cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purification and characterization of the SRS2 DNA helicase of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The SRS2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was identified through mutational analysis as a suppressor of radiation-sensitive mutations in the error-prone repair pathway and by a hyper-recombination phenotype. Comparison of the derived amino acid sequence revealed the gene to have high homology to the bacterial DNA helicases UvrD and Rep (Aboussekhra, A., Chanet, R., Zgaga, Z., Cassier-Chauvat, C., Heude, M., and Fabre, F. (1989) Nucleic Acids Res. 17, 7211-7219). We have purified the SRS2 protein from Escherichia coli extracts by tagging the SRS2 gene with 6 carboxyl-terminal histidine residues and overexpressing the tagged protein in a pET-3c vector. Extracts were passed over a metal-chelating affinity chromatography column followed by gel filtration to obtain an enriched protein fraction. Sephacryl gel filtration of pooled fractions containing the SRS2 protein yielded purified SRS2 protein by Coomassie Blue stain of SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels. The purified SRS2 protein was found to have in vitro DNA-dependent ATPase and DNA helicase activities. The polarity of the helicase activity was determined to be 3‘ to 5‘, the same polarity as that found for the UvrD and Rep proteins. The carboxyl-terminal region of the protein is shown to contain a sequence for nuclear localization. Expression of the SRS2 in yeast was examined and found to be extremely low.
Synergism of ergonomics, safety, and quality--a behavioral cybernetic analysis

This report extends a control systems or cybernetic model of behavior to the behavior of groups of many individuals--organizations and institutions--operating together with technology as complex sociotechnical (ST) systems. The premise is that the level of quality in performance of a complex ST system is predicated upon the degree to which its organizational design incorporates elements of a closed-loop behavioral control system: control goals and objectives, sensory receptors, sensory feedback, learning and memory, effectors, and sensory feedback control. From a control systems perspective, ergonomics is essential to effective organizational self-regulation. If working conditions are poorly designed, work performance and safety and quality outcomes cannot be closely controlled. Conversely, as shown by field evidence, good design promotes synergism between ergonomics, safety, and quality as a closed-loop consequence of effective employee and organizational self-control of system performance, safety, and quality.
Detection of Signals in 1/f Noise Using Wavelets

The modeling 1/f processes using wavelet expansions is applied to a detection and receiver design problem forv a signal with known envelope and random phase corrupted by 1/f noise.
Acquired hemophilia in patients with hematologic malignancies

Abstract Objectives.—To evaluate the occurrence of acquired hemophilia in patients with hematologic malignancies and to assess their response to treatment. Design.—Data on 8 patients with hematolog...
The ultraviolet spectrum of zeta Tauri

This report describes a study of the ultraviolet spectrum of the B-shell star, zeta Tauri. The observational material consists of high-dispersion spectrograms obtained from a rocket experiment launched in November 1972. The spectra cover the wavelength interval from 1100 to 2050 A with a resolution of about 0.1 A. The UV stellar lines indicate that the star has an effective temperature as high as 27,000 K, the stellar atmosphere appears to have serious abundance deficiencies in carbon and silicon, and the velocity field in the atmosphere is complicated but shows evidence for outward acceleration and differential rotation.
A novel chip replacement method for encapsulated flip chip bonding

In FCA (Flip Chip Attach) technology, the encapsulation for the flip chip joints relieves the stress which is supposed to be concentrated on these joints by the thermal cycling of the system. It allows us to use low cost-material such as epoxy for a carrier of flip chip bonding though it has significantly higher CTE than ceramic. However, the chip replacement after encapsulation becomes difficult when it is found to be defective. To resolve this problem, we have developed a simple replacement technique. In this technique, the encapsulated chip for replacement is ground off with about a half height of encapsulation. After providing carrier bumps with solder injection, a new chip is placed and the joining cycle is followed with the same manner of initial chip join. The reliability of the joints showed the same level as the initially built joints. This technique can be applied for the replacement of any kind of encapsulated flip chip bonding. >
Following Directions from the Retina to the Brain

Different types of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) project to distinct brain targets. In this issue of Neuron, Osterhout et al. (2015) and Sun et al. (2015) identify how direction-selective RGC axons match with their targets and the consequences for visual function when targeting is impaired.
B-Splines From Parallelepipeds.

Abstract : Local support bases for piecewise polynomial spaces are important for applications such as finite element methods, data fitting etc. In (BH sub 1) a general construction principle for such B-splines was described. A special case are the so called box-splines. They have a particularly regular discontinuity pattern and coincide in special cases with standard finite elements. It is hoped that using translates of box-splines will lead, at least in two variables, to a unified theory for piecewise polynomial functions on regular meshes. This note is a first attempt in this direction and deals with basic approximation properties of translates of one box-splines such as stability, degree of approximation etc. (Author)
Existence of solutions of Two-Phase free boundary problems for fully nonlinear elliptic equations of second order

In this article, we have established existence of a solution to the 2 -phase free boundary problem for some fully nonlinear elliptic equations and also shown the free boundary has finite Hn−1 Hausdorff measure and a normal in a measuretheoretic sense Hn−1 almost everywhere. The regularity theory developed in [9] and [10] for this free boundary problem then leads to the fact that the free boundary is locally a C1,α surface near Hn−1-a.e. point.
Biomechanical Characteristics of 9 Arthroscopic Knots

Purpose To determine the optimal arthroscopic slipknot through comparison of ease of placement, loop security, knot security, and amount of suture material needed using a new suture material. Methods Nine commonly used arthroscopic knots (Dines, Field, Nicky, Hu, San Diego, Snyder, Tennessee slider, Triad, and Tuckahoe) were tested by use of modern suture material, FiberWire (Arthrex, Naples, FL), with the Instron materials testing machine (Instron, Norwood, MA) for ease of knot placement (forward and backward sliding), loop security, and knot security. The amount of suture material needed to create the knot was compared by use of the knot weight. Analysis of variance with Kruskal-Wallis analysis and Bonferroni correction (α Results The Tennessee slider knot sustained the greatest force at failure (269 N), the greatest knot resistance (32 N), and the smallest mass (8.5 mg). The Dines was the only knot superior in all 3 knot placement categories. The Nicky held the most loop force (66 N), and the Tuckahoe had the greatest loop resistance (20 N) ( P P Conclusions Our study comprehensively presents ease-of-placement and security characteristics of 9 common and new arthroscopic knots using modern FiberWire suture. The Tennessee slider knot showed superior characteristics in knot security and knot mass. The Dines knot was the most ideal knot to place. However, the surgeon will need to review the individual knot characteristics and select the knot most suited to application. Clinical Relevance This study analyzed 9 arthroscopic knots with modern suture material and identified those with superior characteristics.
Developing Physical Exposure-Based Back Injury Risk Models Applicable to Manual Handling Jobs in Distribution Centers

Using our ultrasound-based “Moment Monitor,” exposures to biomechanical low back disorder risk factors were quantified in 195 volunteers who worked in 50 different distribution center jobs. Low back injury rates, determined from a retrospective examination of each company's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 300 records over the 3-year period immediately prior to data collection, were used to classify each job's back injury risk level. The analyses focused on the factors differentiating the high-risk jobs (those having had 12 or more back injuries/200,000 hr of exposure) from the low-risk jobs (those defined as having no back injuries in the preceding 3 years). Univariate analyses indicated that measures of load moment exposure and force application could distinguish between high (n = 15) and low (n = 15) back injury risk distribution center jobs. A three-factor multiple logistic regression model capable of predicting high-risk jobs with very good sensitivity (87%) and specificity (73%) ...
Effects of Institutional Climate and Culture on the Perceptions of the Working Environments of Public Community Colleges

Researchers have found that, although community colleges continue to remain gendered organizations, their climates and cultures are perceived to be more open to women than are their college and university peers. Community colleges may in fact still have the male orientation of the higher education system despite their efforts to be “gender-friendly” work environments. This study explored female noninstructional professional staff at public community colleges in the United States to determine if their perceptions of their institutions’ norms and practices supported a gender neutral and friendly working environment or if gendered norms and practices were occurring. Quantitative methods were used to analyze the data collected from 934 participants who responded to the researcher-developed survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the results. The findings of the study indicated that a majority of the participants perceived there to be demonstrated gender equality issues at their ins...
Slit Lamp Fluorophotometry

A slit lamp fluorometer is described which can be used to measure the tear volume and tear turnover rate. The instrument is made principally from commercially available components and is easy to operate. Preliminary results indicate that the fluorometer measurements are accurate, reliable, and can be applied to a clinical environment.
Correlates of Hypertension in Patients with AIDS in the Era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

Background: It is unclear whether HIV-related factors modify risk of hypertension (HTN). In a cohort of patients with AIDS, the authors determined HTN incidence and prevalence and assessed associated traditional, HIV-specific, and retinal vasculature factors.Methods: Prospective observational cohort included 2390 patients with AIDS (1998-2011). Univariate analysis was used to assess the impact of traditional- and AIDS-related risk factors for HTN prevalence and incidence. Multivariate regression analyses were used to evaluate the adjusted impact of these factors.Results: Hypertension prevalence was 22% (95% confidence interval [CI] 21%-24%) and was associated with traditional HTN risk factors (age, black race, and higher weight) as well as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, time since AIDS diagnosis, and higher CD4 counts. Hypertension incidence was 64.1 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 58.7/1000-69.9/1000). Age, race, weight, and diabetes were associated with incident HTN but HIV-specific factors were not.Conclusion...
Moral Memory: Why and How Moral Companies Manage Tradition

Recent research on the role of ethics in the organizational culture literature found practically the whole literature reduced to a debate between ethical rationalism and ethical relativism. The role of the past in the form of tradition to maintain and improve moral reflection is completely missing. To address this gap in the literature on the level of practice, the concepts of moral memory and moral tradition are applied to data on 22 companies that have long-standing moral practices. In this way, the practice of moral traditions can be explored with recent conceptual advances and a list of best practices delineated. Moral memory is the recollection of and attachment to the succession of past events and experiences that maintains moral tradition. Moral tradition is the continuing transmission and reception of related moral themes through multiple generations of employees. It is found that companies that maintain moral traditions tend to develop “family” cultures with considerable compassion for workers as persons who have non-economic needs and rights. These companies also temper the role of leadership, insisting that leaders are responsible for and are evaluated by the company’s moral traditions. Finally, moral traditions are essential mechanisms through which companies paradoxically both stimulate and limit competitive behavior.
Association of cellular retinol-binding protein and several lipid hydrolase activities with a vitamin A-containing high-molecular-weight lipid-protein aggregate from rat liver cytosol.

Abstract A fluorescent, high-molecular-weight, lipid-protein aggregate was partially isolated from the cytosol fraction of rat liver by gel filtration on columns of Sepharose 4B or 6B. This aggregate was composed of approximately equal parts of protein and of lipid (mainly triglycerides), and was found to contain approximately 19% of the total liver vitamin A (predominantly as retinyl esters). Most of the liver cellular retinol-binding protein (CRBP) was found associated with the fluorescent, lipid-protein aggregate, along with much of the retinyl palmitate hydrolase activity present in the liver cytosol. The lipid-protein aggregate, and its several vitamin A-related components, all displayed an apparent hydrated density between 1.052 and 1.090 in the ultracentrifuge. CRBP in association with the lipid-protein aggregate was not immunoreactive in the CRBP radioimmunoassay. CRBP was, however, released from this aggregate and rendered immunoreactive by addition of detergents (e.g., Triton X-100). Three other lipid hydrolytic activities were also found in association with the lipid-protein aggregate, namely, triolein, cholesteryl oleate, and dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine hydrolase activities. These several hydrolytic activities were all found to be stimulated optimally by the addition of either sodium cholate or bovine serum albumin. With the information available, it is not clear whether this lipid-protein aggregate is formed in vitro , during liver homogenization, or whether it represents a specific lipoprotein with a significant functional role that exists in vivo in the liver cell.
Raman scattering of light from a charge-density-wave (CDW) phonon in an anisotropic CDW superconductor

The probability of Raman scattering of light by a charge-density-wave (CDW) phonon is calculated for a model anisotropic system which exhibits coexistent CDW and superconducting characteristics. It is pointed out that in such a system both ordinary electron-phonon interactions and the modified Balseiro-Falicov interaction contribute to the Raman activity of the CDW phonon. The Raman spectrum obtained has features qualitatively similar to that of the renormalized spectral function of the CDW phonon previously discussed. However, the inclusion of the electron-photon vertices may considerably enhance the weight of the superconducting gap peak relative to the CDW amplitude mode. The polarizations of the incident and scattered light enter the expressions of the scattering probability, thus giving a natural explanation for the intensity difference of the gap peaks in the A and E modes observed in experiments by Sooryakumar and Klein on 2H-${\mathrm{NbSe}}_{2}$.
Motivational Considerations in the Study of Instruction

(1988). Motivational Considerations in the Study of Instruction. Cognition and Instruction: Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 289-309.
Participation in a parent training program for methadone clients

Programs for drug abusers are plagued by high rates of dropout. Because of the strong relationship between longer treatment and positive outcome, researchers have begun to study individual and program-specific factors that influence premature termination of treatment. For the most part, these studies have focused on dichotomous measures of dropout or number of sessions attended. In this article, we extend this line of research in two ways. First, we develop and measure a number of indicators of treatment participation based on therapist ratings. Second, we develop a model of treatment participation that employs both individual and program-specific factors. The data show that tremendous variation in participation occurred even among those who attended a majority of sessions, which highlights the importance of obtaining more elaborate measures of treatment participation. The model predicting treatment participation suggests that initiation of heroin use later in life, continued use of marijuana, and behavioral indicators of motivation are the strongest predictors of program participation. Research and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Social theory and the progressive era

Even the mass media have noticed that many of our current societal maladies are basically the same as those faced by Americans at the turn of the century: gross political corruption, corporate arrogance coupled with consumer impotence, environmental pollution and failed conservation, ethnic antagonism, pockets of acute poverty, and urban decay. Such recognition suggests that it is high time that scholars and laymen alike turned with renewed interest to comprehending what transpired during the early 1900's. The first two decades of the twentieth century constitute a crucial period in the development of the United States because, although the processes of urbanization and industrialization had begun well before 1900, it was only after the turn of the century that Americans first recognized and tried to grapple with the structural changes and problems wrought by those twin processes. Indeed, the period roughly spanning the years from 1900 to 1920 has been termed the "Progressive era" because of the extensive amount of thought and action directed at the ill effects of massive urbanization, industrialization, and immigration. It would seem that if we are to deal with these problems today, it would be wise to study how they were confronted yesterday. That is, before we can ask "what is to be done?" in the current context we must first undertake to understand "what has happened before."
Micromechanical analysis of effective properties of magneto-electro-thermo-elastic multilayer composites

Abstract An exact matrix method, originally proposed for evaluating effective elastic constants of generally anisotropic multilayer composites, is further developed for a micromechanical analysis of multilayers with various coupled physical effects including piezoelectricity, piezomagnetism, thermoelasticity (in consideration of entropy), and the Biot’s poroelasticity. The results for a BaTiO3–CoFe2O4 magneto-electro-thermo-elastic (METE) multilayer coincide with those calculated using other micromechanical models based on the Mori–Tanaka method and the asymptotic homogenization method. It is shown that the present method can efficiently handle the most general type of multilayers with an arbitrary number of general anisotropic layers. Analytical expressions for effective material properties of a transversely isotropic METE multilayer composite are derived, from which those for functionally graded METE multilayers can be directly obtained. The effects of crystallographic orientations and volume fractions of constituting layers on the magnetoelectric coefficients are investigated for BaTiO3–CoFe2O4 and LiNbO3–CoFe2O4 multilayer composites. It is thus demonstrated that the present model can be used for the layout/material optimization of these METE multilayers to obtain a maximum product property such as the magnetoelectric, pyroelectric, and pyromagnetic coefficients. It is also shown that the same method can be used to predict the effective properties of poroelastic multilayers.
Pharmacokinetics of pralidoxime chloride in the rat

The pharmacokinetics of pralidoxime chloride (2-PAM) was studied in rats. Different groups of rats were given an intramuscular injection of 2-PAM at one of three doses (20, 40, or 80 mg/kg). This range of doses is used commonly in studies concerned with the efficacy of 2-PAM against poisoning by potent organophosphorus inhibitors of cholinesterase enzyme. Individual, sequential blood samples were collected during the course of the experiment. From these blood samples the plasma concentrations of 2-PAM were determined over time for each animal. Next the relationship of plasma concentration to time was expressed in terms of a standard pharmacokinetic model. Estimates of various pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using an open, one-compartment model: volume of distribution (Vd), maximal plasma concentration (Cmax), elimination rate constant (k10), absorption rate constant (k01), area under the curve (AUC) and clearance (CL). Of the pharmacokinetic estimates, only Cmax and AUC were found to be statistically significant (p less than 0.0001) when compared across all the doses; these pharmacokinetic estimates were highly correlated with doses with r = 0.998 and r = 0.997, respectively. However, when AUC and Cmax were normalized by dividing through by dose, no significant differences were found in the transformed data. The results of this study in rat indicate that the pharmacokinetics of 2-PAM is linearly related to dose in a range employed in therapeutic studies of 2-PAM.
Using species-specific paleotemperature equations with foraminifera: a case study in the Southern California Bight

Abstract Species-specific paleotemperature equations were used to reconstruct a record of temperature from foraminiferal δ 18 O values over the last 25 kyr in the Southern California Bight. The equations yield similar temperatures for the δ 18 O values of Globigerina bulloides and Neogloboquadrina pachyderma . In contrast, applying a single paleotemperature equation to G. bulloides and N. pachyderma δ 18 O yields different temperatures, which has been used to suggest that these species record the surface-to-thermocline temperature gradient. In Santa Barbara Basin, an isotopically distinct morphotype of G. bulloides dominates during glacial intervals and yields temperatures that appear too cold when using a paleotemperature equation calibrated for the morphotype common today. When a more appropriate paleotemperature equation is used for glacial G. bulloides , we obtain more realistic glacial temperatures. Glacial–interglacial temperature differences (G–I Δ T ) calculated in the present study indicate significant cooling (∼8–10°C) throughout the Southern California Bight during the last glacial maximum (LGM). The magnitude of glacial cooling varies from ∼8°C near the middle of the Southern California Bight (Tanner Basin and San Nicolas Basin) to ∼9°C in the north (Santa Barbara Basin) and ∼9.5–10°C in the south (Velero Basin and No Name Basin). Our temperature calculations agree well with previous estimates based on the modern analog technique. In contrast, studies using N. pachyderma coiling ratios, U k′ 37 indices, and transfer functions estimate considerably warmer LGM temperatures and smaller G–I Δ T .
The 2010 Rankings of Chemical Education and Science Education Journals by Faculty Engaged in Chemical Education Research.

Faculty active in chemical education research from around the world ranked 22 journals publishing research in chemical education and science education. The results of this survey can be used to supplement impact factors that are often used to compare the quality of journals in a field. Knowing which journals those in the field rank as top tier is advantageous in academic environments that require researchers to publish often and for greatest impact.
Temporal hyperacuity in single neurons of electric fish

Behavioural studies have revealed that animals can resolve temporal disparities in the microsecond range1–4. This resolution is far superior to that of individual receptors, and it must therefore be achieved through central neuronal mechanisms. It is unclear, however, whether such sensitivity ever emerges at the level of single neurons, or whether it is apparent only at the behavioural level through the collective action of many less-sensitive neurons. We have found that single neurons in the pre-pacemaker nucleus of a weakly electric fish are sensitive to temporal disparities as small as 1 μs, the highest temporal sensitivity ever observed at the single-neuron level. The remarkable temporal resolution of these pre-pacemaker neurons results from a high degree of spatial convergence of afferent inputs. These neurons represent the final elements of a sensory hierarchy and directly control the jamming avoidance response by which these fish regulate the frequency of their electric organ discharges5–7.
Adsorption of spillover hydrogen atoms on single-wall carbon nanotubes.

Spillover of hydrogen on nanostructured carbons is a phenomenon that is critical to understand in order to produce efficient hydrogen storage adsorbents for fuel cell applications. The spillover and interaction of atomic hydrogen with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is the focus of this combined theoretical and experimental work. To understand the spillover mechanism, very low occupancies (i.e., 1 and 2 H atoms adsorbed) on (5,0), (7,0), (9,0) zigzag (semiconducting) SWNTs and a (5,5) armchair (metallic) SWNT, with corresponding diameters of 3.9, 5.5, 7.0, and 6.8 A, were investigated. The adsorption binding energy of H atoms depends on H occupancy, tube diameter, and helicity (or chirality), as well as endohedral (interior) vs exohedral (exterior) binding. Exohedral binding energies are substantially higher than endohedral binding energies due to easier sp2−sp3 transition in hybridization of carbon on exterior walls upon binding. A binding energy as low as −8.9 kcal/mol is obtained for 2H atoms on...
Ellipticity and deformations with discontinuous gradients in finite elastostatics

Loss of ellipticity of the equilibrium equations of finite elastostatics is closely related to the possible emergence of elastostatic shocks, i.e., deformations with discontinuous gradients. In certain situations where constitutive response functions are essentially one-dimentional, such as anti-plane shear or bar theories, strong ellipticity is closely related to convexity of the elastic potential and invertibility of certain constitutive response functions. The present work addresses the analogous issues within the context of three dimensional elastostatics of compressible but not necessarily isotropic hyperelastic materials. A certain direction-dependent resolution of the deformation gradient is introduced and its existence and uniqueness for a given direction are established. The elastic potential is expressed as a function of kinematic variables arising from this resolution. Strong ellipticity is shown to be equivalent to the positive definiteness of the Hessian matrix of this function, thus sufficing for its strict convexity. The underlying variables are interpretable physically as simple shears and extensions. Their work-conjugates define a traction response mapping. It is shown that discontinuous deformation gradients are sustainable if and only if this mapping fails to be invertible. This result is explicit, in the sense that it characterizes the set of all possible piecewise homogeneous deformations given the elastic potential function.
Analysis and modeling of thermal blooming compensation

The present evaluation of recent progress in the analysis and computer modeling of adaptive optics hardware applicable to compensation for thermal blooming gives attention to an analytical theory of phase-compensation instability (PCI) that incorporates the actuator geometry of real deformable mirrors, as well as to novel algorithms for computer simulation of adaptive optics hardware. An analytical formalism is presented which facilitates the quantitative analysis of the effects of the adaptive-optics control system on PCI, and leads to both a universality theorem for PCI growth rates and the realization that wind exerts a greater influence on PCI growth rates than previously suspected. The analysis and algorithms are illustrated by the results of the time-dependent adaptively-compensated laser propagation code for thermal blooming, MOLLY, which has been optimized for the Cray-2 supercomputer.
APH1, PEN2, and Nicastrin increase Aβ levels and γ-secretase activity

Abstract A major component of the amyloid plaque core in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the 40–42-residue amyloid β peptide (Aβ). Mutations linked to AD such as those in presenilins 1 (PS1) and 2 (PS2) invariably increase the longer Aβ42 species that forms neurotoxic oligomers. It is believed that PS1/2 constitute the catalytic subunit of the γ-secretase responsible for the final step in Aβ biogenesis. Recent genetic studies have identified a number of additional genes encoding APH1a, APH1b, PEN2, and Nicastrin proteins, which are part of the γ-secretase complex with PS1. Further, knockout studies using RNAi showed that these components are essential for γ-secretase activity. However, the nature of γ-secretase and how the aforementioned proteins regulate its activity are still incompletely understood. Here we present evidence that unlike PS1, overexpression of these proteins can increase the levels of Aβ, suggesting that these proteins are limiting for γ-secretase activity. In addition, our studies also suggest that the presenilin partners regulate the relative levels of Aβ40 and Aβ42.
Multiple-channel multicast scheduling for scalable bulk-data transport

A key technique for allowing servers to handle a large volume of requests for file transfers is to multicast the data to the set of requesting clients. Typically the paths from the server to the clients will be heterogeneous in bandwidth availability. Multiple-channel multicast (MCM) is an approach that can be used to handle this heterogeneity. In this approach the data is multicast over multiple channels, each addressed as a separate multicast group. Each receiver subscribes to a set of channels (i.e., joins the corresponding multicast groups) commensurate with its own rate capabilities. Of particular interest in the design of MCM schemes is the scheduling of data transmission across the multiple channels to accommodate asynchronous requests from clients. In this paper we present and analyze a new multiple-channel multicast approach called partition organization scheduling. The scheme is designed to result in good reception efficiency when compared to existing proposals while improving on their performance when other measures of interest are considered.
Patterns of metastatic spread in prepubertal yolk sac tumor of the testis.

AbstractOf the 212 patients with yolk sac tumors of the testis registered in the prepubertal testis tumor registry of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Section on Urology, we report on 33 who presented with metastatic disease. Metastases occurred to the retroperitoneum alone in 9 cases, sites consistent with hematogenous spread of disease alone in 13, sites consistent with lymphatic and hematogenous spread in 6, and sites not clearly documented in the registry in 5. These findings, which show a hematogenous predilection in the spread of metastases, suggest that retroperitoneal lymph node dissection has no routine role in the treatment of the child who presents with yolk sac tumor of the testis.
Differentially Expressed Wound Healing-Related microRNAs in the Human Diabetic Cornea

MicroRNAs are powerful gene expression regulators, but their corneal repertoire and potential changes in corneal diseases remain unknown. Our purpose was to identify miRNAs altered in the human diabetic cornea by microarray analysis, and to examine their effects on wound healing in cultured telomerase-immortalized human corneal epithelial cells (HCEC) in vitro. Total RNA was extracted from age-matched human autopsy normal (n=6) and diabetic (n=6) central corneas, Flash Tag end-labeled, and hybridized to Affymetrix® GeneChip® miRNA Arrays. Select miRNAs associated with diabetic cornea were validated by quantitative RT-PCR (Q-PCR) and by in situ hybridization (ISH) in independent samples. HCEC were transfected with human pre-miRTMmiRNA precursors (h-miR) or their inhibitors (antagomirs) using Lipofectamine 2000. Confluent transfected cultures were scratch-wounded with P200 pipette tip. Wound closure was monitored by digital photography. Expression of signaling proteins was detected by immunostaining and Western blot. Using microarrays, 29 miRNAs were identified as differentially expressed in diabetic samples. Two miRNA candidates showing the highest fold increased in expression in the diabetic cornea were confirmed by Q-PCR and further characterized. HCEC transfection with h-miR-146a or h-miR-424 significantly retarded wound closure, but their respective antagomirs significantly enhanced wound healing vs. controls. Cells treated with h-miR-146a or h-miR-424 had decreased p-p38 and p-EGFR staining, but these increased over control levels close to the wound edge upon antagomir treatment. In conclusion, several miRNAs with increased expression in human diabetic central corneas were found. Two such miRNAs inhibited cultured corneal epithelial cell wound healing. Dysregulation of miRNA expression in human diabetic cornea may be an important mediator of abnormal wound healing.
An empirical exploration of exchange-rate target-zones a comment

In this paper, Flood, Rose and Mathieson conduct an extensive empirical study of the so-called “target zone” model of exchange rates. This model delivers an intuitive message. Namely, when monetary policy keeps the exchange rate within particular bands, forward-looking expectations of this type of policy affect the behavior of exchange rates within the bands. In particular, market expectations can themselves help contain exchange rates within the target-zone. The authors focus upon the original (Krugman (1991)) version of this model that assumes three essential conditions. First, variables that affect demand and supply for foreign exchange follow a random walk within the band. Second, intervention to influence the exchange rate occurs only at the bands. Third, intervention occurs with probability one at the bands, i.e., market participants do not expect any realignments. The authors look for the relationship implied by this model by examining the European Monetary System primarily. They also examine evidence from other episodes such as the Bretton Woods and the Gold Standard period. For this purpose, they carry out different types of empirical analyses ranging from plots to explicit parametric tests. In the end, they find little empirical support for the prototype model and no systematic relationship across “regimes .” This exhaustive empirical study of the prototype target-zone model should influence future research in the a.rea. The Flood/Rose/Mathieson results in-
A model for compound action potentials and currents in a nerve bundle. I: The forward calculation.

We describe a model for the Compound Action Currents (CACs) and Compound Action Potentials (CAPs) produced by a peripheral nerve bundlein vitro. The Single Fiber Action Currents (SFACs) and the extracellular Single Fiber Action Potentials (SFAPs) are calculated using a generalized volume conduction model. Frequency-dependent conductivities, variations in the intracellular action potentials with recording temperature and axon conduction velocity, and the effects of axonal myelination are incorporated into the volume conduction calculation. We demonstrate how the propagation distance and the recording radius affect the simulated Compound Action Signals (CASs) of various nerve bundles. We also demonstrate how the frequency-dependent and-independent conductivities affect the CASs simulated by our model. For this simulation, some of the parameters for the nerve bundles and Conduction Velocity Distributions (CVDs) were obtained from the literature. In accompanying papers, we use the simulated CASs to investigate the effects of variations in the model parameters on the CVDs predicted by our inverse model.
Robust control of multi‐robot systems: The generalized energy accumulation approach

This paper is concerned with the control problem of a multi-robot system handling a common payload with unknown mass properties. Force constraints at the grasp points are considered. Robust control schemes are proposed to cope with the model uncertainty and achieve asymptotic path tracking. To deal with the force constraints, a strategy for optimally sharing the task is suggested. This strategy basically consists of two steps. The first is to detect the roots that need help and the second to arrange for help. It is shown that the overall system is robust to uncertain payload parameters, and satisfies the force constraints.
Abstract 1512: Sunitinib-induced metastasis is tumor dependent and is mediated by c-Met/HGF pathway

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Recent studies in several tumor models indicated that treatment with angiogenic inhibitors may trigger induction of metastasis to other organs. Here we investigated modes of resistance and invasion in several tumors including 4T1 (breast), H460 (lung) and Colo205 (colorectal) using sunitinib at doses comparable to clinically utilized regimen. In comparison with vehicle-treated tumors, sunitinib increased metastasis to lung in 4T1 tumors and to peritoneal lymph node in Colo205 tumors. However, the same treatment did not induce invasiveness in H460 tumors, further suggesting that accelerating metastasis during treatment with angiogenic inhibitors is tumor dependent. Interestingly, Crizotinib (a dual inhibitor of c-Met and ALK pathways) as single agent or in combination with sunitinib reduced metastasis in all models tested suggesting a role for c-Met/HGF pathway in intrinsic- or sunitinib-induced -metastasis. Moreover, ELISA data showed that while c-Met is highly enriched in tumor cells, HGF is secreted mainly by the stroma (mouse HGF) suggesting a paracrine fashion for c-Met pathway activation in the tumors. In conclusion, our findings indicate that sunitinib-induced metastasis is tumor dependent and further supports a rationale for combination of anti-angiogenesis and c-Met inhibition in the clinic. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1512. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1512
Confirmatory factor analytic models of the WAIS-R for neuropsychiatric patients.

Five multifactor models, in both orthogonal and oblique versions, and a single-factor model of the WAIS-R's factor pattern were examined by confirmatory maximum likelihood factor analyses of a data matrix constructed from the results for 90 neuropsychiatric patients. None of the models fits the data matrix in an absolute sense, even though all of the models represented an improvement over a null statistical model. For the multifactor models, the best results were obtained by oblique solutions, in which the degree of correlation between the factors varied from .71 to .93. The single-factor model fit nearly as well as, and in some instances better than, many of the multifactor models. The best-fitting model, viz., a three-factor oblique one, was only marginally better in its fit than two of the three two-factor models or the competing three-factor model.
Hepatitis C virus-like particles induce virus-specific humoral and cellular immune responses in mice.

Abstract We have recently described the production of hepatitis C virus–like particles (HCV-LPs) in insect cells that resemble the putative virions. Here we evaluate the humoral and cellular immunogenicity of the virus-like particles with or without viral p7 protein, a small viral polypeptide that resides between the structural and nonstructural regions of the HCV polyprotein and whose function has not been defined. Immunized BALB/c mice developed high titers of anti-E2 antibodies and virus-specific cellular immune responses including cytotoxic T lymphocytes and T helper responses with gamma interferon production. The virus-like particles without p7 generated a higher cellular immune response with a more T H 1 profile than the particles with p7. Immunization of heat-denatured particles resulted in substantially lower humoral and cellular responses, suggesting that the immunogenicity is strongly dependent on particle formation. Administration of CpG oligonucleotide or cationic lipid 3β-[N-(N',N'-dimethylaminoethane)carbamoyl]cholesterol (DC-Chol), two potent adjuvants, did not significantly enhance the immunogenicity of HCV-LPs. Our results indicate that HCV-LPs can induce humoral and cellular immune responses and offer a promising approach to vaccine development. (H EPATOLOGY 2001;34:417-423.)
Partying Before the Party Gets Started: The Effects of Descriptive Norms on Pregaming Behavior

Pregaming (consuming several alcoholic drinks prior to going to a bar or party) has become a common practice on many college campuses. We propose that students often rely on descriptive norms when making decisions about pregaming. In Study 1, we provided undergraduate students with norm information indicating that relatively few college students regularly engage in pregaming behavior. Female students receiving this information engaged in pregaming significantly less often the following week than female students who received no norm information. The rate of pregaming among male students was not affected by the norm information. The effect of norm information on pregaming was replicated in Study 2 using only female students. In addition, providing information about gender-specific norms had a greater impact on pregaming behavior than presenting norm data for the general student body only. The findings indicate that descriptive norms play an important role in pregaming behavior and suggest avenues for interv...
Measurements of the ambient photoelectron spectrum from atmosphere explorer: II. AE-E measurements from 300 to 1000 km during solar minimum conditions

Abstract The ambient photoelectron spectrum above 300 km has been measured for a sample of 500 AE-E orbits during the period 13 December 1975 to 24 February 1976 corresponding to solar minimum conditions. The 24 h average and maximum ΣKp were 19 and 35, respectively. The photoelectron flux above 300 km was found to have an intensity and energy spectrum characteristic of the 250–300 km production region only when there was a low plasma density at the satellite altitude. Data taken at local times up to 3 h after sunrise were of this type and the escaping flux was observed to extend to altitudes above 900 km with very little modification, as predicted by several theoretical calculations. The flux at high altitudes was found to be extremely variable throughout the rest of the day, probably as a result of attenuation and energy loss to thermal plasma along the path of the escaping photoelectrons. This attenuation was most pronounced where the photoelectrons passed through regions of high plasma density associated with the equatorial anomaly. At altitudes of 600 km, the photoelectron fluxes ranged from severely attenuated to essentially unaltered—depending on the specific conditions, Photoelectron fluxes from conjugate regions were often less attenuated than those observed arriving from the high density regions immediately below. Comparison of the observed attenuations, photoelectron line broadening, and energy loss due to coulomb scattering from the thermal plasma with rough calculations based on stopping power and transmission coefficients of thermal plasma for fast electrons yielded order of magnitude agreement—satisfactory in view of the large number of assumptions necessary for the calculations. Overall, the impression of the high altitude photoelectron flux which emerges from this work is that the fluxes are extremely variable as a consequence of interactions with the thermal plasma whose density is in turn affected by electrodynamic and neutral wind processes in the underlying F region.
A novel N-terminal splice variant of the rat H+-K+-ATPase α2 subunit. Cloning, functional expression, and renal adaptive response to chronic hypokalemia

The H+-K+-ATPase of renal collecting duct mediates K+ conservation during chronic hypokalemia. K+ deprivation promotes H+-K+-ATPase α2 (HKα2) gene expression in the medullary collecting duct, the principal site of active K+ reabsorption, suggesting that this isozyme contributes to renal K+ reclamation. We report here that alternative transcriptional initiation and mRNA splicing give rise to distinct N-terminal variants of the HKα2 subunit. Sequence analysis and in vitro translation revealed that HKα2a corresponds to the known HKα2 cDNA (Crowson, M. S., and Shull, G. E. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 13740–13748), whereas HKα2b represents a novel variant truncated by 108 amino acids at its N terminus. HKα2b mRNA contains a complex 5′-untranslated region with eight upstream open reading frames, features implicated in translational regulation of other genes. Heterologous expression of HKα2b with and without the gastric H+-K+-ATPase β subunit in HEK 293 cells indicated that this variant encodes a K+ uptake mechanism that is relatively Sch 28080-resistant, partially sensitive to ouabain, and appears to require coexpression with the gastric H+-K+-ATPase β subunit for optimal functional activity. Northern analysis demonstrated that both subtypes (HKα2b > HKα2a) are expressed abundantly in distal colon and modestly in proximal colon and kidney. Moreover, the abundance of the two mRNAs increases coordinately among the renal zones, but not in colon, with chronic K+ deprivation. These results demonstrate the potential for complex control of HKα2 gene expression by transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms not recognized in other members of the Na+-K+-ATPase/H+-K+-ATPase family.
Broadening the Definition of Unlawful Retaliation Under Title VII

Title VII retaliation cases have become a larger part of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) caseload, and this development should be a growing concern for business. By addressing the question of exactly when a prohibited retaliatory action has been taken against an employee, the United States Supreme Court’s June 2006 decision in Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co. v. Sheila White ended a significant disagreement among the various appellate courts on the issue. The Supreme Court answered two specific questions regarding retaliation for raising a claim of sexual discrimination. First, the Court decided that the retaliatory conduct need not take place within the employment setting; and, second, it held that a materially adverse action requires only that a reasonable employee would be deterred from making, filing, or supporting a claim of workplace discrimination to the EEOC, the courts, or the employer. Employers need to revise and update their internal policies and procedures to ensure that their firms comply with these new standards.