cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular pore network models of nanoporous materials

We describe two novel classes of models for molecular pore networks of nanoporous materials, and in particular of carbon-based materials. In the first class of models, the pore networks are generated by the Voronoi tessellation of a solid material, composed of hundreds of thousands of atoms, and by designating a fraction of the Voronoi polyhedra as the pores. In the second class, using massively-parallel molecular dynamics simulations, a crystalline material is melted at high temperatures, during which atomic bonds are broken and molecules are removed from the system in order to generate the nanopores. The melt is then quenched to the room temperature, hence generating a nanoporous material with an amorphous solid matrix. It is argued that, due to their exceedingly small pore sizes, the percolation properties of such nanoporous materials may be significantly different from those of classical percolation.
Lysosomal proteinase antigens are prominently localized within senile plaques of Alzheimer's disease: evidence for a neuronal origin

To investigate the role of proteolysis in amyloid formation, we studied the localization of the proteolytic enzymes, cathepsin D and cathepsin B, in the prefrontal cerebral cortex and hippocampus of human postmortem brains from patients with Alzheimer's disease and from individuals free of neurological disease. In control and Alzheimer brains, cathepsin immunoreactivity within cells was localized to lysosome-related structures, which were particularly abundant in neuronal perikarya. In Alzheimer brain, cathepsin immunoreactivity was also heavily concentrated extracellularly within senile plaques. Cathepsin immunoreactivity associated with plaques was not confined to lysosomes and was distributed throughout the plaque. Isolated amyloid cores, however, were not immunostained. Cathepsin-laden perikarya of degenerating neurons were frequently seen within senile plaques and, in the more advanced stages of degeneration, cathepsin immunoreactivity was present throughout the cytoplasm. Other identified constituents of senile plaques appeared to be less significant sources of cathepsin immunoreactivity, including astrocytes, degenerating neurites, microglia and macrophages. These results demonstrate that lysosomal proteinases are major constituents of the senile plaque and that degenerating neuronal perikarya are a principal source of the cathepsin immunoreactivity. We propose that the unregulated action of extracellular cathepsins liberated from degenerating neurons may lead to abnormal processing of the amyloid precursor protein and to the formation of amyloid locally within senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease.
PORTFOLIOS OF RISKY PROJECTS

The problem of selecting a portfolio from a set of independent risky business ventures is formulated in terms of maximization of the risk-adjusted (certainty-equivalent) profit of the portfolio, based upon the exponential utility function. Objects of investment include fractional participation (risk sharing) in projects with other firms, where costs and returns are shared in the same proportion. The method assumes that project costs are certain. Project revenues are uncertain, and any probability function for revenue can be used.
Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Infections in Pennsylvania Black Bears, Ursus americanus

Serum samples from 665 hunter killed black bears killed in 1989 to 1992 throughout Pennsylvania (USA) were tested for Toxoplasma gondii antibodies by the agglutination test in dilutions of 1:25, 1:50, and 1:500. Toxoplasma gondii antibodies were found in 535 of 665 (80%) bears. Considering the highest dilutions at which antibodies were detected, prevalences were 10% at 1:25, 37% at 1:50 and 33% at 1:500. No significant difference in antibody prevalence was found between males (79%) and females (80%), but a significant difference was found between juvenile (65%) and adult (83%) bears.
Voltammetric and spectral studies on zirconium in chloride media in acetonitrile

Abstract Prolonged controlled-potential electrolysis of ZrCl4 in acetonitrile with 0·1 M Et4NClO4 as supporting electrolyte leads to soluble ZrCl6 = species in solution as well as complex precipitates containing all of the elements present in the homogeneous starting solution. No evidence could be found for stable concentrations of Zr(III) although it must be an intermediate in the formation of the above products. Infra-red spectra of ZrCl4 solutions taken on successive addition of chloride ion as tetraethylammonium chloride show bands which are definitely assigned at 346 cm−1 for ZrCl4 and at 299 cm−1 for the ZrCl6 = A single absorption band at 321 cm−1 which has maximum intensity when n = 5 is attributed to ZrCl5- n solution. The spectral data are correlated with polarographic data to explain the formation of ZrCl6 = in acetonitrile in excess chloride media or on prolonged electrolytes of ZrCl4 solutions.
Software engineering meets user services: a methodology for developing user

This paper will address the task of applying Software Engineering techniques of requirements analysis to one aspect of the User Services Consultant's job: analyzing a problem situation and recommending some course of action, often computer-related. While User Services consultants do not typically develop systems for users, they are frequently approached by individuals who suspect that a problem they are experiencing might be solved through the use of a computer. Consultants then attempt to help the user articulate the problem, identify data and equipment needs, and recognize personnel constraints. Various recommendations might be made, including discouraging automation, encouraging user self-implementation (i.e., user learns a package and implements on his or her own), or referring the project to M.I.S. for further analysis. The quality of this process is not carefully monitored and users receive various levels of assistance based on the particular expertise of the consultant.As a case study, I have selected a project in the Psychology Department to analyze. The result has been the development of a Requirements Specification Form which can be used in User Services. Its primary function is to force the consultant to ask the relevant questions such that an appropriate recommendation will be arrived at. It is expected that this methodology will markedly improve User Services' ability to deliver quality service in this important area.
Can the living in Angola explain the past in Rhodesia

SYNOPSIS The Rhodesian walled habitations, constructed of natural rock with dry mortar technique at some undetermined date by an unknown people, find a modern counterpart of floor plan in the present habitations of the Ovambo and other peoples of Southern Angola and the Northwestern part of South West Africa. Rooms, platforms, corridors, entries, which in the Eastern Rhodesia rock habitations are to be explained only by conjecture, have known significance in similarly planned buildings which the Ovambo construct with poles or slabs of wood. It is not suggested that the builders of the stone walled structures in the East were the same people who are now building the wooden structures on the same plan: although an ethnic relationship is not impossible. Rather, it is proposed that contemporary Ovambo buildings give a clue to the possible function of the various parts of the stone buildings which archaeologists have been forced to interpret with scant reference to modern culture. The student investigating the...
The role of cGMP in the relaxation to nitric oxide donors in airway smooth muscle.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitors methylene blue and LY83583 (6-anilino-5,8-quinolinedione) on relaxation and increases in intracellular guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) concentration ([cGMP]i) induced by sodium nitroprusside, 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1) and diethylamine–nitric oxide (NO) in porcine tracheal smooth muscle in vitro. We measured (1) the effect of NO donors on isometric force and [cGMP]i and (2) the ability of methylene blue and LY83583 to antagonize these effects. In muscle strips contracted with carbachol (0.1–0.3 μM), both sodium nitroprusside and diethylamine–NO caused relaxation and an increase in [cGMP]i. By contrast, SIN-1 caused a relaxation which was not associated with a concomitant increase in [cGMP]i. Methylene blue (10 μM) and LY83583 (10 μM) completely blocked the increase in [cGMP]i induced by sodium nitroprusside and diethylamine–NO; however substantial relaxation remained. It is concluded that in porcine airway smooth muscle, (1) relaxation induced by some NO donors may occur without a concomitant increase in [cGMP]i; and (2) whereas relaxation induced by some NO donors may be associated with increases in [cGMP]i, the relaxation is not completely dependent upon it.
Evidence of secular changes in rainfall data from the tropical western and central Pacific Over a 20‐year period

Rainfall data from the tropical western and central Pacific over the period from 1971 to 1990 show both decadal and interannual variability. A statistically significant secular trend may be used to model the overall rainfall variability. However, locally weighted regression analysis reveals that this increasing trend stalls in the early 1980's, and reverses its course by the year 1990. Decomposition of individual rainfall time series into low frequency, seasonal, and irregular components facilitates the isolation of the time varying annual cycle and the elucidation of the interannual signal. Strong or prolonged warm El Nino-Southern Oscillation events dominate the interannual variability during the study period. The decadal scale variation in the annual cycle is so systematic, in fact, there is approximately a 20% reduction in its amplitude between 1971 and 1982. In addition, the long-term change in the seasonal component appears to modulate the much shorter-term interannual signal.
Data-driven simulation, dimensional accuracy and realism in a landscape visualization tool

Computer-based landscape simulation tools are used for assessing the visual impact of land-use decisions. Many systems rely on the artistic manipulation of two-dimensional scanned photographic or videotape images. The specific manipulation of an image is often not directly driven by data describing the proposed landscape modification. Also, it is difficult to move from a modified two-dimensional image to a three-dimensional real world design. This paper discusses how issues of data-driven simulation and dimensional accuracy are addressed in the Vantage Point landscape visualization tool. We describe features of the tool that contribute to image realism. We also propose how a tool with Vantage Point's capabilities would be useful for research in visual quality management and psychophysics.
Parameters Influencing the Bake Hardenability of Microalloyed ULC Steels

Ti-V and Ti-Nb bake hardenable Ultra Low Carbon (ULC) steels are used to produce hot dip zinc coated steels for automotive applications. An important factor influencing the bake hardenability in such microalloyed ULC steels is the level of solute carbon available to diffuse for pinning dislocations during baking. The level of solute carbon must be controlled carefully during annealing of the steel in the ferritic region. Therefore, this paper summarizes highlights of research conducted to study the effects of chemical composition and annealing temperature (in the ferrite region) on the precipitation (or dissolution) of NbC and VC using a variety of Ti-Nb and Ti-V ULC steels. Carbon diffusivity is another factor that could also influence the bake hardenability through controlling the aging and baking kinetics. Therefore, the paper presents highlights of internal friction measurements performed to assess effects of microalloying elements (Nb,V) and some commonly used solid solution strengthening elements (Mn, P) on carbon diffusivity measured using the internal friction technique.
Steel pin inserted into neck of femur found in bladder

Summary A steel pin through the neck of femur wanders into the bladder in five months time without causing any leakage of urine into the abdomen.
Natural Progression of Dysplasia in Adult Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis

Objectives. Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is often described as a benign disease. However, the natural progression of dysplasia and transformation to squamous cell carcinoma has not been elucidated for RRP. This study delineates our extensive experience with dysplasia in RRP.Study Design/Setting. Case series with chart review.Subjects and Methods. Demographic data and surgical pathology were analyzed for patients diagnosed with RRP at greater than 18 years of age who underwent operative intervention without cidofovir treatment for RRP between 2004 and 2009.Results. Fifty-four patients were identified. Dysplasia was identified in 27 of 54 patients (50%). Of the 54 patients, 50% had no dysplasia, 26% had mild dysplasia (grade 1), 11% had moderate dysplasia (grade 2), 4% had severe dysplasia (grade 3), 7% had carcinoma in situ, and 2% had squamous cell carcinoma as the highest documented degree of dysplasia. Thirty of 54 patients (55.6%) had 2 or more operative interventions. Nine of the 30 pati...
Examining Generic Competitive Strategy Types in U.S. and European Markets

Identification of generic competitive strategy types has recently attracted considerable attention. Most of this research has, however, focused on competitive strategy of U.S. businesses in their domestic market. The present study extends these findings to markets outside the United States, and more specifically Europe, based on a sample of industrial businesses drawn from the PIMS database. Similar dimensions underlying competitive strategy, and similar generic types are found among business in the U.S. and in Europe. Some differences in the performance and business characteristics of certain strategy types were, however, observed between U.S. and European markets. Rate of market growth also appeared to have more significant relation to performance of businesses in Europe than in the U.S.
The metabolism of pyruvic oxime by extracts of Tetrahymena pyriformis S

Abstract An enzyme capable of hydrolyzing pyruvic oxime to hydroxylamine and pyruvic acid has been purified 14-fold from extracts of the ciliated protozoan, Tetrahymena pyriformis. The enzyme also hydrolyzes α-ketoglutaric oxime at all stages of purification. Activity toward pyruvic oxime is inhibited by small amounts of zinc, cobaltous and ferric ions, as well as by azide. High concentrations of potassium, magnesium, and calcium ions are also inhibitory. Enzymic activity is unaffected by high concentrations of sodium or cuprous ions, or by iodoacetate or p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid. The enzyme shows optimal activity over the pH range 6.1–7.8.
Action potential-dependent calcium transients in myenteric S neurons of the guinea-pig ileum

Simultaneous intracellular microelectrode recording and Fura-2 imaging was used to investigate the relationship between intracellular calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+]i) and excitability of tonic S neurons in intact myenteric plexus of the guinea-pig ileum. S neurons were impaled in myenteric ganglia, at locations near connections with internodal strands. The calcium indicator Fura-2 was loaded via the recording microelectrode. The estimated [Ca2+]i of these neurons was approximately 95 nM (n = 25). Intracellular current injection (200 ms pulses, 0.2 nA, delivered at 0.05 Hz) resulted in action potential firing throughout the stimulus pulse, accompanied by transient increases in [Ca2+]i (to approximately 240 nM, n = 12). Increasing the number of evoked action potentials by increasing stimulus duration (100-500 ms) or intensity (0.05-0.3 nA) produced correspondingly larger [Ca2+]i transients. Single action potentials rarely produced resolvable [Ca2+]i events, while short bursts of action potentials (three to five events) invariably produced resolvable [Ca2+]i increases. Some neurons demonstrated spontaneous action potential firing, which was accompanied by sustained [Ca2+]i increases. Action potential firing and [Ca2+]i increases were also observed by activation of slow synaptic input to these neurons, in cases where the slow depolarization initiated action potential firing. Action potentials (evoked or spontaneous) and associated [Ca2+]i transients were abolished by tetrodotoxin (1 microM). Omega-conotoxin GVIA (100 nM) reduced [Ca2+]i transients by approximately 67%, suggesting that calcium influx through N-type calcium channels contributes to evoked [Ca2+]i increases. The S neurons in this study showed prominent afterhyperpolarizations following bursts of action potential firing. The time-course of afterhyperpolarizations was correlated with the time-course of evoked [Ca2+]i transients. Afterhyperpolarizations were blocked by tetrodotoxin and reduced by omega-conotoxin GVIA, suggesting that calcium influx through N-type channels contributes to these events. The electrical properties of Fura-2-loaded neurons were not significantly different from properties of neurons recorded without Fura-2 injection, suggesting that Fura-2 injection alone does not significantly influence the electrical properties of these cells. These data indicate that myenteric S neurons in situ show prominent, activity-dependent increases in [Ca2+]i. These events can be generated spontaneously, or be evoked by intracellular current injection or synaptic activation. [Ca2+]i transients in these neurons appear to involve action potential-dependent opening of N-type calcium channels, and the elevation in [Ca2+]i increase may underlie afterhyperpolarizations and regulate excitability of these enteric neurons.
T-cell tumor elimination as a result of T-cell receptor-mediated activation

It has recently been shown that activation of murine T-cell hybridomas with antigen inhibits their growth in vitro. The "suicide" of these neoplastic T cells upon stimulation with antigen suggested the possibility that activation via the antigen-specific receptor could also inhibit the growth of neoplastic T cells in vivo. To test this, mice were subcutaneously inoculated with antigen-specific T-cell hybridomas and then treated intraperitoneally with antigen. Administration of the appropriate antigen immediately after inoculation with the T-cell hybridoma abrogated tumor formation; antigen administered after tumors had become established decreased the tumor burden and, in a substantial fraction of animals, led to long-term survival. The efficacy of antigen therapy was due to both a direct inhibitory effect on tumor growth and the induction of host immunity. These studies demonstrate the utility of cellular activation as a means of inhibiting neoplastic T-cell growth in vivo and provide a rationale for studying the use of less selective reagents that can mimic the activating properties of antigen, such as monoclonal antibodies, in the treatment of T-cell neoplasms of unknown antigen specificity.
Metastatic prostate cancer: initial findings of PET with 2-deoxy-2-[F-18]fluoro-D-glucose.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18] fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) in the detection of osseous and soft-tissue metastases of prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-four patients (mean age, 71 years) with biopsy-proved prostate cancer and known or suspected metastatic disease were examined. Blinded interpretation of the PET images was compared with bone scan, CT, and clinical follow-up findings. RESULTS: In 202 untreated osseous metastases in 22 patients, the sensitivity of FDG PET was 65% (131 of 202 metastases), with a positive predictive value of 98% (131 of 133 positive findings). The estimated standardized uptake value in metastases was 2.1-5.7. Soft-tissue metastases to the lymph nodes or liver were identified, but evaluation of pelvic lymph node metastases was severely limited because of bladder tracer activity. CONCLUSION: FDG PET can help identify osseous and soft-tissue metastases of prostate cancer with a high positive predictive v...
Mechanism of puf mRNA degradation: the role of an intercistronic stem-loop structure

Abstract The puf photosynthesis operon of Rhodobacter capsulatus encodes two major classes of mRNA: operonlength pufBALMX transcripts and short pufBA messages. The pufBA messages, which end in a large intercistronic stem-loop structure, are long-lived processing products of the puf operon transcripts. Decay of the labile pufLMX segment of the operon-length transcripts begins with non-random endonucleolytic cleavage well downstream of the intercistronic hairpin structure. This hairpin, which is necessary but insufficient for the stability of the RNA segment upstream of it, appears to function as an mRNA decay terminator that protects the upstream pufBA segment from 3' exonucleolytic propagation of the initial degradative event. The comparative stability of the pufBA mRNA segment depends not only on the presence of this stem-loop structure, but also on the relative resistance of the pufBA segment to endonuclease attack.
Detection of acyl esterase activity on electrophoresis membranes and separation from hyaluronidase.

Abstract A method is described for the detection of acyl esterase activity on cellulose acetate membranes following electrophoresis of the enzyme. It uses the indigogenic substrate, indoxyl acetate, which directly forms the colored product visualized in the test. This substrate also detects activity of acetyl cholinesterase and pseudocholinesterase. With this method, bovine testicular hyaluronidase is shown to contain acyl esterase activity. By electrophoresis of hyaluronidase preparations at pH 6.8, esterase and hyaluronidase activities are separated, further assuring the specificity of the method for hyaluronidase.
Phospholipid regulates the activation of factor X by tissue factor/factor VIIa (TF/VIIa) via substrate and product interactions.

Although the phospholipid requirement for tissue factor (TF) activity has been well-established, the mechanism by which the surface regulates enzymatic activity remains unclear. We added phospholipid vesicles to already relipidated TF (30/70 PS/PC) and found that added lipid can both enhance and inhibit the rate of factor X (F.X) activation. Using active-site-inhibited F.Xa we demonstrate that F.Xa is a more potent inhibitor of TF/VIIa at lower lipid concentrations, and that this inhibition is attributable to high surface occupancy by F.Xa near the enzyme. We also find that exactly twice as many F.Xa molecules are bound to a lipid surface at saturation as F.X, and that a dimer model of F.Xa binding to the lipid can account for the experimentally observed, preferential binding of F.Xa (compared to F.X) to phospholipid surfaces. We manipulated the amount of phospholipid available to each TF molecule by controlling vesicle size and the number of TF molecules per vesicle and found that, as the 2D radius of phospholipid available to each TF molecule was increased, the observed k c a t increased hyperbolically toward a maximum or "true k c a t ". At a 2D lipid radius of ∼37 nm, the observed k c a t was 50% of the "true k c a t ". Thus, phospholipid surface serves as a conduit for F.X presentation and F.Xa removal, and the rate at which F.Xa leaves the vicinity of the enzyme, either by lateral diffusion or desorption from the surface, regulates the rate of F.X activation. We argue that these findings require reevaluation of existing models of coagulation.
Enhanced temperature sensing with in-fiber polymer waveguides

ABSTRACT This paper presents a technique for enhancing the temperature sensitivity of ber sensors. The method is basedon the peculiar shape and doping characteristics of a reduced cladding index ber. A portion of the core ofthe ber is removed and replaced with a material having a larger change in index with temperature than thecore material it replaces. A perturbation of the sensing material results in a change in the polarization of thelight at the output of the ber. This change is detected as a change in intensity through the use of polarizers.A temperature sensitive device is presented as an example of this type of sensing device. Initial experimentalresults indicate that replacing the core with polymer enhances the temperature sensitivity by at least a factorof 4. The new technique is promising as a means for incorporating a variety of sensing materials into the pathof a beam traveling in an optical ber. 1. INTRODUCTION Optical ber sensors are playing an increasingly important role in a multitude of applications. They are used tomonitor environmental conditions such as temperature, pressure, or the presence or absence of chemicals. In thisrole they are having a tremendous impact on civil structures such as roads and buildings, on aviation, navigationand are beginning to play an increasingly important role in national security.The majority of ber sensors currently in use rely on the response of the intrinsic characteristics of the opticalber. As the environmental variable changes it alters the optical characteristics of the ber, and those changesare detected as changes in the optical response of the ber. The optical response may be a change in amplitude,phase, frequency or polarization. More recently, others have proposed methods to measure the optical responseof the ber when it is coated with a sensing material using evanescent eld interaction or using long periodgratings to couple light from the ber core to the coated cladding.We propose an alternative and more direct method for creating sensors in optical ber. In this method wereplace a section of the core of the ber with a sensing material. This places the sensing material directly in thepath of the beam propagating in the ber, thus increasing the strength of the interaction between the light andthe sensing material. Furthermore it will allow a wide variety of sensing materials to be incorporated into theber without having to change the characteristics of the entire ber.This paper demonstrates the validity of the approach by showing how this core replacement technique canbe used to enhance the temperature sensitivity of a simple polarimetric temperature sensor based on a D-ber.We rst examine the D-shaped ber, which is the basis for this in-ber device. Then we describe our methodfor replacing the core of the ber with a temperature-sensitive polymer and the experimental arrangement usedto measure the temperature sensitivity.
Upper bound analysis of oblique cutting with nose radius tools

Abstract A generalized upper bound model for calculating the chip flow angle in oblique cutting using flat-faced nose radius tools is described. The projection of the uncut chip area on the rake face is divided into a number of elements parallel to an assumed chip flow direction. The length of each of these elements is used to find the length of the corresponding element on the shear surface using the ratio of the shear velocity to the chip velocity. The area of each element is found as the cross product of the length and its width along the cutting edge. Summing up the area of the elements along the shear surface, the total shear surface area is obtained. The friction area is calculated using the similarity between orthogonal and oblique cutting in the ‘equivalent’ plane that includes both the cutting velocity and chip velocity. The cutting power is obtained by summing the shear power and the friction power. The actual chip flow angle and chip velocity are obtained by minimizing the cutting power with respect to both these variables. The shape of the curved shear surface, the chip cross section and the cutting force obtained from this model are presented.
Using Preservice Teacher Emotion to Encourage Critical Engagement with Diversity

The demographics of classroom teachers and teacher educators do not mirror the diversity found in today's schools. As we prepare preservice teachers to be quality educators for all students, we must work to ensure that they are examining issues of equity and diversity that will affect those they teach. This article explores this challenge from my perspective as a teacher educator. Through self-study research, I consider how I, as a white, female, middle-class teacher educator, attempted to help preservice teachers to think beyond their own experiences. In the end, what I categorized as a strictly intellectual pursuit uncovered something much deeper and more engaging: the impact of emotion on learning in a university classroom. Transformative teacher preparation must be engaging on both intellectual and emotional levels. While the implications of this finding support the personal value of self-study, this study also contributes to our understanding of multicultural approaches when working with preservice t...
Evidence for two alternatively spliced forms of phospholipase C‐β2 in haematopoietic cells

Alternatively spliced forms have been reported for several phospholipase C (PLC) isozymes, but not for PLC-beta2, the most abundant PLC-beta in platelets. PLC-beta2 cDNA cloned from the HL-60-cell cDNA library is 3543 bases long, coding for 1181 amino acids. Compared with the published sequence, a deletion of 45 nucleotides (2755-2799 nt, amino acids 864-878) was detected in platelet and leucocyte mRNA amplified by reverse transcription (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers corresponding to 1814-1838 nt (forward) and 3328-3352 nt (reverse). Amplification of genomic DNA using primers corresponding to 2575-2596 nt and 2864-2885 nt yielded a approximately 750 bp product; restriction analysis and sequencing revealed the 45-bp exon flanked by introns of 198 bp and 118 bp. Amplification of leucocyte and platelet cDNA using the same primers yielded products of approximately 310 nt and approximately 265 nt, with (PLC-beta2a) and without (PLC-beta2b) the 45-nt sequence. Thus, two alternatively spliced forms (1181 and 1166 amino acids) of PLC-beta2 are generated in haematopoietic cells. They differ in the carboxyl terminal sequence implicated in interaction of PLC-beta enzymes with Galphaq, particulate association and nuclear localization. We propose that the PLC-beta2 splice variants may be regulated differentially with distinct roles in signal transduction.
Marital Quality, Mothers' Parenting and Children's Outcomes: A Comparison of Mother/Father and Mother/Stepfather Families

Abstract The present research investigates the patterns of associations among marital quality, mothers' parenting practices and children's behavior problems and self-esteem in mother / stepfather and mother / father families. Data from a sample of 697 8- to 12-year-old children from the 1988 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth are used to investigate these associations. The results indicate marital quality is significantly associated with mothers' parenting and children's outcomes in mother / father families. However, in mother / stepfather families, marital conflict is not associated with mothers' parenting or children's outcomes. Mothers' authoritative parenting is significantly related to children's outcomes in both family types.
Acrylic resin copings: An adjunct to fixed restorative dentistry

Summary A simple technique for fabricating and several uses for acrylic resin copings have been presented. These techniques apply to many aspects of restorative dentistry and often are used in combination with each other. Master cast fabrication, interocclusal registrations, and verification of die accuracy can be done using the copings during a one-appointment sequence. The use of resin copings is especially helpful for the inexperienced dentist, permitting high quality dentistry with a minimum of mistakes and frustrations. For the experienced fixed prosthodontist they provide another approach to treatment.
Latent trait models as an information-processing approach to testing

Abstract The purpose of this chapter is to show how component latent trait models can be utilized in an information-processing approach to testing. Three component latent trait models are presented: the linear logistic latent trait model, the multicomponent latent trait model and the general component latent trait model. An example is presented to show how the models could be used in conjunction with an information-processing model to explicate construct representation, to select items by their cognitive characteristics, to anticipate item difficulty before empirical try-out, and to influence nomothetic span, especially predictive validity.
Wavelike Southern Hemisphere Extratropical Teleconnections

Abstract The dynamical basis of intraseasonal oscillations of the Southern Hemisphere summer and winter seasons is studied with a combination of observed diagnostics and simplified prognostic models. High-frequency oscillations, zonal mean variations, and seasonal and interannual variabilities are removed from the six-year dataset in an effort to reduce the effect of high-frequency dynamical instabilities and long-period forced fluctuations. The diagnoses focus upon those processes that have most frequently been explained in terms of Rossby-wave propagation through atmospheres with variable refractive indices. It is useful to study both winter and summer seasons simultaneously because of the large changes in the seasonally averaged state and large consequent changes in atmospheric waveguides between these seasons. A nonlinear shallow-water model slowly relaxed toward the time-averaged winter and summer observed mean fields is used to describe the characteristics of wave propagation in a horizontally varyi...
Reaction kinetics of metal deposition via surface limited red-ox replacement of underpotentially deposited metal monolayers

Abstract The study of the kinetics of metal deposition via surface limited red-ox replacement of underpotentially deposited metal monolayers is presented. The model system was Pt submonolayer deposition on Au(1 1 1) via red-ox replacement of Pb and Cu UPD monolayers on Au(1 1 1). The kinetics of a single replacement reaction was studied using the formalism of the comprehensive analytical model developed to fit the open circuit potential transients from deposition experiments. The practical reaction kinetics parameters like reaction half life, reaction order and reaction rate constant are determined and discussed with their relevance to design and control of deposition experiments. The effects of transport limitation and the role of the anions/electrolyte on deposition kinetics are investigated and their significance to design of effective deposition process is discussed.
Virtual harms and real responsibility

This is a preliminary sort of the ethical and metaphysical issues arising and in general from virtual reality environments. The lessons we learned seem promising, but more analysis remains. Perhaps the most important lesson is that virtual actions and interactions have consequences for flesh-and-blood persons and hence, the flesh controllers of virtual action, whether they control directly (as in playing a character) or indirectly (as in designing a virtual world), have responsibilities for their actions.
Dynamic non-Singleton fuzzy logic systems for nonlinear modeling

We investigate dynamic versions of fuzzy logic systems (FLSs) and, specifically, their non-Singleton generalizations (NSFLSs), and derive a dynamic learning algorithm to train the system parameters. The history-sensitive output of the dynamic systems gives them a significant advantage over static systems in modeling processes of unknown order. This is illustrated through an example in nonlinear dynamic system identification. Since dynamic NSFLS's can be considered to belong to the family of general nonlinear autoregressive moving average (NARMA) models, they are capable of parsimoniously modeling NARMA processes. We study the performance of both dynamic and static FLSs in the predictive modeling of a NARMA process.
Estimation of the relative bioavailability of inorganic copper sources for sheep

Three experiments were conducted with sheep to assess the relative bioavailability of copper (Cu) in supplemental Cu sources by measuring liver uptake of Cu. In all experiments an initial liver biopsy was taken and then experimental diets were fed for 10 days. In Experiment 1, body Cu stores were depleted by twice weekly intravenous injection for 3 weeks with ammonium tetrathiomolybdate before liver biopsies were taken. Dietary treatments were the basal diet (8.7 mg/kg Cu) supplemented with 0, 20, 40, 60 or 80 mg/kg Cu as reagent grade cupric acetate (standard) or 60 mg/kg Cu as feed grade cupric oxide, sulfate or carbonate. In Experiment 2, the basal diet (8.3 mg/kg Cu) was supplemented with 0, 60, 120 or 180 mg/kg Cu from the standard, reagent grade cupric chloride or 120 mg/kg Cu from feed grade cupric oxide, sulfate or carbonate. In Experiment 3, the basal diet (12.6 mg/kg Cu) was supplemented with 0, 60, 120 or 180 mg/kg as reagent grade cupric chloride (standard) or 120 mg/kg Cu as reagent grade cupric acetate, or feed grade cupric oxide or sulfate. At the end of the three experiments, lambs were killed and livers frozen for Cu analysis. Average relative bioavailability values from Experiments 2 and 3 based on multiple linear regression of liver Cu concentration on added dietary Cu concentration with the initial biopsy Cu as a covariate were 100, 93, 142, 121, and 35 from cupric chloride, acetate, sulfate, carbonate and oxide, respectively.
The Forgotten Leadership Skill: Range of Interest and The School Principal:

Of all the skills necessary for today's school leaders, range of interest is probably the most easily attained. For the principal's emotional and intellectual well-being, as well as for the potential benefits to the school or district, administrators should pay close attention to devel oping and expanding this sometimes forgotten skill.
Intra- and Inter-nucleosomal Protein-DNA Interactions of the Core Histone Tail Domains in a Model System

The core histone tail domains are key regulators of eukaryotic chromatin structure and function and alterations in the tail-directed folding of chromatin fibers and higher order structures are the probable outcome of much of the post-translational modifications occurring in these domains. The functions of the tail domains are likely to involve complex intra- and inter-nucleosomal histone-DNA interactions, yet little is known about either the structures or interactions of these domains. Here we introduce a method for examining inter-nucleosome interactions of the tail domains in a model dinucleosome and determine the propensity of each of the four N-terminal tail domains to mediate such interactions in this system. Using a strong nucleosome "positioning" sequence, we reconstituted a nucleosome containing a single histone site specifically modified with a photoinducible cross-linker within the histone tail domain, and a second nucleosome containing a radiolabeled DNA template. These two nucleosomes were then ligated together and cross-linking induced by brief UV irradiation under various solution conditions. After cross-linking, the two templates were again separated so that cross-linking representing inter-nucleosomal histone-DNA interactions could be unambiguously distinguished from intra-nucleosomal cross-links. Our results show that the N-terminal tails of H2A and H2B, but not of H3 and H4, make internucleosomal histone-DNA interactions within the dinucleosome. The relative extent of intra- to inter-nucleosome interactions was not strongly dependent on ionic strength. Additionally, we find that binding of a linker histone to the dinucleosome increased the association of the H3 and H4 tails with the linker DNA region.
Genetically Modified Plants and Human Health Risks: Can Additional Research Reduce Uncertainties and Increase Public Confidence?

So long as the risks to human health from transgenic plants remain potential rather than actual, and, in any event, appear lower than those from traditional plant breeding, hazard assessment need not be extensive. However, in view of current public attitudes to transgenic plants, it is necessary that those tests that are required, be based on logic, on sound science, and in accordance with the best scientific methodology. This is particularly the case with testing for food allergenicity. Current testing is largely indirect and based on comparisons with other known food allergens. Development of direct tests that involve interaction between the actual transgenic protein in question and the immune system is essential if confidence in the regulatory system is to be restored.
Progesterone Receptor Status Significantly Improves Outcome Prediction Over Estrogen Receptor Status Alone for Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Two Large Breast Cancer Databases

Purpose: To determine whether progesterone receptor (PgR) status provides additional value to estrogen receptor (ER) status and improves prediction of benefit from endocrine treatment among patients with primary breast cancer. Patients and Methods: Clinical outcomes of patients in two large databases were analyzed as a function of steroid receptor status. The first database (PP), contained 3,739 patients who did not receive any systemic adjuvant therapy and 1,688 patients who received adjuvant endocrine therapy but no chemotherapy. The second database (SPORE), contained 10,444 patients who received adjuvant endocrine therapy but no chemotherapy. Biochemical ER and PgR assays were identically performed in two different central laboratories. Results: In univariate and multivariate analyses, the prognostic significance of PgR status among systemically untreated patients is modest. Among endocrine-treated patients, however, multivariate analyses, including lymph-node involvement, tumor size, and age, demonstr...
Accounting for correlated errors in inverse radiation transport problems

Inverse radiation transport focuses on identifying the configuration of an unknown radiation source given its observed radiation signatures. The inverse problem is solved by finding the set of transport model variables that minimizes a weighted sum of the squared differences by channel between the observed signature and the signature predicted by the hypothesized model parameters. The weights per channel are inversely proportional to the sum of the variances of the measurement and model errors at a given channel. In the current treatment, the implicit assumption is that the errors (differences between the modeled and observed radiation signatures) are independent across channels. In this paper, an alternative method that accounts for correlated errors between channels is described and illustrated for inverse problems based on gamma spectroscopy.
AMG 595, an Anti-EGFRvIII Antibody–Drug Conjugate, Induces Potent Antitumor Activity against EGFRvIII-Expressing Glioblastoma

Epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) is a cancer-specific deletion mutant observed in approximately 25% to 50% of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients. An antibody drug conjugate, AMG 595, composed of the maytansinoid DM1 attached to a highly selective anti-EGFRvIII antibody via a noncleavable linker, was developed to treat EGFRvIII-positive GBM patients. AMG 595 binds to the cell surface and internalizes into the endo-lysosomal pathway of EGFRvIII-expressing cells. Incubation of AMG 595 with U251 cells expressing EGFRvIII led to potent growth inhibition. AMG 595 treatment induced significant tumor mitotic arrest, as measured by phospho-histone H3, in GBM subcutaneous xenografts expressing EGFRvIII. A single intravenous injection of AMG 595 at 17 mg/kg (250 μg DM1/kg) generated complete tumor regression in the U251vIII subcutaneous xenograft model. AMG 595 mediated tumor regression in the D317 subcutaneous xenograft model that endogenously expresses EGFRvIII. Finally, AMG 595 treatment inhibited the growth of D317 xenografts orthotopically implanted into the brain as determined by magnetic resonance imaging. These results demonstrate that AMG 595 is a promising candidate to evaluate in EGFRvIII-expressing GBM patients.
Quantitative comparison of mitotic spindles by confocal image analysis

The mitotic spindle is a subcellular protein structure that facilitates chromosome segregation and is crucial to cell division. We describe an image processing approach to quantitatively characterize and compare mitotic spindles that have been imaged three dimensionally using confocal microscopy with fixed-cell preparations. The proposed approach is based on a set of features that are computed from each image stack representing a spindle. We compare several spindle datasets of varying biological (genotype) and/or environmental (drug treatment) conditions. The goal of this effort is to aid biologists in detecting differences between spindles that may not be apparent under subjective visual inspection, and furthermore, to eventually automate such analysis in high-throughput scenarios (thousands of images) where manual inspection would be unreasonable. Experimental results on positive- and negative-control data indicate that the proposed approach is indeed effective. Differences are detected when it is known they do exist (positive control) and no differences are detected when there are none (negative control). In two other experimental comparisons, results indicate structural spindle differences that biologists had not observed previously.
Rigid ring-shaped particles that align in simple shear flow

Most rigid, torque-free, low-Reynolds-number, axisymmetric particles undergo a time-periodic tumbling motion in a simple shear flow, with their axes of symmetry following a set of closed Jeffery orbits. We have identified a class of rigid, ring-like particles whose axes of symmetry instead reach a permanent alignment near the velocity gradient direction with the plane of the particle aligning near the flow–vorticity plane. An asymptotic analysis for small particle aspect ratio (ratio of length parallel to the axis of symmetry to diameter perpendicular to the axis) shows that an appropriate asymmetry of the ring cross-section with a thinner outer edge and thicker inner edge leads to a tendency to rotate in a direction opposite to the vorticity; this tendency can balance the usual rotation rate associated with the finite thickness of the particle. Boundary integral computations for finite particle aspect ratios are used to determine the conditions of aspect ratio and degree of asymmetry that lead to the aligning behaviour and the final orientation of the axis of symmetry of the aligned particles. The aligning particle follows an equation of motion similar to the Leslie–Erickson equation for the director of a small-molecule nematic liquid crystal. However, whereas the alignment of the director arises from intermolecular interactions, the ring-like particle aligns solely due to its intrinsic rotational motion in a low-Reynolds-number flow.