cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of protein synthesis by the heme-regulated eIF2α kinase: relevance to anemias

During erythroid differentiation and maturation, it is critical that the 3 components of hemoglobin, α-globin, β-globin, and heme, are made in proper stoichiometry to form stable hemoglobin. Heme-regulated translation mediated by the heme-regulated inhibitor kinase (HRI) provides one major mechanism that ensures balanced synthesis of globins and heme. HRI phosphorylates the α-subunit of eukaryotic translational initiation factor 2 (eIF2α) in heme deficiency, thereby inhibiting protein synthesis globally. In this manner, HRI serves as a feedback inhibitor of globin synthesis by sensing the intracellular concentration of heme through its heme-binding domains. HRI is essential not only for the translational regulation of globins, but also for the survival of erythroid precursors in iron deficiency. Recently, the protective function of HRI has also been demonstrated in murine models of erythropoietic protoporphyria and β-thalassemia. In these 3 anemias, HRI is essential in determining red blood cell size, number, and hemoglobin content per cell. Translational regulation by HRI is critical to reduce excess synthesis of globin proteins or heme under nonoptimal disease states, and thus reduces the severity of these diseases. The protective role of HRI may be more common among red cell disorders.
Spinel formation in sodium-β″-alumina

Abstract Transmission electron microscopy of sodium-beta″-alumina shows that during observation, a large amount of intergrowth defects form rapidly along the 00.1 planes. These defects are identified as spinel intergrowths formed resulting from loss of Na 2 O constituting the conduction plane in sodium-β″-alumina. These artifacts complicate significantly the detailed interpretation of non-stoichiometry in β″-aluminas.
A single second messenger: several possible cellular responses depending on distinct subcellular pools.

See related article, pages 845–852 Second messengers are defined as small molecules that are synthesized in the cell in response to extracellular first messengers,1 and diffuse through the cytoplasm to mediate their effects. This definition is sometimes broadened to include hydrophobic molecules, such as diacylglycerol (DAG).2 Synthesis and degradation of second messengers are regulated by a number of enzymes expressed in mammalian cells. Such enzymes include, but are not limited to, adenylyl cyclase (AC) for synthesis of cyclic AMP (cAMP), guanylyl cyclase for synthesis of cyclic GMP (cGMP), cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) for hydrolysis of cAMP and cGMP, and phospholipase C (PLC) for hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) and DAG. Each of these enzyme groups consists of a plethora of isoforms. Thus, there are 10 different gene products in the mammalian AC gene family (AC1–9 and an atypical soluble AC isoform).3–5 Furthermore, different splice variants of AC4, AC5, and AC8 have been cloned.6–8 A large number of PDE and PLC isoforms have also been cloned. To date, 21 different PDE genes divided among 11 gene families have been identified in mammals.9 Most PDE families consist of more than 1 gene products, and most genes code for more than 1 messenger RNA. Although some PDE gene families hydrolyze cAMP exclusively (PDE4, PDE7, and PDE8), many of these enzymes hydrolyze both cAMP and cGMP (PDE1, PDE2, PDE3, PDE10, and PDE11), and some hydrolyze cGMP exclusively (PDE5, PDE6, and PDE9).9 There are at least 13 different PLC isoforms generating IP3 and DAG, which also exist in several different splice variants.10–11 Thus, the number of enzyme isoforms regulating synthesis and degradation of any given second messenger, even within 1 cell, is almost mind-boggling, and raises the question: Why are there so …
Gene trapping using gal4 in zebrafish.

Large clutch size and external development of optically transparent embryos make zebrafish an exceptional vertebrate model system for in vivo insertional mutagenesis using fluorescent reporters to tag expression of mutated genes. Several laboratories have constructed and tested enhancer- and gene-trap vectors in zebrafish, using fluorescent proteins, Gal4- and lexA- based transcriptional activators as reporters 1-7. These vectors had two potential drawbacks: suboptimal stringency (e.g. lack of ability to differentiate between enhancer- and gene-trap events) and low mutagenicity (e.g. integrations into genes rarely produced null alleles). Gene Breaking Transposon (GBTs) were developed to address these drawbacks 8-10. We have modified one of the first GBT vectors, GBT-R15, for use with Gal4-VP16 as the primary gene trap reporter and added UAS:eGFP as the secondary reporter for direct detection of gene trap events. Application of Gal4-VP16 as the primary gene trap reporter provides two main advantages. First, it increases sensitivity for genes expressed at low expression levels. Second, it enables researchers to use gene trap lines as Gal4 drivers to direct expression of other transgenes in very specific tissues. This is especially pertinent for genes with non-essential or redundant functions, where gene trap integration may not result in overt phenotypes. The disadvantage of using Gal4-VP16 as the primary gene trap reporter is that genes coding for proteins with N-terminal signal sequences are not amenable to trapping, as the resulting Gal4-VP16 fusion proteins are unlikely to be able to enter the nucleus and activate transcription. Importantly, the use of Gal4-VP16 does not pre-select for nuclear proteins: we recovered gene trap mutations in genes encoding proteins which function in the nucleus, the cytoplasm and the plasma membrane.
Studying the effects of reaction conditions on components of dairy manure and cellulose accumulation using dilute acid treatment.

Abstract The objectives of this study were to statistically study the effects of reaction conditions of temperature, acid concentration, and reaction time on manure components of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and nitrogen during dilute acid treatment of dairy manure; and to further optimize the accumulation of cellulose for later enzymatic conversion to glucose. A 23 full factorial design was adopted to investigate the effects of the reaction conditions on each individual component and later followed by a 3-factor central composite design which was used to obtain the optimal conditions for cellulose accumulation. The results indicated that acid was the most important factor for changes of all the components. The results also showed that two other individual factors, reaction time and temperature, as well as the interactions among all three factors had significant influences on the changes. In addition, the optimal conditions for cellulose accumulation were 2.8 h reaction time, 140 °C reaction temperature, and 1.0% acid concentration. Under these conditions cellulose content reached 31.0% while hemicellulose, lignin and nitrogen content were 3.2%, 20.8% and 2.4%, respectively.
The Interpretation of Nonoccupational Work in Modern Society: A Preliminary Discussion and Typology

This paper is a general and preliminary attempt to deal with the various meanings associated with work in modern society. It is claimed that such an approach requires that sociologists expand their theoretical and empirical concern to include the many nonoccupational forms of work found in social movements and alternative communities. A scheme (based on time and sacred-secular variables) for classifying and studying such forms of work is presented and six examples are discussed. When these alternative forms of work are considered, it becomes apparent that the meaning of modern work is highly variable and problematic. This variation is reflected in the ways in which work is organized and rewarded, and how it is linked to modern technology and the life cycle.
Disagreement between transport team and ED staff regarding the prehospital assessment of air medically evacuated scene patients

Abstract Study objective To determine the rate of disagreement in assessment of significant illness or injury between air medical transport team assessment and emergency department (ED) diagnosis in patients transferred from the scene of an incident to the ED. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on 84 patients transported by medical flight teams from an accident scene to an ED. Results Results show transport team assessment concurred with ED diagnosis 96.7% of the time; most of the differences in assessment were overassessments by the transport team. Assessment differences occurred most often for abdominal injuries and least often for head injuries. Underassessment occurred most often for spinal cord injuries. Conclusions Despite the numerous difficulties involved in patient assessment, data show that the transport teams accurately evaluated patients in most instances. Disagreements in assessment of injury/illness most often were overassessments.
N-Myristoylglutamic acid derivative of 3′-fluoro-3′-deoxythymidine as an organogel

Designing microbicidal gels of anti-HIV drugs for local application to prevent HIV infection is a subject of major interest. 3′-Fluoro-3′-deoxythymidine (FLT), a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), was conjugated with a N-myristoylglutamate scaffold. The conjugate showed gelation at 1% (w/w) in different organic solvents, such as toluene, dichloromethane, and chloroform. The gels were opaque and stable at room temperature. The results indicate that myristoyl glutamate derivative of FLT can form an organogel. The gel could have potential application as a topical anti-HIV microbicidal agent.
Testing Parameters of a Gamma Distribution for Small Samples

The gamma distribution is relevant to numerous areas of application in the physical, environmental, and biological sciences. The focus of this paper is on testing the shape, scale, and mean of the gamma distribution. Testing the shape parameter of the gamma distribution is relevant to failure time modeling where it can be used to determine if the failure rate is constant, increasing, or decreasing. Testing the scale parameter is also relevant to problems in survival analysis, where when the shape parameter κ=1, the reciprocal of the scale parameter measures the hazard function. Finally, testing the mean of the gamma distribution allows us to determine if the average concentration of an environmental contaminant is higher, lower, or equivalent to a health-based standard. In this paper, we first derive new small sample-based tests and then via simulation, we study the Type I error rate and statistical power of these tests. Results of these simulation studies reveal that in terms of maintaining Type I error ...
On the possibility of observations of high energy neutrino and gamma-ray fluxes from SN1987A

Abstract We estimate the production of high energy neutrino and gamma-ray signals through interactions of protons and subsequent decay of secondaries in the shell of SN1987a. We also discuss the absorption of the gamma-ray signals, the detection limits and the existing and proposed experiments in the Southern hemisphere, TeV and PeV gamma-ray signals will be detectable if the total proton luminosity of the supernova is greater than 1039 erg/s and the differential spectral index γ of the accelerated protons is not steeper than 2.4. The detection of neutrino induced muons from the supernova will only be possible if the total proton luminosity exceeds 1042 erg/s.
A light and electron microscopic investigation of the neurosecretory bag cells of Aplysia.

The two bilateral clusters of neurosecretory bag cells ofAplysia were studied with both light and electron microscopy. Autoradiography revealed that the bag cells rapidly accumulate3H-labelled amino acids and that after 1–2 h, heavy concentrations of silver grains appear over Golgi complexes and in the proximal axons. Intrasomatic injections of CoCl2 or lucifer yellow showed clear branch points and numerous varicosities along individual axons. Many of the bag cells are multipolar. Electron-microscopic observations confirmed that individual fibres branch and showed that the varicosities are packed with dense-cored vesicles similar in size (180 nm diameter) and electron density to those found in the somata. The axons of several cells are usually associated into bundles that travel (within the connective tissue sheath) either rostrally up the pleurovisceral connective or toward the contralateral bag cell cluster. Bundled in groups of tens to hundreds, a total of many thousands of axons fill the sheath around each cell cluster and around the proximal 2–5 mm of the pleurovisceral connective; the number of axon bundles in the sheath decreases rapidly with distance from the cluster. Individual axons reaching the outer edges of bundles form neurosecretory endings near blood sinuses in the sheath, creating an extensive neurohemal release area. Dense-cored vesicles are packed into the endings, often in very close apposition to the plasma membrane. Possible release profiles (omega-shaped) and smaller clear vesicles (85 nm diameter) were observed in the axon endings. A number of axons also enter and travel among the conventional (non-neurosecretory) axons in the core of the pleurovisceral connective nerve. These ‘core’ bag cell axons project for several millimetres beyond the terminations of the bundled axons of the sheath.
Faculty Perceptions of Intercollegiate Athletics.

This chapter describes the perspectives of faculty regarding decision making and oversight of intercollegiate athletics at Division I Football Bowl Subdivision institutions and the implications for institutional researchers.
Personal and environmental factors in relation to adjustment of offspring of alcoholics.

The purpose of the present study was to develop a causal model that explains how personal and family characteristics influence the well-being of adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs). The causal model was developed based on family systems theory, coping theory, social learning theory, and social support theory. Eighty-four ACOAs were tested in order to examine the fit of the model to the data by path analysis with LISREL VII. Results of the study suggested that the revised theoretical model presented good model fit to the data with. 97 for goodness of fit index,. 91 for adjusted goodness of fit index,. 13 for root-mean-square residuals, and 11.94 for modification indices. Results of the study also showed that 1) ACOAs who are better able to perceive the availability of social supports tend to have lower emotional status; 2) ACOAs who are better able to perceive the availability of social supports have a tendency to have better adjustment; and 3) ACOAs who have higher emotional status have a tendency to be ...
Investigation of the role of beta 1 integrins in cell-cell adhesion

Various beta 1 integrins (VLA-2, VLA-3, VLA-4) have been suggested to bind directly to themselves or to each other, thus mediating cell-cell adhesion. Here we expressed the human alpha 2 and alpha 3 subunits in three different cell lines (human erythroleukemia K562, human rhabdomyosarcoma RD and Chinese hamster ovary CHO cells). Although cell surface alpha 2 beta 1 and alpha 3 beta 1 in the transfectants mediated adhesion to matrix ligands (collagen or laminin 5, respectively), in no case did we observe enhanced cell-cell adhesion. In the presence of a range of different divalent cation concentrations, stimulatory anti-beta 1 antibodies or anti-alpha 3 antibodies, VLA-2 and VLA-3 still did not appear to interact directly, through either heterophilic (i.e. VLA-3/VLA-2) or homophilic (i.e. VLA-3/VLA-3) mechanisms, to mediate cell-cell adhesion. Furthermore, in some but not all alpha 3 transfectants we observed an unexpected decrease in cell-cell adhesion, suggesting a novel anti-adhesive function. This inhibitory effect was not observed for alpha 2 transfection nor when the alpha 3 cytoplasmic tail was exchanged with that of another integrin alpha subunit. Finally, no evidence for VLA-4/VLA-4 mediated cell-cell adhesion was observed using alpha 4-transfected K562 and CHO cells. In conclusion, using many different combinations of cell lines, we found that cell-cell adhesion mediated by direct integrin/integrin interaction is not a widespread phenomenon, and is not observable in standard cell-cell adhesion assays. Furthermore, in some cell combinations, alpha 3 expression may actually cause diminished cell-cell adhesion.
AML1/RUNX1 increases during G1 to S cell cycle progression independent of cytokine-dependent phosphorylation and induces cyclin D3 gene expression

AML1/RUNX1, a member of the core binding factor (CBF) family stimulates myelopoiesis and lymphopoiesis by activating lineage-specific genes. In addition, AML1 induces S phase entry in 32Dcl3 myeloid or Ba/F3 lymphoid cells via transactivation. We now found that AML1 levels are regulated during the cell cycle. 32Dcl3 and Ba/F3 cell cycle fractions were prepared using elutriation. Western blotting and a gel shift/supershift assay demonstrated that endogenous CBF DNA binding and AML1 levels were increased 2-4-fold in S and G2/M phase cells compared with G1 cells. In addition, G1 arrest induced by mimosine reduced AML1 protein levels. In contrast, AML1 RNA did not vary during cell cycle progression relative to actin RNA. Analysis of exogenous Myc-AML1 or AML1-ER demonstrated a significant reduction in G1 phase cells, whereas levels of exogenous DNA binding domain alone were constant, lending support to the conclusion that regulation of AML1 protein stability contributes to cell cycle variation in endogenous AML1. However, cytokine-dependent AML1 phosphorylation was independent of cell cycle phase, and an AML1 mutant lacking two ERK phosphorylation sites was still cell cycle-regulated. Inhibition of AML1 activity with the CBFβ-SMMHC or AML1-ETO oncoproteins reduced cyclin D3 RNA expression, and AML1 bound and activated the cyclin D3 promoter. Signals stimulating G1 to S cell cycle progression or entry into the cell cycle in immature hematopoietic cells might do so in part by inducing AML1 expression, and mutations altering pathways regulating variation in AML1 stability potentially contribute to leukemic transformation.
A lithium-ion battery charger for charging up to eight cells

Benefits of using lithium-ion batteries have made them the best choice for mobile applications like cameras, laptops, electric-vehicles, etc. On the other hand, charging and using these batteries demand observing some precautions, which would otherwise lead to battery damages. These are of more importance when batteries of multiple cells are involved. In this paper after reviewing the charging methods of multiple cells, an implemented battery charger, which can charge batteries comprised of up to eight cells, is introduced.
Local delivery of doxorubicin for the treatment of malignant brain tumors in rats.

Background: Local delivery of carmustine (BCNU) via biodegradable polymers has been shown to improve survival in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). In the current study, we hypothesized that local delivery of an anthracycline antibiotic, doxorubicin (DOX), might act to improve the survival of animals bearing experimental intracranial glioma. Materials and Methods: Polyanhydride polymers (PCPP-SA), containing either 3% or 5% ADR by weight, were prepared using the mix-melt method. Forty male Fisher 344 rats received an intracranial challenge with a lethal dose of 9L gliosarcoma cells. Five days later, they received DOX or blank polymer. There were a total of four treatment groups: 1) blank polymer; 2) 3% DOX polymer; 3) 5% DOX polymer, and 4) control group with no polymer. Results: Compared to control animals treated with no polymers or blank polymer, animals receiving DOX had significantly extended survival. The median survival for the control group was 21 days vs. 34 days (p<0.01) for the 3% DOX group and 45 days (p<0.0001) for the 5% DOX group. Conclusion: Doxorubicin, when delivered locally, is an effective monotherapeutic agent against experimental intracranial glioma. The field of biodegradable polymer drug release has improved the treatment of malignant gliomas, and sparked interest in the treatment of metastatic brain tumors, by allowing the local delivery of chemotherapy to brain tumors
Spontaneous Peripheral Arterial Microembolization

Over a seven year period 52 patients having a clinical diagnosis of spontaneous peripheral arterial microembolization were identified. Sixty-one percent of patients were female, 15% were diabetic, and 73% used tobacco chronically. A striking finding was the very high incidence of associated systemic disorders such as thrombocytosis (8), polycythemia vera (3), metastatic adenocarcinoma (3), or collagen disease requiring steroid therapy (4). Forty-nine patients had significant proximal arterial lesions as the origin of their emboli. Three patients had digital ischemia as a result of increased platelet aggregation without arterial obstruction. Forty-eight patients underwent surgical therapy. Operative mortality was 4% and overall limb salvage in survivors was 96%. The clinical syndrome of arterial microembolization may result from several pathophysiologic mechanisms including cholesterol embolization from ulcerated plaques, fibrino-platelet aggregation in patients with hematologic disorders, or dislodgement of mural thrombus in those with aneurysmal disease. We observed aortoiliac disease to be more frequent than femoral-popliteal disease, and both were amenable to surgical correction. We conclude that the genesis of arterial microembolization is multifactorial and that a variety of systemic diseases may work in concert with atherosclerotic arterial disease to produce this clinical syndrome. Prompt recognition and appropriate treatment of this disorder can yield high rates of limb salvage.
Recovery and Enhancement of Reflex Reaction Time after Nitrous Oxide Analgesia

A study was made of the effects of nitrous oxide on psychomotor ability. Nitrous oxide was administered to 15 male subjects for 15 minutes and reaction times were measured and compared to assess the duration and extent of psychomotor impairment.
Visualization of Diversity in Large Multivariate Data Sets

Understanding the diversity of a set of multivariate objects is an important problem in many domains, including ecology, college admissions, investing, machine learning, and others. However, to date, very little work has been done to help users achieve this kind of understanding. Visual representation is especially appealing for this task because it offers the potential to allow users to efficiently observe the objects of interest in a direct and holistic way. Thus, in this paper, we attempt to formalize the problem of visualizing the diversity of a large (more than 1000 objects), multivariate (more than 5 attributes) data set as one worth deeper investigation by the information visualization community. In doing so, we contribute a precise definition of diversity, a set of requirements for diversity visualizations based on this definition, and a formal user study design intended to evaluate the capacity of a visual representation for communicating diversity information. Our primary contribution, however, is a visual representation, called the Diversity Map, for visualizing diversity. An evaluation of the Diversity Map using our study design shows that users can judge elements of diversity consistently and as or more accurately than when using the only other representation specifically designed to visualize diversity.
P05.45. A whole systems approach to the study of Ayurveda for cancer survivorship: results from a qualitative investigation

Methods Hour-long, digitally recorded interviews were conducted with experienced Ayurvedic clinicians from both the USA and India. Eligible clinicians had an advanced degree in Ayurveda and clinical experience with a minimum of 50 patients with a diagnosis of cancer. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded for major themes using principles of qualitative content analysis. At least two investigators coded each interview. Variations in interpretation were reconciled through refined definitions and recoding.
Immigration and Internal Migration 'Flight' from US Metropolitan Areas: Toward a New Demographic Balkanisation

This article examines the migration dynamics underlying the uneven race and ethnic demographic growth patterns which are characterising the revival of urban growth in the U.S....The findings make clear that recent immigration to the U.S. plays a significant role in shaping these patterns....The findings presented here suggest that immigration holds important implications for broad internal redistribution patterns of the U.S. population--both directly and indirectly by influencing an internal migration which is selective on race and socio-economic status. Data are from the 1990 U.S. census. (EXCERPT)
Stability of Tin Etiopurpurin

Abstract Formulations of the tin etiopurpurin (SnET2) have been observed to undergo a spectral change on storage in dimethylformamide solution. This results in an alteration in the action spectrum, with enhanced photodynamic activity at lower wavelengths and decreased activity at 660 nm. On the basis of structural considerations, a reduced analog of SnET2 was prepared with an absorbance maximum at 640 nm. Formation of this product, termed SnET2H2 relieves steric strain inherent in the parent molecule. Nuclear magnetic resonance, spectral and photodynamic data are consistent with the formation of SnET2H2 during SnET2 storage. Slight modifications in the original synthesis are also reported, resulting in improved yields of intermediate products.
Rational Use of Cognitive Resources: Levels of Analysis Between the Computational and the Algorithmic

Marr’s levels of analysis—computational, algorithmic, and implementation—have served cognitive science well over the last 30 years. But the recent increase in the popularity of the computational level raises a new challenge: How do we begin to relate models at different levels of analysis? We propose that it is possible to define levels of analysis that lie between the computational and the algorithmic, providing a way to build a bridge between computational- and algorithmic-level models. The key idea is to push the notion of rationality, often used in defining computational-level models, deeper toward the algorithmic level. We offer a simple recipe for reverse-engineering the mind’s cognitive strategies by deriving optimal algorithms for a series of increasingly more realistic abstract computational architectures, which we call “resource-rational analysis.”
Combined pseudo-merohedral twinning, non-crystallographic symmetry and pseudo-translation in a monoclinic crystal form of the gamma delta T-cell ligand T10

T10 is a non-classical class Ib-like major histocompatibility complex (MHC) cell-surface antigen which binds directly to certain gammadelta T-cell receptors in the absence of any exogenous and endogenous ligands, such as peculiar lipids or glycolipids. The crystal structure at 2.5 Angstrom resolution of murine T10 was determined by molecular replacement using data from an almost perfectly twinned monoclinic crystal. The space group is P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a=78.2, b=70.0, c=139.2 Angstrom, beta=106.8degrees. Self-rotation function analysis and various intensity statistics revealed the presence of pseudo-merohedral twinning, but these tests underestimated the true twin fraction of alphasimilar or equal to0.46. Native Patterson analyses pointed to the presence of pseudo-translation among the four molecules present in the asymmetric unit. Data analysis, structure determination and model refinement are discussed.
Asynchronous pentobarbital-induced burst suppression with corpus callosum hemorrhage.

Abstract Objective : We describe the electroencephalographic (EEG) findings in a 9-year-old girl, who presented with generalized tonic-clonic status epilepticus requiring pentobarbital anesthesia, and correlate these findings with clinicoradiologic evidence of a ruptured AVM with hemorrhage into the body of the corpus callosum. Methods : EEG analysis accompanied by clinical assessment, CT and MRI scans, and cerebral angiography were performed. Results : With pentobarbital coma, the EEG showed burst suppression with prominent interhemispheric asynchrony. Suppression epochs >2 s in duration and with amplitude 1 s was noted at onset for 5 epochs and at offset for one. Chi-square analysis revealed an equal tendency for unilateral suppressions to occur over either hemisphere, and for suppression in one hemisphere to begin before the other. Conclusions : We conclude that the corpus callosum plays a critical role in interhemispheric synchronization of cortical neuronal electrical activity and propose that: (1) normally, the corpus callosum modulates interhemispheric synchronization of cortical inhibition; and (2) with corpus callosal disruption, cortical areas are ‘released' from such synchronization.
Structure–activity relationship studies of a series of peptidomimetic ligands for α4 β1 integrin on Jurkat T‐leukemia cells

α4β1 integrin is a therapeutic target for inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and lymphoid cancers. A series of peptidomimetic ligands based on the Nle-D-I motif have been synthesized and their binding affinities (IC50) to activated α4β1 integrin on Jurkat T-leukemia cells have been determined using a cell adhesion assay. One of the 51 ligands, 18, has been determined to have an IC50 of 0.6 nM and has a more than twofold increase of binding affinity than the initial lead compound 1. Extensive SAR studies provide important information for further ligand optimization, which has served as a foundation for studies that ultimately led to identification of a potent ligand with an IC50 of 2 pM. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 84: 595–604, 2006 This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com
Modeling and Control of a Manipulator Joint Driven Through a Worm Gear Transmission

The worrnscrew gearset provides a potential advantage for some robot manipulator designs because of its simplicity, compactness, and capacity for large speed-reduction ratios. However, an oscillatory behavior has been observed in such implementations that, depending on the extension and loading of the manipulator, tends to grow as the manipulator is lowered under the influence of gravity and disappears as the manipulator is raised. The oscillations can become quite large, crippling the utility of the manipulator The growing oscillations are indicative of an instability. However, it is not immediately apparent why such a system should be unstable. The objectives of this work were to find the source of the oscillatory behavior and to determine whether feedback control can be employed to stabilize such a system.
Developing Technological Literacy: A Case Study of Technology Integration in a Latina Liberal Arts College

Over the last 10 years, information technology has been the fastest growing sector in the global economy. Nevertheless, technology and computer-based instruction have not been sufficiently integrated into the curriculum especially at institutions that serve primarily language minority, low income, and first generation, female college populations. Through student surveys and faculty interviews, this study examined how faculty and students in such an institution evaluated the effects of integrating various technologies on their classroom experiences. Through a federally funded Title V grant, faculty participated in professional development workshops aimed at developing their ability to use technologically mediated practices to enhance learning opportunities through interaction and communication in cyberspace as well as face-to-face interaction. Faculty members from various disciplines participated in hands-on workshops on the use of various technologies such as Blackboard, power-point, and general internet and email uses. Over the last 10 years, information technology has been the fastest growing sector in the global economy. This development has fundamentally transformed classroom discourse and literacy practices; thus, computer literacy for both students and faculty alike has received growing attention from scholars and practitioners. In May, 1996 the American Association of
The importance of pickup oxygen ion precipitation to the Mars upper atmosphere under extreme solar wind conditions

[1] While the Mars upper atmosphere is continuously bombarded by charged particles of solar and planetary origins, the energy flux carried is often not sufficient to significantly affect the neutral atmosphere. However, we show that this is not the case during major space weather events. By applying two Mars global models—a Monte Carlo model for simulating pickup O+ precipitation at the exobase and a thermosphere-ionosphere model for assessing its global impact, we find that the thermospheric effects of reentering ions can change from negligible to very important when upstream solar wind conditions vary from normal to extreme. The atmospheric response under the most extreme conditions includes dramatic neutral temperature enhancement, significant neutral composition and wind changes, and increased importance of sputtering loss and possibly even thermal escape of heavy species.
The Role of Clinical Consensus Statements in Facial Plastic Surgery Literature

A powerful trend in modern medicine is the call for evidence-based treatments and procedures. Specialty societies are hard at work developing best-practice paradigms based on scientific and clinical information supported by verifiable evidence. This information can be used in many forums, in addition to providing efficient and efficacious care. Legal proceedings may use such information to determine standard of care. Health insurance companies increasingly demand proof that prescribed procedures are indeed effective before issuing payments.
The uniform distribution: rigorous justification for its use in robustness analysis

Consider a control system with admissible uncertain parameter values which exceed the bounds specified by classical robustness theory. The article concerns trade-offs between performance degradation risk and uncertainty tolerance. If a large increase in the uncertainty bound can be established, an acceptably small risk may be justified. Since robustness formulations do not include statistical descriptions of the uncertainty, the question arises whether it is possible to provide such assurances for any distribution. The paper concentrates on problems associated with Kharitonov's theorem and the edge theorem. If p(s, q) denote the uncertain polynomial under consideration and /spl Pscr/(/spl omega/) a frequency dependent convex target set for the uncertain values p(j/spl omega/, q), /spl Pscr/(/spl omega/) symmetric with respect to the nominal p(j/spl omega/, 0), the uncertain parameters q/sub i/ zero-mean independent random variables with known support interval, and for each uncertainty /spl Fscr/ consists of symmetric nonincreasing density functions, then, for fixed frequency /spl omega/, the first theorem indicates that the probability that p(j/spl omega/, q) is in /spl Pscr/(/spl omega/) is minimized by the uniform distribution for q. The second theorem, a generalization of the first, indicates that the same result holds uniformly with respect to frequency. Then, probabilistic guarantees for robust stability are given in the third theorem. In many cases, one can far exceed classical robustness margins while keeping the risk of instability small.
GCA: A Coclustering Algorithm for Thalamo-Cortico-Thalamic Connectivity Analysis

The reciprocal connectivity between the cerebral cortex and the thalamus in a human brain is involved in consciousness and related to various brain disorders, thus, in-vivo analysis of this connectivity is critically important for brain diagnosis and surgery planning. While existing work either focuses on fiber tracking analysis or on thalamic nuclei segmentation, to our best knowledge, no techniques yet exist for performing in-vivo analysis of thalamo-corticothalamic connectivity. In this paper, (i) we propose a new partitioning paradigm, called coclustering, to model this problem. In contrast to the traditional clustering paradigm, a coclustering procedure not only simultaneously partitions cortical voxels and thalamic voxels into groups, but also identifies the corresponding strong connectivities between the two classes of groups; (ii) we develop the first coclustering algorithm, Genetic Coclustering Algorithm (GCA), to solve the coclustering problem; and (iii) we apply GCA to perform in-vivo analysis of the thalamo-cortico-thalamic connectivity and produce a strikingly clear 3-D visualization of the seven thalamic nuclei groups as well as their connectivities to the corresponding cortical regions of a human brain.
Sensory modulation and affective disorders in children and adolescents with Asperger's disorder.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of the study was to determine if there were significant relationships between dysfunction in sensory modulation, symptoms of affective disorders, and adaptive behaviors in children and adolescents with Asperger’s disorder between 6 and 17 years of age. METHOD. Parents of 50 children and adolescents between 6 and 17 years of age diagnosed with Asperger’s disorder based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV criteria completed the (a) Sensory Profile for children 6 to 10 years of age or the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile for adolescents 11 to 17 years of age; (b) the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System: Parent Version; (c) Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale Adapted Parent’s Version; and (d) the Children’s Depression Inventory Adapted Parent’s Version. Descriptive statistics and the Pearson product-moment coefficient of correlation calculations were used for data analysis. RESULTS. The results indicated that there were significantly strong positive correlations between sensory defensiveness and anxiety (r = .476, p = .000) in children and adolescents with Asperger’s disorder. There were also significant relationships between symptoms of depression and hyposensitivity in the total group (r = .214, p = .05) and the older group (r = .492, p = .027). There were no significant relationships between depression and overall adaptive behavior (r = ‐.243, p = .089) or anxiety and overall adaptive behavior (r = ‐.108, p = .455). Significantly strong inverse relationships were found between the specific adaptive behaviors of functional academics, leisure, social skills, and symptoms of depression. Functional academics were also significantly inversely related to anxiety. Specifically, sensory hyper- and hypersensitivity were significantly inversely related to community use and social skills. CONCLUSION. The data supports positive relationships between anxiety and sensory defensiveness in all age ranges and a relationship between depression and hyposensitivity in older children. Stronger inverse relationships were apparent between specific adaptive behaviors including: (a) symptoms of depression and functional academics, leisure, social skills; (b) anxiety and functional academics; and (c) both sensory hyper- and hyposensitivity and community use and social skills. In this study, as the symptoms of affective disorders increased in children and adolescents with Asperger’s disorder, the functional performance in the adaptive behaviors of functional academics and social skills appeared to decrease. Performance in the adaptive behaviors of community use and socials skills appeared to decrease as symptoms of dysfunction in sensory modulation increase. Further research is necessary to determine the impact of treatment for dysfunction on sensory modulation on affective disorders and performance in specific adaptive behaviors.
A high frequency, low jitter auto-calibration phase-locked loop with built-in-self-test

A phase-lock loop circuit which reacts to measured jitter by adjusting the VCO input control voltage is described. This self-calibration process alters the VCO response in order to lower the jitter in its 2.4 GHz output for Bluetooth application. As this adjustment takes place, it intrinsically adjusts the VCO output towards the desired operating frequency. The programmable synthesizer has a digitally controlled VCO that provides wide tuning range of 710 MHz. The auto-calibration technique adjusts the manufacture and process variation. The synthesizer, designed in TSMC 0.18-/spl mu/m technology, has an edge jitter standard deviation of 0.86-ps having a 20% improvement over PLL with no self-calibration.
Novel biosensor development for monitoring children's brain tumor

In this paper we present our current joint work (Georgia Tech $Northwestern University) in developing diagnosis of children's brain cancer and lays down the requirements for fabricating, integrating and testing a bio compactable embedded RF cancer sensor for in vivo monitoring of the recurrence of brain tumor after treatment. The paper presents a detailed literature search on diagnosis of brain tumor. Several techniques used for the treatment and symptoms of recurrence of brain tumor is also presented. A case study done on a group of children is also presented. Through the study the parameters required for an in vivo sensor understood. Advanced bio materials and conductive polymers are used to fabricate a shape memory biosensor. The sensors response to a change in temperature and change in PhH of fluid. The sensor fabrication and its applications is in progress. The data collected till date and required improvements are presented at the conference.
A Sensitive PCR-Based Assay to Detect Neotyphodium Fungi in Seed and Plant Tissue of Tall Fescue and Ryegrass Species

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method for detection of Neotyphodium endophytes in seed and plant tissue from tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), Italian (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), and perennial (Lolium perenne L.) ryegrasses was developed. The primers were designed to amplify products from a conserved region of the Neotyphodium spp. tubulin 2 gene which is present in N. coenophialum (Morgan-Jones and W. Gams) Glenn, C.W. Bacon, and Hanlin (endophyte of tall fescue), N. lolii (Latch, M.J. Chr., and Samuels) Glenn, C.W. Bacon, and Hanlin (endophyte of perennial ryegrass), and N. occultans C.D. Moon, B. Scott, and M.J. Chr. (endophyte of Italian ryegrass). PCR yielded the expected amplification products from infected seed lots for tall fescue (358 base pairs [bp]), Italian ryegrass (364 bp), and perennial ryegrass (370 bp). Based on DNA mixture tests and bulk seed analysis, the PCR assay was sensitive enough to detect as little as one infected seed per 50 seeds tested. In addition, the primer set detected the Neotyphodium spp. endophyte in all plant tissues except roots. Comparison of the PCRbased assay to microscopic examination and immunoblot detection of endophytes in seed lots showed that all three methods compared favorably to one another. However, none of the three methods could distinguish between viable and nonviable endophyte in seed. This PCR method provides an accurate, sensitive approach for detecting the presence of the endophyte in these grasses, while maintaining enough specificity to discriminate Neotyphodium spp. from related fungal contaminants such as ergot [Claviceps purpurea (Fr.:Fr.) Tul.].
A Prototype Public Speaking Skills Assessment: An Evaluation of Human-Scoring Quality

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the evaluation of human-scoring quality for an assessment of public speaking skills. Videotaped performances given by 17 speakers on 4 tasks were scored by expert and nonexpert raters who had extensive experience scoring performance-based and constructed-response assessments. The Public Speaking Competence Rubric was used to score the speeches. Across all of the dimensions of presentation competence, interrater reliability between expert and nonexpert raters ranged between .23 and .71. The dimensions of public speaking competence associated with the lowest interrater reliability were effectual persuasion and word choice (.41 and .23, respectively). Even expert raters, individuals with a background in teaching and evaluating oral communication, had difficulty agreeing with one another on those dimensions. Low-inference dimensions such as visual aids and vocal expression were associated with much higher levels of interrater reliability, .65 and .75, respectively. The holistic score was associated with an interrater reliability of .63. These results point to the need for a significant investment in task, rubric, and training development for the public speaking competence assessment before it can be used for large-scale assessment purposes.
Impact of a reduced budget asset replacement strategy on the reliability of a medium voltage distribution network

This paper presents the effect of a replacement strategy with a reduced budget (CAPEX: capital expenditure) on the age structure of a medium voltage network. The reduction of reinvestment leads to an increase of average asset age. As a consequence, the system reliability SAIDI (system average interruption duration index) assessed by the indices SAIFI (system average interruption frequency index) and CAIDI (customer average interruption duration index) decreases. The asset classes with the highest influence on these indices are identified and counter strategies such as an optimised budget allocation or redesign are analysed. The results of these strategies show a significantly reduced degradation of system reliability despite the still reduced budget.
Laboratory Rearing of Trichopepla semivittata (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on Wild Carrot

The stink bug Trichopepla semivittata (Say) ranges from Montreal, Canada, and New England south to Florida, Texas, and Mexico and west to Colorado (Van Duzee 1904, Blatchley 1926). It is not a common insect but can be locally abundant (Blatchley 1896, Van Duzee 1904).
Notes on homobasidiomycetes from northern Canada and Alaska.

of this fungus was obtained from the Schweinitz Herbarium (No. 1899) located in PH. The only fungus present on the specimen was sterile and apparently a species of Asterina. The original description of D. lauri borboniae ".... macula minuti orbiculari, in ambitu manifestius sed etiam onmino ex fibrillulis radiantibus, conflata, aterrima, laxius imposita pagina superiori folii. . .", leaves no doubt that the fungus Schweinitz was describing was not a Phyllachora. Saccardo's transfer of this fungus to Phyllachora is therefore incorrect. Specimens of a number of other Phyllachora spp. occurring on several genera in the Lauraceae were obtained from BPI. Only one of these, P. catesbyana Chardon on Octotea sp., has been collected in the U. S. This species, as well as all other species described on members of the Lauraceae for which descriptions were found, has much smaller ascospores than P. perseae. A specimen in BPI labeled Phyllachora lauri borboniae (Schw.) Sacc. collected by Diehl in 1931 from Smith Island, North Carolina, is P. perseae. This is the only collection seen, other than from the type locality. Grateful acknowledgment is made to the curators of BPI and PH for loan of specimens examined during this study, to Mr. William H. Willis, Duke University, for preparing the Latin description and to Dr. C. Booth, Commonwealth Mycological Institute, for examining the fungus.