure in ell-1 RNAi-treated or eaf-1 mutant worms. Consistent with disruption of cuticle structure, loss of either ELL-1 or EAF-1 suppressed the rol phenotype of specific collagen mutants, possibly through the control of dpy-3, dpy-13, and sqt-3 collagen gene expression. Furthermore, we also noted the regulation of collagen expression by ELL overexpression in PC3 human prostate cancer cells. Together, these results reveal important roles for the eaf-1 and ell-1 genes in the regulation of extracellular matrix components.
Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I-Restricted Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Responses to Epstein-Barr Virus in Children

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses were evaluated in 9 children aged 20-35 months. Autologous EBV-transformed B lymphoblastoid cell lines were used to restimulate EBV-specific memory CTL precursors in vitro. Recognition of individual EBV gene products by bulk CTL lines was evaluated by combining CTL lines with B cell blasts infected with recombinant vaccinia constructs expressing single latent genes. CTL lines from all 9 children recognized one or more EBV latent gene products. All children demonstrated CTL responses against one or more EBV nuclear antigen 3 proteins (EBNA3A, 3B, 3C), and EBNA3C was recognized most frequently. The striking similarity between EBV-specific CTL responses described here in young children and those reported for adults suggests that the EBNA3 family of proteins and latent membrane protein 2A should be considered for inclusion in candidate EBV vaccines.
Modeling arbitrary polynomial bispectra using systems with multiplicity in one- and two-dimensions

Introduces a new class of systems, called systems with multiplicity (SWM), to model arbitrary polynomial bispectra. It is shown that an arbitrary polynomial bispectrum of a one-dimensional (1-D) process can always be modeled using an SWM with FIR components. Experimental results for the identification of SWM based on their output bispectra using a proposed method are then presented. In two-dimensions (2-D), it is shown that an arbitrary polynomial bispectrum cannot always be modeled using an SWM with 2-D FIR components, although a given SWM with 2-D FIR components can be identified using the bispectrum of its output. >
City-Suburban Income Disparities and Metropolitan Area Employment: Can Tightening Labor Markets Reduce the Gaps?

Were tight metropolitan labor markets in 1990 associated with narrow spatial income disparities between central cities and their suburbs? In U.S. national policy, it is assumed that maintaining high levels of national economic growth will attract inner-city poverty populations into the world of work, thereby reducing suburban-city income gaps. The authors examine the impact of tight labor markets on these disparities by developing regression models for metropolitan statistical areas. Economic growth, fostering tighter labor markets, is clearly desirable. However, tightening local labor markets actually exacerbates disparities to a point. Past that point disparities begin to decrease, but at a very slow rate.
Modeling Fear of Crime and Perceived Victimization Risk: The (In)Significance of Neighborhood Integration

The bulk of fear–of–crime research has been limited to one questionnaire item that asks respondents to assess their personal safety by answering “how safe they feel alone in their neighborhoods at night.” More recently, however, studies have pointed to the multidimensional nature of fear of crime and perceived risk of victimization. Following this line of inquiry, we investigate the potential impact of several variable sets on three measures of fear of crime or risk perception—the traditional risk assessment of being alone at night, a measure of worry about crime, and a more general assessment of neighborhood safety. Of particular interest are the relative effects of neighborhood integration variables on the measures of fear/risk. A comparison of the effects of neighborhood integration variables with a set of perceived neighborhood disorder, routine activities, socio–demographic characteristics, and victimization experience variables reveals that the neighborhood disorder (incivilities), income, and crime prevention measures produce the most consistently significant effects on fear of crime and perceived risk. Contrary to our expectations, neighborhood integration variables appear to be relatively unimportant.
In vivo measurement of glenohumeral joint contact patterns

The objectives of this study were to describe a technique for measuring in-vivo glenohumeral joint contact patterns during dynamic activities and to demonstrate application of this technique. The experimental technique calculated joint contact patterns by combining CT-based 3D bone models with joint motion data that were accurately measured from biplane x-ray images. Joint contact patterns were calculated for the repaired and contralateral shoulders of 20 patients who had undergone rotator cuff repair. Significant differences in joint contact patterns were detected due to abduction angle and shoulder condition (i.e., repaired versus contralateral). Abduction angle had a significant effect on the superior/inferior contact center position, with the average joint contact center of the repaired shoulder 12.1% higher on the glenoid than the contralateral shoulder. This technique provides clinically relevant information by calculating in-vivo joint contact patterns during dynamic conditions and overcomes many limitations associated with conventional techniques for quantifying joint mechanics.
Raman excitations and orientational ordering in deuterium at high pressure

High-resolution Raman spectra of ortho/para mixed crystals of deuterium to 4 K and pressures to 40 GPa reveal a number of phenomena. We find for para-containing samples a large enhancement of high-frequency vibron sidebands, a total of 11 vibron peaks, and significant changes in the low-frequency rotational excitations upon passage into the low-temperature phase. Analysis of the spectra reveals that the phase is orientational ordered and may form a superstructure derived from the high-temperature hcp lattice. The results also suggest that orientational frustration accompanies the transition in ortho/para mixed crystals.
Altered Nuclear Distribution of Recombination Protein RAD51 in Maize Mutants Suggests the Involvement of RAD51 in Meiotic Homology Recognition

The recombination protein RAD51 is a component of the meiotic recombination pathway and has been proposed to play a role in the homology search, a process by which homologous chromosomes find each other before they pair in the prophase of meiosis. To study the relationship between recombination and chromosome pairing, we examined the distribution of RAD51 foci on meiotic chromosomes in maize mutants with defects in chromosome pairing. The patterns of RAD51 distribution showed dramatic variation among the meiotic mutants. The mutants generally exhibited significant decreases in the number of RAD51 foci at zygotene, corresponding to the degree of their pairing defects. These results provide evidence for a key role of RAD51 structures in the homology search.
Elemental abundance analyses with DAO spectrograms – XII. The mercury–manganese stars HR 4072A and 7775 and the metallic-lined star HR 4072B

This paper presents fine analyses of three sharp-lined stars, the mercury-manganese stars HR 4072A and 7775 and the metallic-lined star HR 4072B, consistent with previous studies of this series. HR 4072A and 7775 exhibit Pt II, Au II and Hg II lines in their spectra, while HR 7775 also shows lines of several singly ionized rare earth species. HR 4072B is very deficient in both Ca and Sc, the signature of the Am stars. For the HgMn stars, [C/Si] marginally anticorrelates with log Si/H as in normal A and λ Boo stars. The large He depletions and other departures from the solar pattern, however, argue strongly against a simple Venn-Lambert hypothesis for these stars
Thermoelectric Properties of Chalcogenides with the Spinel Structure

Many compounds with the spinel structure type have been analyzed for their thermoelectric properties. Published data was used to augment experimental results presented here and to select promising thermoelectric spinels. Compounds studied here include Cu0.5Al0.5Cr2Se4, Cu0.5Co0.5Cr2Se4, Cu0.5In0.5Cr2Se4, and CuIr2Se4. Many exhibit low lattice thermal conductivity of about 20 mW/cmK, independent of temperature. Two representative series of compounds GaxCu1-xCr2Se4 0≤x ≤ 0.6 and CuxZn1-xCr2Se4 0≤x≤ 0.3 have been studied to examine the doping region of interest for both high and low temperature thermoelectric applications. Ferromagnetic, small polaron semiconductors are found in both series of compounds. GaxCu1-xCr2Se4 shows a metal insulator transition, from a p-type metal at x=0 to a p-type and then n-type semiconductor as x crosses 1/2. The maximum figure of merit ZT is of order 0.1. CuxZn1-xCr2Se4 transitions from a p-type semiconductor to a p-type metal as x increases.
Food and park environments: neighborhood-level risks for childhood obesity in east Los Angeles.

Abstract Purpose The rapid increase in obesity over the past two decades suggests that behavioral and environmental influences, including poor nutrition and physical inactivity, are fueling what is now widely recognized as a public health crisis. Yet, limited research has been conducted to examine how environmental factors, such as neighborhood-level characteristics, may be associated with increased risk for obesity. Methods Community-level risk associated with childhood obesity was examined in East Los Angeles, a community with one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in Los Angeles by triangulating: 1) spatial data for the number and location of food establishments relative to the location of schools; 2) observations regarding the availability and quality of fruits and vegetables in local grocery stores; and 3) observations regarding the quality and utilization of local parks. Results The findings revealed that there were 190 food outlets in the study community, of which 93 (49%) were fast-food restaurants. Of the fast-food restaurants, 63% were within walking distance of a school. In contrast, there were 62 grocery stores, of which only 18% sold fresh fruits and/or vegetables of good quality. Of the stores that did sell fruits and/or vegetables, only four were within walking distance of a school. Although well maintained, the five parks in this community accounted for only 37.28 acres, or 0.543 acres per 1000 residents. Conclusions These findings suggest that children have easy access to fast food, and limited access to both healthy food options and parks in which to engage in physical fitness activities. This was particularly true in areas around schools. The implications for these findings with regards to policy-related prevention and future research are discussed.
A floquet decomposition for volterra equations with periodic kernel and a transform approach to linear recursion equations

The primary aim of this paper is to show that a functional equation in En, x(t) = ∝−∞t W(t, s) x(s) ds with piecewise continuous m × m kernel W(t, s) satisfying, for T, Ω, μ all positive, W(t + T, s + T) = W(t, s), t, s real, ∥W(t, s)∥⩽ Ωe−μ(t − s), t ⩾ s, admits, for each β −β, p(t) being a continuous n-vector function such that p(t + T) = p(t). The theorem is proved by converting the above equation to a linear recursion equation of convolution type ∑k = −∞0 Qkxk + j = 0 in Lm0[0, T] and studying this equation by transform methods. In the process a secondary objective of this paper, examination of some general properties of equations of the form ∑k = −∞∞ Qkxk + j = 0 within the same transform framework, is realized.
Refinement of Superpave High-Temperature Binder Specification Based on Pavement Performance in the Accelerated Loading Facility

Various parameters have been proposed to refine the current Superpave® high-temperature binder specification. One parameter relates the phase angle (δ) directly to accumulated strain from the creep-recovery test. Another variation suggests a formula to predict the accumulated strain using the current Superpave parameters G* and sin δ. Recently, NCHRP 9-10 project suggested a criterion based on a parameter derived from Burger's viscoelastic model. In Europe, zero-shear viscosity is being proposed as a high-temperature specification parameter. These and other criteria proposed for high-temperature specification are evaluated by examining the correlation of each criterion to pavement performance. The experimental design consists of five asphalt binders used in the FHWA's accelerated loading facility. Additionally, two binders used by the Nevada Department of Transportation in construction of 1-80 test sections were tested. Results show that the zero-shear viscosity correlates reasonably well with performance...
Cascade of whistler turbulence: Particle-in-cell simulations

[1] A two-dimensional electromagnetic particle-in-cell simulation in a magnetized, homogeneous, collisionless plasma of electrons and protons has been carried out, demonstrating a forward cascade of whistler turbulence. Enhanced magnetic fluctuation spectra are initially imposed with −0.2 < k∥c/ωe < 0.2 and −0.2 < k⊥c/ωe < 0.2 where the directional subscripts denote directions relative to the background magnetic field Bo and c/ωe is the electron inertial length. The late-time evolution of the simulation shows a cascade of magnetic fluctuation energy to shorter wavelengths; furthermore, the spectrum is anisotropic with more fluctuation energy at a given wavenumber perpendicular to Bo than at the same wavenumber parallel to the background field. The late-time electron velocity distribution shows a magnetic-field aligned signature due to the Landau resonance of the obliquely propagating whistlers.
Difference equations for the Legendre polynomial representation of the transport equation

Abstract The Legendre polynomial (“spherical harmonic”) representation of the transport equation in plane and spherical symmetry is written in conservation form. Difference methods for the resultant equations are constructed and discussed.
Adaptive Time-Discontinuous Galerkin Methods for Acoustic Scattering in Unbounded Domains

Comprehensive adaptive procedures with ecient sparse multi-level iterative solution algorithms for the time- discontinuous Galerkin space-time nite element method (DGFEM) including high-order accurate nonreflecting boundary conditions (NRBC) for unbounded wave prob- lems are developed. The strategy requires only a few itera- tions per time step to resolve the solution to high accuracy. Further cost savings are obtained by decoupling the mass and boundary damping matrices in the algebraic structure giving rise to an explicit iterative method. An h-adaptive space-time strategy is employed based on a superconvergent patch recovery (SPR) technique, together with a temporal error estimate arising from the discontinuous jump between time steps in the DGFEM. For accurate data transfer (pro- jection) between meshes, new superconvergent interpolation (SI) procedures are developed. Numerical studies of tran- sient acoustic scattering demonstrate the accuracy, reliabil- ity and eciency gained from the adaptive strategy.
AN APPROACH TO STOCHASTIC SYSTEMS MODELLING

The problem of modelling stochastic systems when only a partial statistical description is available is considered. Specifically, a procedure is proposed for assigning an optimal joint probability model relating the input and output of the system where the partial statistical description becomes constraints. The Mutual Information functional is used to establish the model leading to a criteria which is optimal in an information theory sense. Results showing general solutions for cases of interest in digital communications as well as continuous systems with noise variance knowledge are given.
Forester networks: The intersection of private lands policy and collaborative capacity

Abstract Privately owned forestland provides abundant ecosystem goods and services to society at scales beyond the individual forest parcel. However, successful mechanisms to encourage broad-scale management in privately owned, multifunctional, landscapes are relatively limited. In the United States, state agency and private foresters may be poised to help facilitate landscape-scale management given their role as gatekeepers to private landowner incentive programs or emerging markets for ecosystem goods and services. A key question remains as to the collaborative capacity of public and private sector foresters, especially in the face of evolving private forestry incentive programs, some of which have shifted toward public–private partnerships (PPP's). We used qualitative interviews and a social network survey with professional foresters in Northern Wisconsin, an area with a high demand for diverse forest ecosystem services, to identify the structure of current business networks among land managers in the region and characteristics of these relationships that may influence collaboration. Of the nearly 300 different individual professionals identified, most (86%) were state, consulting, or industry foresters, suggesting a relatively homogeneous network of professionals and potential need for other types of natural resource professionals to tie into existing foresters’ networks. We found that central network positions were occupied by all three types of foresters, while the qualitative analysis suggested the private forestry incentive program is likely driving, in part, network configuration. Interviews yielded a nuanced understanding of foresters’ relationships, including the impact of forest policy changes on public–private partnerships and specifically the growing role of private foresters in providing private lands forestry services and the need for successful mechanisms to reduce conflict and improve collaborative capacity among professionals.
Effect of sample size on isothermal crystallization measurements performed in a differential scanning calorimeter : A method to determine avrami parameters without sample thickness effects

Isothermal crystallization studies of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were performed using different sample thicknesses to determine the effect of non-ideal heat-transfer. Polyethylene was chosen because of its importance, its extensive coverage in the literature, and its fast crystallization kinetics. Thermal gradients were found to significantly affect the measured crystallization exotherm; slower crystallization rates were observed for thicker samples measured at lower temperatures (greater supercoolings). Differences between different sample thicknesses disappeared at higher temperatures, consistent with finite heat-transfer rates being responsible for the effect. A power-compensation and a heat-flux DSC were used; these experiments also enabled the determination that the performance of the latter was acceptable for this study. Finally, thickness-independent Avrami parameters have been calculated.
The tomato golden mosaic virus transactivator (TrAP) is a single-stranded DNA and zinc-binding phosphoprotein with an acidic activation domain.

The AL2 gene found in members of the genus Begomovirus of the Geminiviridae encodes a transcriptional activator protein (TrAP; also known as AL2, AC2, or C2 protein). TrAP activates expression from the viral coat protein (CP) and BR1 movement gene promoters in mesophyll cells and protoplasts and acts to derepress the CP promoter in vascular tissue. The experiments presented here were designed to elucidate some of the biochemical properties of this multifunctional regulatory protein and to define its activation domain. The results indicate that TrAP from tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV) binds single-stranded DNA in a sequence nonspecific manner and only weakly interacts with double-stranded DNA, confirming earlier results obtained with TrAP from other begomoviruses. In addition, evidence is presented that indicates that TrAP binds zinc and that zinc is necessary for optimal interaction with ssDNA. We also show that TrAP is phosphorylated when expressed in insect cells and that it contains a transcriptional activation domain of the acidic type. The minimal activation domain is quite small; the region comprising only the 15 C-terminal amino acids of the protein is capable of activating transcription in mouse fibroblasts (NIH3T3 cells) when fused to a heterologous DNA-binding domain.
Rotation–Vibration Constants of Acetylene*

The study of the absorption spectrum previously reported has been extended to include the 1900- to 2200- and the 4400- to 6750-cm−1 regions. Rotational analysis provides 20 states from which the following constants are determined: α1 = 6.82, α2 = 6.30, α3 = 5.60, α4 = −1.30, α5 = −2.20 × 10−3 cm−1 and Be = 1.18240 cm−1. This value was used with Be values for C2HD and C2D2 to determine the bond length of re(C−H)=1.0603 and re(C≡C)=1.2034A.A total of 46 states was available, from this and other work, to determine a set of vibrational constants. About one-half of the 23 constants have been determined with acceptable precision. The remaining constants are still in doubt due, primarily, to resonances.
Thinking Outside of the Box (of wine, that is): An Exercise in Independence

uditor independence is a concept that has received much attention in recent years. Traditional accounting and auditing classes have focused on teaching the rules of independence, with less emphasis on questioning the effectiveness of those rules. Huss and Patterson (1993) suggest that making comparisons between ethics in accounting and ethics in other fields can help identify strengths and weaknesses in accounting rules, as well as aid students in identifying ethical dilemmas. Robert Parker is a wine critic who provides opinions to wine consumers through his journal, The Wine Advocate, subtitled “The Independent Consumer's Bimonthly Guide to Fine Wine.” This exercise will give you the opportunity to study independence in an unrelated field (i.e., “out of the box”) with hopes that you will develop your own views and attitudes about independence and later apply those values and skills to accounting.
The Stress Fields on Secondary Slip Systems Due to a Group of Dislocations in a Stress Gradient

Resolved shear stress distributions are calculated from the stress fields arising from screw and edge dislocation arrays produced by stress gradients. The resolved shear stress distributions are determined for planes parallel to a primary slip plane which has undergone slip and for other slip systems. For the screw dislocation array largest resolved shear stresses are found on the cross slip plane. For edge dislocation arrays largest resolved shear stresses are found on the conjugate slip system. Scherspannungsverteilungen werden aus den Spannungsfeldern berechnet, die von den Schrauben. und Stufenversetzungsanordnungen herruhren, die durch Spannungsgradienten erzeugt werden-Die Scherspannungsverteilungen werden fur Ebenen parallel zu einer primaren Gleitebene, die eine Gleitung durchfuhrt, bestimmt sowie fur andere Gleitsysteme. Fur die Schraubenversetzungs-anordnung wird die groste Scherspannung auf der Kreuzgleitebene gefunden. Fur Stufenversetzungsanordnungen wird die groste Scherspannung auf dem konjugierten Gleitsystem gefunden.
Comparative Study of the Binding of Concanavalin A to Self-Assembled Monolayers Containing a Thiolated α-Mannoside on Flat Gold and on Nanoporous Gold

We have prepared SAMs containing 8-mercaptooctyl α-D-mannopyranoside either as a single component or in mixed SAMs with n-octanethiol on flat gold surfaces and on nanoporous gold. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed that the mixed SAMs on flat gold surfaces showed the highest Con A binding, near 1:9 solution molar ratio of thiolated α-mannoside to n-octanethiol, whereas those on NPG showed the highest response at 1:19 solution molar ratio of thiolated α-mannoside to n-octanethiol. Atomic force microscopy was employed to image the monolayers and to image the bound Con A protein. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Journal of Carbohydrate Chemistry to view the free supplemental file.
Intra-aortic balloon pump inserted through the subclavian artery: A minimally invasive approach to mechanical support in the ambulatory end-stage heart failure patient.

Objective Intra-aortic balloon pumps are traditionally inserted through the femoral artery, limiting the patient's mobility. We used alternate approaches of intra-aortic balloon pump insertion to provide temporary and minimally invasive support for patients with decompensating, end-stage heart failure. The present study describes the outcomes with closed-chest, transthoracic intra-aortic balloon pumps by way of the subclavian artery. Methods During a 3-year period, 20 patients underwent subclavian artery–intra-aortic balloon pump in the setting of end-stage heart failure. The balloon was inserted through a polytetrafluoroethylene graft sutured to the right subclavian artery in 19 patients (95%) and to the left subclavian artery in 1 patient (5%). The goal of support was to bridge to transplantation in 17 patients (85%) and bridge to recovery in 3 patients (15%). The primary outcome measure was death during subclavian artery–intra-aortic balloon pump support. The secondary outcomes included survival to the intended endpoint of bridge to transplantation/bridge to recovery, complications during subclavian artery–intra-aortic balloon pump support (eg, stroke, limb ischemia, brachial plexus injury, dissection, bleeding requiring reoperation, and device-related infection), emergent surgery for worsening heart failure, and ambulation during intra-aortic balloon pump support. Results The duration of balloon support ranged from 3 to 48 days (mean, 17.3 ± 13.1 days). No patients died during subclavian artery–intra-aortic balloon pump support. Of the 20 patients, 14 (70%) were successfully bridged to transplant or left ventricular-assist device. Two patients (10%) required emergent left ventricular-assist device for worsening heart failure. Conclusions An intra-aortic balloon pump inserted through the subclavian artery is a simple, minimally invasive approach to mechanical support and is associated with limited morbidity and facilitates ambulation in patients with end-stage heart failure.
Triflic acid-catalyzed adamantylation of aromatics in [BMIM][OTf] ionic liquid; synthetic scope and mechanistic insight

A mild and efficient process has been developed for the one-pot adamantylation of aromatic substrates employing 1-AdaOH, 1-AdaCl, 1-AdaBr, and 1-Br-3,5,7-trimethyladamantane as adamantylating agents, with triflic acid (TfOH) as promoter and n-butylmethylimidazolium triflate [BMIM][OTf] room temperature ionic liquid (IL) as solvent. The influence of reaction temperature, reaction time and the amount of TfOH was gauged in model reactions employing 1-AdaOH, 1-AdaCl and 1-AdaBr with toluene as the substrate. Under optimal conditions, the reactions exhibit high para selectivity with little or no adamantane side-product being formed. The synthetic scope of this transformation was tested for representative alkylbenzenes and haloalkylbenzenes. Comparative reactions carried out in 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) produce increased amounts of the meta isomer and substantial amounts of adamantane. Substrate selectivities (KT/KB) were measured in competitive experiments in [BMIM][OTf] and in DCE as solvents. Isomerization tests were performed to shed light on the origin of the meta isomer. A DFT study was also conducted to compare relative stabilities of the isomeric products, to gauge the relative stabilities of the intermediate isomeric benzenium ions of adamantylation and their charge distribution modes, and to explore the intramolecular process for isomerization in the benzenium ion.
The Repression of Dissent A Substitution Model of Government Coercion

This article describes a substitution model of states' responses to dissident behavior and a statistical test of some sequential hypotheses that are derived from the model. It is motivated by an interest in understanding the sequential response of states to dissident activity. That is, if dissidents protest, what will the state do next? Similarly, if dissidents are cooperative, what will the state do next? The author argues that the answer to both of these questions depends on the interaction of the state's most recent behavior (i.e., repression or accommodation) and the dissident's response. The model produces the hypothesis that states substitute repression for accommodation, and vice versa, in response to dissident protest. Statistical analysis of evidence from Peru and Sri Lanka, 1955 to 1991, suggests that the model captures well the sequential responses of the Peruvian and Sri Lankan governments to dissident behavior during that period.
Temperature dependence of the Raman spectrum of vitreous silica

Abstract A large temperature dependence of the Stokes-Raman spectrum of vitreous silica is observed for low frequency shifts, while there is a much smaller temperature dependence for frequency shifts greater than 200 cm−1. The data is consistent with an analysis involving first order processes only.
Analytical chemistry: Ultrasensitive radiocarbon detection

Radiocarbon is rare, forming no more than one part per trillion of the total carbon content of the atmosphere. An optical method allows radiocarbon to be detected at roughly 25-fold lower levels than this, opening up fresh avenues of research.
The role and development of technology to advance brain science

Our methods and models, calculations and cautions are relevant to brain science only when coupled with the principles and current state of neuroscientific knowledge and its underlying physics, chemistry and clinical utility. Increasing numbers of technical scientists interested in contributing their talents to brain science are taking the time and effort to learn its fundamental concepts and latest results, and many neuroscientists are becoming more familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of technical methods, working together to design and conduct the best studies that are scientifically possible.
Genome Delivery and Ion Channel Properties Are Altered in VP4 Mutants of Poliovirus

During entry into host cells, poliovirus undergoes a receptor-mediated conformational transition to form 135S particles with irreversible exposure of VP4 capsid sequences and VP1 N termini. To understand the role of VP4 during virus entry, the fate of VP4 during infection by site-specific mutants at threonine-28 of VP4 (4028T) was compared with that of the parental Mahoney type 1 virus. Three virus mutants were studied: the entry-defective, nonviable mutant 4028T.G and the viable mutants 4028T.S and 4028T.V, in which residue threonine-28 was changed to glycine, serine, and valine, respectively. We show that mutant and wild-type (WT) VP4 proteins are localized to cellular membranes after the 135S conformational transition. Both WT and viable 4028T mutant particles interact with lipid bilayers to form ion channels, whereas the entry-defective 4028T.G particles do not. In addition, the electrical properties of the channels induced by the mutant viruses are different from each other and from those of WT Mahoney and Sabin type 3 viruses. Finally, uncoating and/or cytoplasmic delivery of the viral genome is altered in the 4028T mutants: the 4028T.G lethal mutant does not release its genome into the cytoplasm, and genome delivery is slower during infection by mutant 4028T.V 135S particles than by mutant 4028T.S or WT 135S particles. The distinctive electrical characteristics of the different 4028T mutant channels indicate that VP4 sequences might form part of the channel structure. The different entry phenotypes of these VP4 mutants suggest that the ion channels may be related to VP4's role during genome uncoating and/or delivery.
Two-photon imaging in living brain slices.

Two-photon excitation laser scanning microscopy (TPLSM) has become the tool of choice for high-resolution fluorescence imaging in intact neural tissues. Compared with other optical techniques, TPLSM allows high-resolution imaging and efficient detection of fluorescence signal with minimal photobleaching and phototoxicity. The advantages of TPLSM are especially pronounced in highly scattering environments such as the brain slice. Here we describe our approaches to imaging various aspects of synaptic function in living brain slices. To combine several imaging modes together with patch-clamp electrophysiological recordings we found it advantageous to custom-build an upright microscope. Our design goals were primarily experimental convenience and efficient collection of fluorescence. We describe our TPLSM imaging system and its performance in detail. We present dynamic measurements of neuronal morphology of neurons expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) and GFP fusion proteins as well as functional imaging of calcium dynamics in individual dendritic spines. Although our microscope is a custom instrument, its key advantages can be easily implemented as a modification of commercial laser scanning microscopes.
Composite Event Detection in Wireless Sensor Networks

Sensor networks can be used for event alarming applications. To date, in most of the proposed schemes, the raw or aggregated sensed data is periodically sent to a data consuming center. However, with this scheme, the occurrence of an emergency event such as a fire is hardly reported in a timely manner which is a strict requirement for event alarming applications. In sensor networks, it is also highly desired to conserve energy so that the network lifetime can be maximized. Furthermore, to ensure the quality of surveillance, some applications require that if an event occurs, it needs to be detected by at least k sensors where k is a user-defined parameter. In this work, we examine the timely energy-efficient k-watching event detection problem (TEKWEO). A topology-and-routing-supported algorithm is proposed which constructs a set of detection sets that satisfy the short notification time, energy conservation, and tunable quality of surveillance requirements for event alarming applications. Simulation results are shown to validate the proposed algorithm.
Male moths bearing transplanted female antennae express characteristically female behaviour and central neural activity

The primary olfactory centres of the sphinx moth Manduca sexta, the antennal lobes, contain a small number of sexually dimorphic glomeruli: the male-specific macroglomerular complex and the large female glomeruli. These glomeruli play important roles in sex-specific behaviours, such as the location of conspecific females and the selection of appropriate host plants for oviposition. The development of sexually dimorphic glomeruli depends strictly on the ingrowth of sex-specific olfactory receptor cell afferents. In the present study we tested the role of female-specific olfactory receptor cells (ORCs) in mediating female-specific host plant approach behaviour and in determining the response of downstream antennal lobe neurons. We generated male gynandromorphs by excising one imaginal disc from a male larva and replacing it with the antennal imaginal disc from a female donor. Most male gynandromorphs had an apparently normal female antenna and a feminised antennal lobe. These gynandromorphs were tested for flight responses in a wind tunnel towards tomato plants, a preferred host plant for oviposition in M. sexta. Male gynandromorphs landed on host plants as often as normal females, demonstrating that the presence of the induced female-specific glomeruli was necessary and sufficient to produce female-like, odour-oriented behaviour, i.e. orientation towards host plants. We also characterised the physiological and morphological properties of antennal lobe neurons of male gynandromorphs. We found that projection neurons with arborisations in the induced female-specific glomeruli showed physiological responses akin to those of female-specific projection neurons in normal females. These results therefore indicate that ORCs confer specific odour tuning to their glomerular targets and, furthermore, instruct odour-specific behaviour.
PARALLIZING 1-DIMENSIONAL ESTUARINE MODEL

Wave simulation is an important problem in engineering. Wave simulation models play significant roles in environmental protection. Wave simulations have thus far been done mostly serially. In order to meet the demand for increased spatial and temporal resolution and uncertainty analysis in environmental models for ecological assessments and water resource managements, it is essential to develop high-performance hydrodynamics and water quality models using parallel techniques. In this paper, algorithms for parallelizing 1-D wave simulation models are proposed. In particular, we introduce a paradigm called Less Talk for reducing communication costs in parallel computing. Our wave models have been implemented using Parallel Virtual Machine (PVM) and Multithreading. The experiments show that these algorithms that employ Less Talk are efficient and the parallel wave simulation models have excellent speedup performances.
Packet scheduling in a low-latency optical switch with wavelength division multiplexing and electronic buffer

Optical switches are widely considered as the most promising candidate to provide ultra-high speed interconnections. Due to the difficulty in implementing all-optical buffer, optical switches with electronic buffers have been proposed recently [1] [4] [5]. Among these switches, the Optical Cut-Through (OpCut) switch has the capability to achieve low latency and minimize optical-electronic-optical (O/E/O) conversions. In this paper, we consider packet scheduling in this switch with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). Our goal is to maximize throughput and maintain packet order at the same time. While we prove that such an optimal scheduling problem is NP-hard and inapproximable in polynomial time within any constant factor by reducing it to the set packing problem, we present an approximation algorithm that maintains packet order and approximates the optimal scheduling within a factor of √2Nk with regard to the number of packets transmitted, where N is the switch size and k is the number of wavelengths multiplexed on each fiber. This result is in line with the best known approximation algorithm for set packing. Based on the approximation algorithm, we also give practical schedulers that can be implemented in fast optical switches. Simulation results show that the schedulers achieve close performance to the ideal WDM output-queued switch in terms of packet delay under various traffic models.