cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A developmental study of the illusion of parallelism.

An illusion of parallelism as discovered by Smith and Smith (1962) with adults was replicated with nine age groups of children, 6 through 14 yr. inclusive. The results demonstrate: (a) large errors of aiming at targets displaced from the line of regard, which diminish systematically with age; (b) an increase in the effect of the illusion with increasing age; (c) a drastic reduction of developmental effects of the illusion with a change in 5's location of observation; and (d) the comparability of the correlation matrix for children to that of adults. The effects of age were hypothesized to be due to changes in the developmental age for the aptitude of spatial visualization.
A cryoglobulin of high sedimentation rate (macroglobulin) from human serum.

Abstract A cryoglobulin of high sedimentation rate has been described. In the whole serum, or after partial purification, this protein existed in several different forms, and showed association or dissociation with variation in temperature, ionic strength, pH, or protein concentration. After more extensive purification this property was lost.
Reaction of coals in hot acidic phenol at constant acid concentration

Abstract Previous work showed that the efficient ‘depolymerization’ of bituminous coals in hot phenol containing p -toluenesulphonic acid failed to occur and that the acid was destroyed during the reaction. Four coals varying in rank from lignite to low volatile bituminous were treated with refluxing phenol containing p -toluenesulphonic acid with the acid concentration held constant. The amount of colloidal material, of pyridine-soluble material, of benzene—ethanol solubles, and the number average molecular weight of the pyridine extractables were measured as a function of time. Although the reaction proceeds better with the lower rank coals, a large portion of the products is colloidal material. Treatment of coals with hot acidic phenol does not lead to their complete depolymerization. Treatment of Bruceton coal with refluxing phenol saturated with BF 3 also failed to give complete depolymerization. The formation of colloidal suspensions during investigations employing spectral and other physical measurements may lead to results that are susceptible to misinterpretation.
Deformation resistance in soft tissue cutting: a parametric study

Characterizing and modeling of soft tissue deformation during cutting is important for developing a reality based haptic interaction model for surgical training and simulation. In this study, soft tissue cutting experiments were performed (ex-vivo) while monitoring the cutting forces and blade displacement for various cutting speeds (ranging from 0.1cm/sec-2.54cm/sec) and cutting angles (for 0/spl deg/ and 45/spl deg/ cutting angle). The measured force-displacement curves in all cases exhibit a characteristic pattern: repeating units formed by a segment of linear loading (deformation of tissue) and immediately followed by a segment of sudden unloading (localized crack extension in the tissue). This paper addresses the characterization of the deformation resistance during the deformation segment. The variation of this deformation resistance with cutting parameters is also determined. The deformation resistance to the cutting blade was quantified via a quantity designed as the local effective modulus (LEM) of the tissue. For a given cutting speed, the deformation resistance decreases as the cutting angle is varied from 0/spl deg/ to 45/spl deg/. For each cutting angle, the deformation resistance decreases with cutting speed. The variation of deformation resistance versus cutting speed is linear at 0/spl deg/ cutting angle and is nonlinear at 45/spl deg/ cutting angle.
The function of polydomy: the ant Crematogaster torosa preferentially forms new nests near food sources and fortifies outstations

Many ant species are polydomous, forming multiple spatially segregated nests that exchange workers and brood. However, why polydomy occurs is still uncertain. We investigated whether colonies of Crematogaster torosa form new polydomous nests to better exploit temporally stable food resources. Specifically, we tested the effect of food presence or absence and distance on the likelihood that colonies would form a new nest. Because this species also forms little-known structures that house only workers without brood (outstations), we also compared the function of this structure with true nests. Laboratory-reared colonies were connected to a new foraging arena containing potential nest sites with or without food for 4 months. When food was present, most colonies formed polydomous nests nearby and the remainder formed outstations. When food was absent, the behavior of colonies differed significantly, frequently forming outstations but never polydomous nests. Distance had no effect on the type of structure formed, but when food was present, a larger proportion of the workforce moved shorter distances. Workers often fortified the entrances to both structures and used them for storage of dried insect tissue (“jerky”). In an investigation of spatial fidelity, we found that workers on the between-nest trail were associated with the original nest, whereas workers collecting food were more likely to be associated with the new nest or outstation. C. torosa appears to have a flexible colony structure, forming both outstations and polydomous nests. Polydomous nests in this species were associated with foraging and were only formed near food resources.
The effects of insurance coverage on the quality of prenatal care

OBJECTIVE To compare the quality of prenatal care provided to patients with traditional fee-for-service, health maintenance organization, and Medicaid insurance using an evidence-based, community-derived prenatal care guideline. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Seven private and hospital-based prenatal care sites in a suburban county in southeast Michigan. PATIENTS A stratified random sample of 267 patients (93 with Medicaid, 92 with health maintenance organization, and 82 with fee-for-service insurance) receiving prenatal care from community physicians (obstetricians-gynecologists and family practitioners) between January 1, 1991, and December 31, 1992. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Adherence to explicit prenatal care criteria as measured by an evidence-based prenatal care guideline developed by a community panel. "Quality scores" were compared across groups in 4 areas: performance of prenatal screening procedures or tests, visit-based screening, substance use screening, and clinician management of abnormal clinical findings. RESULTS Patients with Medicaid insurance presented for prenatal care significantly later in pregnancy (14.5 vs 10.5 weeks, P < .01). No significant differences were seen between groups in quality scores for screening tests, clinician management of abnormal clinical findings, visit-based screening, or substance use screening. The overall similarity in quality scores did obscure some significant differences in adherence to individual criteria, particularly in the area of screening tests. Significantly more patients with Medicaid were screened for genital infection (P < .001) and fewer for gestational diabetes (P < .001) or anemia (P < .001) than patients in the other 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS Although patients with Medicaid presented for prenatal care later in pregnancy and received a different "package" of screening tests than the other 2 groups, there was no overall measurable difference in the quality of prenatal care provided to patients with Medicaid, health maintenance organization, and fee-for-service insurance. Clinicians may have altered screening protocols based on preexisting perceptions of patient risk. Although summary quality measures are a promising tool for comparative research, they provide an incomplete picture of the quality of the prenatal care process and must be interpreted with caution.
Overview of materials processing in space activity at Marshall Space Flight Center

An overview of activities involving the Space Transportation System (STS), now in the operational phase, and results of some of the current space experiments, as well as future research opportunities in microgravity environment, are presented. The experiments of the Materials Processing in Space Program flown on the STS, such as bioseparation processes, isoelectric focusing, solidification and crystal growth processes, containerless processes, and the Materials Experiment Assembly experiments are discussed. Special consideration is given to the experiments to be flown aboard the Spacelab 3 module, the Fluids Experiments System, and the Vapor Crystal Growth System. Ground-based test facilities and planned space research facilities, as well as the nature of the commercialization activities, are briefly explained.
Morphogenetic response to activator treatment.

E xperiments on growing primates have demonstrated that changes induced in the posture of the mandible may cause dental malocclusion.7 Class II, Division 1 malocclusions have been produced by lowering the postural position of the mandible relative to the maxilla which, in turn, caused extrusion of maxillary buccal teeth. In similar experiments, in which no extrusion of the maxillary buccal teeth was allowed, a lowering of the mandible did not result in a Class II malocclusion. The findings from these experiments indicate that the relative eruption of the posterior teeth is an important factor in the establishment of molar relationships. These results constitute the basis of the present clinical study. The purpose of this investigation was to change a Class II molar relationship into neutral occlusion by reversing the effects demonstrated in the primate experiments. This was achieved by impeding the vertical development in the maxillary molar region and concurrently stimulating vertical development in the mandibular molar segments. Correction of a Class II molar relationship by nightly use of a removable orthodontic appliance is a generally accepted procedure.1-41 6p * However, the design of the appliance has been as varied as the interpretation of its effects. For the present experiment, a removable appliance, which was a modification of the conventional activator, was designed. Theoretically, this appliance cquld elicit a series of morphogenetic responses which might contribute to the correction of the Class II malocclusion. Five hypotheses were formulated which, singly or in combination, might explain the structural changes in the transformation from a Class II to a Class I dental occlusion :
Interactions potentially affecting the seasonal abundance of selected aquatic invertebrates in a rice field habitat

Variables associated with the seasonal abundance of members of a prey complex consisting of Chironomidae, Corixidae and Crustacea, and of a predator guild including Belostomatidae, Dytiscidae, Hydrophilidae and Notonectidae sampled from California rice fields were evaluated by multiple regression analysis. Variables included water temperature, rice plant stand and potential predator-prey interactions. Regression equations using water temperature and rice plant stand as independent variables described the seasonal abundance of both the prey complex (F = 5.619; P = 0.025) and the predator guild (F = 9.037; P = 0.005). Predator-prey interactions further modified many of the seasonal patterns of the organisms observed.
Phospholipid metabolism and membrane dynamics

Genetic and biochemical approaches are shedding new light on the distinct physiological functions of specific phospholipid metabolic pathways and the mechanisms by which phospholipids are mobilized between intracellular compartments. In particular, phosphatidylinositol-transfer proteins have recently been revealed to play fascinating and unanticipated roles in the coordination of phospholipid metabolism with vesicle-trafficking and signal-transducing reactions.
Case-based analysis: a practical tool for teaching computer ethics

Case-based analysis is a bottom-up methodology for ethical reasoning. In a teaching environment, it can be a useful alternative to top-down methods, such as Kantianism, utilitarianism, rights-based theories, and virtue ethics. We describe a methodology for case-based analysis and illustrate the methodology by evaluating three test cases in the areas of Internet etiquette, intellectual property, and privacy, respectively. We summarize the strengths and weaknesses of using the case-based approach in a classroom setting.
Ranging and processing mobile-satellite

A description and an analysis of a concept for a future satellite system for the cooperative surveillance and data link service of mobiles (e.g. aircraft, ships, and trucks) are presented. The system approach described, called Ranging and Processing Satellite (RAPSAT), is based on onboard processing and the use of crosslink communications (direct from one satellite to another) to provide data-link and cooperative surveillance functions. System architecture, multiple access, acquisition, and capacity are discussed and analyzed. >
Nodal signaling promotes the speed and directional movement of cardiomyocytes in zebrafish

Members of the Nodal family regulate left-right asymmetry during vertebrate organogenesis, but it is unclear how Nodal signaling controls asymmetric morphogenesis at the cellular level. We used high-resolution time-lapse imaging in zebrafish to compare the movements of cardiomyocytes in the presence or absence of Nodal signaling. Loss of Nodal signaling in late-zygotic mutants for the Nodal co-receptor one-eyed pinhead (LZoep) abolished the leftward movement of cardiomyocytes. Global heart rotation was blocked but cardiomyocyte neighbor relationships were maintained as in wild type. Cardiomyocytes in LZoep mutants moved more slowly and less directionally than their wild-type counterparts. The phenotypes observed in the absence of Nodal signaling strongly resemble abnormalities found in BMP signaling mutants. These results indicate that a Nodal-BMP signaling cascade drives left-right heart morphogenesis by regulating the speed and direction of cardiomyocyte movement.
Carbon-13 NMR spectra of cyclohexaneaminonitriles

The 13C NMR spectra of nine 1-(N-piperidino) cyclohexanenitriles and of 1-dimethylaminocyclohexanenitrile have been recorded and assigned.
Risk of neoplastic and other diseases among people with heterozygosity for hereditary hemochromatosis

Background. Increased body iron stores have been associated with risk of heart attack in men and risk of cancer and colonic adenoma in both sexes. Because heterozygous carriers of hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) have on the average increased iron stores compared with noncarriers of the HH gene and comprise as much as 15% of the American population, disease risk in HH heterozygotes was investigated. Methods. A community-based cohort was defined, in which the exposure variable was heterozygosity for HH. Heterozygotes were identified by mailing individuals homozygous for HH questionnaires concerning the health histories of their parents (predominantly heterozygotes or exposed). Spouses of the HH homozygotes were asked to complete accompanying questionnaires concerning their parents (unexposed). The frequencies for exposed and unexposed, age-adjusted relative risks (RR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI), of cancer, heart disease, and stroke as causes of death as well as the cumulative incidence of heart attack, diabetes, stroke, hypertension, colonic adenoma, and cancers of the lung, colorectum, breast, cervix, pancreas, stomach, and blood were estimated. Results. Data were available for 1950 HH heterozygotes and 1656 unexposed subjects. Elevated RR were observed in HH heterozygotes in males for diabetes (RR, 1.16 ; 95% CI, 1.01-1.33), colorectal cancer (RR, 1.28 ; CI, 1.07-1.53), and hematologic malignancy (RR, 1.30 ; CI, 1.30-1.63), for colonic adenoma in females (RR, 1.29 ; CI, 1.08-1.53) and males (RR, 1.24 ; CI, 1.05-1.46), and for stomach cancer in females (RR, 1.37 ; CI, 1.04-1.79). Conclusions. Heterozygosity for HH is associated with increased risk for colorectal neoplasia, diabetes, hematologic malignancy, and gastric cancer. No increased risk of heart disease, cancer death, or cancers of the lung, breast, or cervix were demonstrated
Nitric oxide inhibits the proliferation of T-helper 1 and 2 lymphocytes without reduction in cytokine secretion.

Abstract To study the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on the activity of Th subsets, cloned Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes were stimulated in the presence of an NO donor. NO, when present from the start of incubation, inhibited the proliferation of both Th subsets dose-dependently, achieving complete inhibition at a relatively low level. The addition of NO 24 h after the onset of T cell stimulation also resulted in reduced proliferation of both Th subsets, suggesting that NO affects a late process during T cell activation. Stimulation of T cells in the presence of NO did not induce apoptosis at the concentrations that completely inhibited proliferation, although apoptosis became evident at higher NO concentrations. The secretion of several cytokines (i.e., IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-5) was slightly upregulated, while IL-2 production was modestly inhibited in the presence of NO. However, exogenous IL-2 did not reverse the NO-induced inhibition of T cell proliferation, nor did additional stimulation with phorbol esters. Finally, expression of IL-2R was modestly decreased in the presence of NO, although TCR expression was not affected. These studies demonstrate that relatively low concentrations of NO induce a strong and specific inhibition of T cell proliferation in both Th subsets, suggesting that local NO production may regulate Th-mediated tissue inflammation.
Sensitive sub-Doppler nonlinear spectroscopy for hyperfine-structure analysis using simple atomizers

Laser wave-mixing spectroscopy is presented as a sub-Doppler method that offers not only high spectral resolution, but also excellent detection sensitivity. It offers spectral resolution suitable for hyperfine structure analysis and isotope ratio measurements. In a non-planar backward- scattering four-wave mixing optical configuration, two of the three input beams counter propagate and the Doppler broadening is minimized, and hence, spectral resolution is enhanced. Since the signal is a coherent beam, optical collection is efficient and signal detection is convenient. This simple multi-photon nonlinear laser method offers un usually sensitive detection limits that are suitable for trace-concentration isotope analysis using a few different types of simple analytical atomizers. Reliable measurement of hyperfine structures allows effective determination of isotope ratios for chemical analysis.
Genetic and epigenetic changes in colon cancer

Abstract The genetic heterogeneity of colon cancer suggests that it is actually more than one disease, and perhaps represents a conglomeration of genetically different diseases which happen to occur in the same organ. The progressively more refined genetic definition of colon cancer has uncovered and/or strengthened heretofore obscured associations with clinicopathologic features and risk factors and has led to the development of numerous useful clinical tests, some of which may also have therapeutic implications. It is certainly possible that we have only begun to “scratch the surface” of this heterogeneity. Other techniques–expression microarray, microRNAs, etc.–will likely add to this heterogeneity and suggest future diagnostic and therapeutic evaluations. In addition, recent data on APC gene mutations challenges the existing paradigm for colon cancer carcinogenesis and precursor lesions, which may in turn have clinical implications for cancer prevention.
An exploration of low-cost sensor and vehicle model Solutions for ground vehicle navigation

This paper discusses an exploratory analyses of the benefits of using Vehicle Odometry/Steer Angle and an accurate vehicle model (VM) to replace/assist a low-cost Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) for blended ground vehicle navigation. In this research, multiple variations of the tightly coupled Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) algorithm are performed using multiple sensor sets to find the optimal solution, factoring in sensor cost and pose accuracy. Many automotive precision navigation solutions have been developed based on sensor fusion in recent years; however, as autonomous navigation technology becomes more prevalent on consumer vehicles, the need for a high-accuracy, low-cost pose solution is increasing. One widely used solution to this problem is the combination of a Micro-Electro-Mechanical (MEMS) IMU with Global Positioning System (GPS); however, this may not be the optimal solution due to the high noise characteristics of lower cost IMU's. Measurements from GPS, IMU/Inertial Navigation System (INS), and VM are used in this research. The different algorithm setups being investigated include: GPS/VM sensor fusion with accurate vehicle model constraints, GPS/INS with low-cost commercially available IMU, and GPS/INS/VM with the IMU. The determination of the level of IMU necessary for GPS/INS fusion to exceed the pose solution accuracy achievable using GPS/VM sensor fusion with accurate vehicle model constraints is a priority for this research. Another goal of this research is the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the benefits of using VM to assist normal GPS/INS EKF and whether the inclusion of VM in either the time update or the measurement update results in a more accurate pose solution. Direct experimental comparison of tightly coupled EKF Fault Detection and Exclusion (FDE) algorithms based on vehicle wheel speed and steering angle versus the IMU measurements to determine if either sensor set yields a distinct advantage over the other is also investigated. All analysis will be based on real world experimental data.
Development of a unified model for sensor and crash analyses

This paper describes the development of a unified model particularly for sensor and crash analyses. Technical remarks are made for comparison of differences between a sensor and a crash model. Many useful modelling tips are given to safety analysts for use as reference in creating improved models. It is recommended that a good sensor model should be developed and calibrated using at least three crash tests at low to high velocities in rigid barrier impact and pole or Thatcham impact. All sensor signals generated by the model must be evaluated using the Sensor Waveform Assessor (SWA) to assess their quality and accuracy. Sensor pulses, once they have attained the required ranking, can then be provided to suppliers for sensing system calibration.
Designing fast architecture-sensitive tree search on modern multicore/many-core processors

In-memory tree structured index search is a fundamental database operation. Modern processors provide tremendous computing power by integrating multiple cores, each with wide vector units. There has been much work to exploit modern processor architectures for database primitives like scan, sort, join, and aggregation. However, unlike other primitives, tree search presents significant challenges due to irregular and unpredictable data accesses in tree traversal. In this article, we present FAST, an extremely fast architecture-sensitive layout of the index tree. FAST is a binary tree logically organized to optimize for architecture features like page size, cache line size, and Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) width of the underlying hardware. FAST eliminates the impact of memory latency, and exploits thread-level and data-level parallelism on both CPUs and GPUs to achieve 50 million (CPU) and 85 million (GPU) queries per second for large trees of 64M elements, with even better results on smaller trees. These are 5X (CPU) and 1.7X (GPU) faster than the best previously reported performance on the same architectures. We also evaluated FAST on the Intel$^\tiny\textregistered$ Many Integrated Core architecture (Intel$^\tiny\textregistered$ MIC), showing a speedup of 2.4X--3X over CPU and 1.8X--4.4X over GPU. FAST supports efficient bulk updates by rebuilding index trees in less than 0.1 seconds for datasets as large as 64M keys and naturally integrates compression techniques, overcoming the memory bandwidth bottleneck and achieving a 6X performance improvement over uncompressed index search for large keys on CPUs.
Minimizing average completion time in the presence of release dates

A natural and basic problem in scheduling theory is to provide good average quality of service to a stream of jobs that arrive over time. In this paper we consider the problem of schedulingn jobs that are released over time in order to minimize the average completion time of the set of jobs. In contrast to the problem of minimizing average completion time when all jobs are available at time 0, all the problems that we consider are NP-hard, and essentially nothing was known about constructing good approximations in polynomial time. We give the first constant-factor approximation algorithms for several variants of the single and parallel machine models. Many of the algorithms are based on interesting algorithmic and structural relationships between preemptive and nonpreemptive schedules and linear programming relaxations of both. Many of the algorithms generalize to the minimization of averageweighted completion time as well. © 1998 The Mathematical Programming Society, Inc. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
A systematic methodology for determining optimizing a machine vision system's capability

This paper presents a systematic methodology based on Taguchi methods to determine and optimize a machine vision system's capability. Seven factors were studied in anL 27(313) orthogonal array: lens type, color of the background, distance between two objects on the target, distance between the camera and the target, filter, lighting source, and angle between the optic axis of the camera and the surface of the target. The optimal factor-level combination was determined from the experiment results, and the response surface plots were provided for a user to choose an alternative. Because this Taguchi methods-based methodology is simple and effective, it is recommended for determining and optimizing a machine vision system's capability.
Characterizations of strict local minima and necessary conditions for weak sharp minima

In nonlinear programming, sufficient conditions of orderm usually identify a special type of local minimizer, here termed a strict local minimizer of orderm. In this paper, it is demonstrated that, if a constraint qualification is satisfied, standard sufficient conditions often characterize this special sort of minimizer. The first- and second-order cases are treated in detail. Necessary conditions for weak sharp local minima of orderm, a larger class of local minima, are also presented.
Bringing the Classroom to the Web: Effects of Using New Technologies to Capture and Deliver Lectures

Technology expands instructional options for faculty, and this study examines the differential learning effects of offering a lecture on physics to students in a traditional classroom versus internet video formats. Based on an experiment conducted in a natural educational context, results indicate enhanced transfer of lecture information in the video formats relative to the live condition, with students also responding more positively to personalized video presentation.
Two Distinct Coactivators, DRIP/Mediator and SRC/ p160, Are Differentially Involved in Vitamin D Receptor Transactivation during Keratinocyte Differentiation

Cell programs such as proliferation and differentiation involve the sequential activation and repression of gene expression. Vitamin D, via its active metabolite 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25-(OH)2D3)], controls the proliferation and differentiation of a number of cell types, including keratinocytes, by directly regulating transcription. Two classes of coactivators, the vitamin D receptor (VDR)-interacting proteins (DRIP/mediator) and the p160 steroid receptor coactivator family (SRC/p160), control the actions of nuclear hormone receptors, including the VDR. However, the relationship between these two classes of coactivators is not clear. Using glutathione-S-transferase-VDR affinity beads, we have identified the DRIP/mediator complex as the major VDR binding complex in proliferating keratinocytes. After the cells differentiated, members of the SRC/p160 family were identified in the complex but not major DRIP subunits. Both DRIP and SRC proteins were expressed in keratinocytes. DRIP205 expression decreased during differentiation, although SRC-3 levels increased. Both DRIP205 and SRC-3 potentiated vitamin D-induced transcription in proliferating cells, but during differentiation, DRIP205 was no longer effective. These results indicate that these two distinct coactivators are sequentially involved in vitamin D regulation of gene transcription during keratinocyte differentiation, suggesting that these coactivators are part of the means by which the temporal sequence of gene expression is regulated during the differentiation process.
The decomposition of Cr(K) into the direct sum of subalgebras

Abstract Let A and B be closed subalgebras of C r ( X ) whose direct sum is C r ( X ). Some consequences of this relation are explored in this paper. For example if 1 ϵ A (as may be assumed) it is shown that the norm of the projection onto A is an odd integer and there is a retraction of X onto the set of common zeros of elements of B .
Experimental investigation of the response of gas‐filled micropores to ultrasound

Hydrophobic membranes with gas‐trapping micropores have been used in ultrasonic bioeffects experiments to determine the efficacy of the cavitation mechanism at low intensities. Membranes were tested with circular pores of about 2.5 to 5.4 μm in diameter and these pores trapped gas when the membranes were immersed in water such that the resulting bubbles were stable against diffusion. Only a few pores remain completely filled with gas upon immersion, however, and the distribution in partial filling apparently results in a distribution of resonance frequencies for the bubbles in a membrane, even when the pores are essentially all identical in size.
Preclinical Foundation for Normothermic Machine Liver Preservation

Liver transplantation is the primary treatment for end-stage liver disease, but demand exceeds supply due to the shortage of available healthy donor grafts. To increase the supply of useable grafts for transplantation, innovative and better preservation methods are needed to enable the use of livers from extended criteria donors. Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) has been extensively studied in the laboratory and holds great potential for expanding the donor pool. This review summarizes the progress that has been made in NMP over the last two decades, with emphasis on the recent studies preparing the method for clinical trials.
Molecular dynamics simulations of epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-α structures in water

AMBER v. 4.1 force field in 1.5 ns NPT molecular dynamics simulations of murine epidermal growth factor (mEGF), human epidermal growth factor (hEGF), and human transforming growth factor-alpha (hTGF-alpha) structures with explicit TIP3P solvation were used to investigate differences in backbone stability, changes in secondary structure, interdomain flexibility, and weakly polar interactions. Backbone root mean square deviations of sections of each peptide show that the most stable regions in mEGF and hEGF are the A-, B-, and C-loops, whereas the most stable regions in hTGF-alpha are the A- and B-loops. The secondary structure in the B-loops of mEGF and hEGF differ significantly from the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structures of mEGF and hEGF. The position and type of turns in the B-loop of mEGF and hEGF increase the interstrand distance of the antiparallel beta-sheets thereby disrupting their structure. The interdomain flexibility of simulated hTGF-alpha structure is greater than in either mEGF or hEGF. The phi, psi dihedrals of hTGF-alpha occupy two distinct populations of phase space corresponding to either a Ceq7 or an alpha-helical conformation. This change in dihedral angle is stabilized by Phe15 with Arg42 and Phe17 with Arg42 N-pi weakly polar interactions that are present only in hTGF-alpha but not in mEGF or hEGF.
Modern European languages and universality

The prospect of further political integration of Europe has raised the question of a common European language. The economic arguments for encouraging such a ‘universal’ language are readily apparent. The EEC currently spends vast amounts on translation into only a few of the several languages used by the Community’s members. But beyond the looming cloud of financial urgency there is the instinctive if apprehensive reflex on the part of Europeans that any definable polity (as the Community promises or threatens to become) requires its own distinctive language. The apprehension arises from a generally shared experience that a distinctive language encompasses every aspect of an individual’s destiny, and decisively so in the vital spheres of culture and personal relationships. The prospect of one’s primary distinctive language being eclipsed by the emergence of another (and for the majority of Europeans it would indeed be another) distinctive idiom may be intellectually entertained but affectively rejected. Yet this experience of distinctive language as an all-encompassing existential reality, and a must for the viability of a definable polity, stems in no small measure from the historical fact that modern European languages are themselves triumphs of relative universality. Within their sharply defined political boundaries these languages generally reign supreme. As a sop to democratic pluralism, other languages within the same borders are tolerated or granted a privileged minority status. The present paper looks at how the ideological groundwork for the relative universality of modern European languages was laid in Renaissance Italy. Specifically, we shall be looking at the Preface to the first book of Lorenzo VaIla’s Elegances of the Latin Language, and deduce from it (a) his view that a quality language is the condition for the cultural superiority which both expresses and reinforces political dominion, and (b) his view of what constitutes a ‘quality’ language. We shall also briefly discuss how the old wine of linguistic rectitude when poured into the new bottles of national polities and fortified by print and audiovisual technologies, ferments into the heady brew of ‘distinctive’ language. One of the most influential books to come out of the Italian Renaissance, Six Books of the Elegances of theLatin Language,’ by Lorenzo Valla (1407-1457) was also one of the first to receive the honours of publication by means of the new technology of printing. Its celebrity was equalled perhaps only by its usefulness both for students of classical Latin and the Latin of Roman civil law. Less commented on is the paean to the Latin language in the Preface to the first book,
Anti-adrenergic medications and edema development after intracerebral hemorrhage.

Use of antihypertensive medications is common after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Medications that block adrenergic activation (e.g., beta-blockers and the alpha(2)-agonist, clonidine) may reduce the inflammatory response and therefore have secondary benefit after ICH. The patients with acute ICH enrolled in the placebo arm of the CHANT trial were included. Univariate and multivariate analyses were undertaken for factors associated with blood pressure medication use, edema at 72 h, and clinical outcome at 90 days. Of the 303 patients, 87.8% received some antihypertensive treatment during the first 72 h of hospitalization. Edema volume on neuroimaging at 72 h was independently associated with clinical outcome. Use of anti-adrenergic medications was associated with less edema after controlling for hemorrhage volume and blood pressure. Antihypertensive medications that antagonize the sympathetic nervous system may reduce perihematomal edema after ICH.
Reconstruction of fig wasp mating structure: how many mothers share a fig?

1. Fig wasps (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae) represent an important model system for studies of sex ratio evolution, mainly because they may adjust their sex ratios in response to the numbers of ovipositing females (foundresses) that enter a fig and their clutch size. 2. Until recently, it was assumed that all foundresses fail to re-emerge from the figs that they have entered to oviposit, but there is increasing evidence that such re-emergence may be routine. The common practice of counting the number of dead foundresses present in a fig in order to deduce the number of foundresses is therefore questionable in species where failure to re-emerge has not been confirmed. 3. In this study, the alternative approach of microsatellite markers was used to reconstruct the within-fig breeding structure of a pollinating fig wasp by genetic analysis of the offspring. Broods of Liporrhopalum tentacularis, a species where foundresses regularly re-emerge from figs, were collected from figs of Ficus montana in their natural habitat in Indonesia as well as from an experimental glasshouse population in Leeds (U.K.). 4. The estimated foundress densities in the glasshouse population were similar to those in the field and ranged from one to six foundresses per brood. 5. Nearly 40% of all broods were produced by a single foundress, indicating that mating in these broods occurs exclusively between full siblings. High levels of inbreeding are therefore common in this species.
Elongated Eustachian Valve Dividing the Right Atrium

A 64-year-old man underwent transthoracic echocardiography after a syncopal event. Two-dimensional imaging demonstrated a linear density that appeared to divide the right atrium. Color doppler imaging demonstrated that inflow from the inferior vena cava, but not from the superior vena cava, was obstructed by this density. Injection of agitated saline through an upper extremity vein demonstrated that the linear density did create a functional separation of the right atrium. The contrast material also crossed the interatrial septum within two cardiac cycles. This constellation of findings is consistent with an elongated eustachian valve and a patent foramen ovale.
BPH progression: concept and key learning from MTOPS, ALTESS, COMBAT, and ALF-ONE

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) represents a significant burden in ageing men due to frequently associated lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), which may impair quality of life. BPH is also a progressive disease, mainly characterized by a deterioration of LUTS over time, and in some patients by the occurrence of serious outcomes such as acute urinary retention (AUR) and need for BPH-related surgery. The goals of therapy for BPH are not only to improve bothersome LUTS but also to identify those patients at risk of unfavourable outcomes, to optimize their management. In selected patients, combination of an alpha(1)-blocker and a 5alpha-reductase inhibitor is the most effective form of BPH medical therapy to reduce the risk of clinical progression and relieve LUTS. Monotherapy also significantly reduces the risk of BPH clinical progression, mainly through a reduction of LUTS deterioration for alpha(1)-blockers while 5alpha-reductase inhibitors also reduce the risk of AUR and need for BPH-related surgery. Enlarged prostate and high serum prostate-specific antigen levels have been consistently found to be good clinical predictors of AUR and BPH-related surgery in longitudinal population-based studies and placebo arms of controlled studies. High post-void residual urine (PVR) is also associated with an increased risk of LUTS deterioration and should thus be reconsidered in practice as a predictor of BPH progression. Conversely, baseline LUTS severity and low peak flow rate, initially identified as predictors of unfavourable outcomes in community setting, behave paradoxically in controlled trials, probably as a consequence of strict inclusion criteria and subsequent regression to the mean and glass ceiling effects. Lastly, there is increasing evidence that dynamic variables, such as LUTS and PVR worsening, and lack of symptomatic improvement with alpha(1)-blockers are important predictors of future LUTS/BPH-related events, allowing better identification and management of patients at risk of BPH progression.
Informal information gathering techniques for active reading

GatherReader is a prototype e-reader with both pen and multi-touch input that illustrates several interesting design trade-offs to fluidly interleave content consumption behaviors (reading and flipping through pages) with information gathering and informal organization activities geared to active reading tasks. These choices include (1) relaxed precision for casual specification of scope; (2) multiple object collection via a visual clipboard; (3) flexible workflow via deferred action; and (4) complementary use of pen+touch. Our design affords active reading by limiting the transaction costs for secondary subtasks, while keeping users in the flow of the primary task of reading itself.
Merton with Energy, Katz with Structure:: The Sociology of Vindictiveness and the Criminology of Transgression

This article traces the impact of economic and cultural globalization pointing to the consequent rise of widespread resentment and tension both within the First World and internationally. Globaliza...
Uncertainties in phase and frequency estimation with a magnetron radar: Implication for clear air measurements

Radar systems with a drifting transmitter frequency (such as those employing magnetron transmitters) typically use an Automatic Frequency Control system to keep the receiver down-conversion settings tuned to the transmitted frequency. This paper presents a method to incorporate the Automated Frequency Control information in measurements affected by changing receiver frequency down-conversion settings, such as phase measurements to obtain change in refractivity fields.
The Not-So-Invisible Professors: White Faculty at the Black College.

This article explores the growing phenomenon of increasing and majority numbers of White faculty members at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States and the implications that such a growing presence has for the traditional mission and activities of these institutions. The author explores the historical and contemporary presence of White faculty members at HBCU institutions and discusses both the unresolved and emerging issues, problems, and challenges that must be squarely confronted if these institutions are to remain successful in educating and empowering large numbers of African American students in the future.
Uncloaking family medicine research: so much to know, so little time . . .

In their article “A Small Percentage of Family Physicians Report Time Devoted to Research,” Voorhees et al[1][1] estimate that only 4.9% of the 28,505 board-certified family physicians in the United States who completed a census before taking the maintenance of certification examination in 2007
The occurrence of a free amino pool in cultures of Claviceps litoralis Kawatani.

A quantitative growth study of Claviceps litoralis Kawatani has been made in a chemically defined medium. No alkaloids could be detected in substrate or mycelial tissues under the conditions of this study. The mycelial tissues from the growth study were examined qualitatively and quantitatively for the presence of free amino acids. Several of these amino acids were identified. From the results of this analysis it was concluded that a free amino acid pool exists in the mycelial tissues and that this pool undergoes changes in the kinds of amino acids and their concentrations during mycelial growth. The culture filtrate from the growth study was also analyzed for the presence of amino acids, and these were identified. However, the amounts of amino acids present in culture filtrates were too small to be determined quantitatively. Extraction of amino acids from lyophilized mycelial tissue with boiling water, 70 per cent alcohol, and cold 5 per cent trichloroacetic acid indicated that the boiling water method was the most efficient. The results confirmed the findings of others that the amino acid, tyrosine, may not exist in sufficient amounts or long enough in mycelial culture to support alkaloid biosynthesis. The role of tyrosine in this regard must await further study.
Distribution asset management under strict budget constraints

Component derating and reconfiguration for distribution reliability is proposed in this work. Under the budget constraints postponing predictive maintenance is seen in many utilities. This practice can cause adverse effects on the performance of the utility. This work proposes a technique to improve the system reliability by derating the component with time varying hazard rate. Derating of a component will not have any sensible meaning unless the load on the component is reduced to the derated value or less. Therefore derating should be followed by reconfiguration of the system. This work proposes a simple reconfiguration system that will ensure that the whole load is energized while the loadings on the components are limited to the derated values.
Addressing Performance and Security in a Screen Reading Web Application That Enables Accessibility Anywhere

The Web provides nearly ubiquitous access to information, but access for blind Web users requires the use of expensive, specialized software programs called screen readers unlikely to be installed on most computers. WebAnywhere is a self-voicing, Web-browsing Web application that makes the Web accessible for blind Web users from most devices with Web access. WebAnywhere requires no special permissions or additional software to be installed on the host machine, enabling it provide a self-voicing interface on almost any Web-enabled device. WebAnywherepsilas interface is written in Javascript, speech is retrieved from a remote server, and sounds are played using either Flash or existing embedded sound players. This paper describes the performance and security implications of the systempsilas unique design and how it has been engineered to provide usable access anywhere. Specifically, we present prefetching and caching strategies developed to make the system responsive even on low-bandwidth connections and security considerations that replicate existing browser security policies.
Phase-dispersion light-scattering for quantitative size-imaging of spherical scatterers

Using phase-dispersion spectra measured with optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the frequency domain, we demonstrated the quantitative sizing of multiple spherical scatterers on a surface. We modeled the light scattering as a slab-mode resonance and determined the size of the scatterers from a Fourier transform of the measured phasedispersion spectra. Using a swept-source OCT system, we mapped the detected size of the scatters to the intensity of a two-dimensional surface image. The image was formed by raster-scanning a collimated beam of 200 μm diameter across a sample with distinct size domains. The image shows a clear distinction between deposited polystyrene microspheres of 26 and 15 μm average sizes. In a separate experiment, we demonstrated tissue-relevant sizing of scatters as small as 5 μm with a Fourier domain OCT system that utilized 280 nm of bandwidth from a super-continuum source. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the light scattered from a single sphere is, in general, nonminimum- phase; therefore, phase spectra can provide unique information about scattered light not available from intensity spectra alone. Also, measurements of phase spectra do not require background normalization to correct for the spectral shape of light sources or the spectral absorption of specimens. The results we report here continue our efforts towards combining intensity and phase spectra to enable improved quantitative analysis of complex tissue structures.