cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kompromittierung durch additive Cerclagen

Die Therapie der Humerusschaftfraktur ist vielfaltig und oft problematisch. Neben der konservativen Therapie konkurrieren Marknagel- und Plattenosteosynthese miteinander; bislang existiert kein Goldstandard. Aus biomechanischen Uberlegungen bieten sich fur die Versorgung von Spiralfrakturen additive Cerclagen an. Die Argumente gegen deren Verwendung sind zum einen die Gefahr von Radialislasionen, zum anderen eine mutmasliche Storung der Fragmentdurchblutung. Ziel dieser Studie ist die Analyse sekundarer Radialislasionen bei der Anwendung additiver, limitiert invasiver Cerclagen bei der antegraden Nagelosteosynthese von Humerusschaftfrakturen. In dieser retrospektiven Studie erfolgen die klinische und die neurologische Untersuchung von 102 Patienten, welche im Zeitraum von 5 Jahren bei einer Humerusschaftfraktur operativ versorgt wurden. Insgesamt wurden zur Marknagelosteosynthese 193 Cerclagen durch einen limitiert invasiven Zugang eingebracht. Bei 4 Patienten (3,9 %) zeigte sich eine sekundare Radialislasion im Rahmen der operativen Stabilisierung. Die neurophysiologische und neurosonographische Untersuchung zeigten in keinem Fall eine Kompromittierung des Nerven durch Einschlingen oder gar Durchtrennung durch die additive Cerclage. Zwei Nervenlasionen erholten sich innerhalb von 3 bzw. 6 Monaten spontan. In den anderen 2 Fallen konnte der Verlauf aufgrund eines Exitus letalis nicht uber 12 Monate dokumentiert werden. Mit 3,9 % der iatrogenen Radialislasionen liegt die Rate an Nervenlasionen im unteren Bereich dessen, was in der Literatur fur die operative Therapie von Humerusschaftfrakturen beschrieben wird (3–12 %). Durch die limitiert invasive, additive Cerclage ergibt sich somit kein erhohtes Risiko fur die iatrogene Schadigung des N. radialis.
A census tract level analysis of urban sprawl's effects on economic mobility in the United States

Abstract Researchers highlight the importance of urban form and sprawling development patterns as determinants of economic mobility in the United States. However, the relationship is complex because sprawl affects other variables too, which themselves may affect upward mobility. This study uses a structural equation model to estimate the direct and indirect effects of urban sprawl, and related components of the built environment, on mobility at the census tract level. The results suggest that compactness has a positive direct effect on mobility, but an overall negative indirect effect on mobility through the tested mediating factors. Hence, there are both positive and negative side-effects associated with compactness in regards to economic mobility. In light of these findings, this paper recommends policies, programs, and procedures for the planning community to aid in alleviating the negative consequences of sprawl on economic mobility, while maintaining the positive ones.
‘Passed by Unnoticed’: Surveillance and the Street Urchin in Wilkie Collins’s The Moonstone

Critical studies of Wilkie Collins’s 1868 novel The Moonstone have tended to overlook the character of Gooseberry, a street urchin who becomes the protege of Sergeant Cuff and who plays a crucial role in discovering the location of the eponymous missing diamond in the final chapters of the novel. Amit draws on contemporary social reform writing by Henry Mayhew and Mary Carpenter that highlights the criminal potential of working boys in London to argue that Collins posits crime solving as a form of social rehabilitation for the street urchin’s delinquent potential and a productive use of his ubiquitous presence in the urban landscape. But while Gooseberry first seems to fit neatly within the framework of law enforcement, soon his ‘irrepressible’ gaze threatens to transgress its boundaries, while his status as a child calls into question the ethics of the work he is recruited into (Collins 1868: 213).
Stress and Coping in Youth With Spina Bifida: A Brief Longitudinal Study in a Summer Camp Setting.

Introduction It is well established that youth with chronic conditions experience elevated levels of stress; the manner in which they respond to or cope with this stress is likely to impact both health and psychosocial outcomes. The current study examined stress and coping in youth and young adults with spina bifida (SB) using the response to stress questionnaire-SB version (RSQ-SB; Connor-Smith et al., 2000). Methods Data were collected as part of a camp-based psychosocial intervention for children (ages 7-13), adolescents (ages 14-19), and young adults (ages 20-38) with SB. Participants completed the RSQ-SB as well as questionnaires assessing demographics and condition severity. Data were collected prior to camp (T1) and 1 month (T2) after camp ended. Self-report data were collected from adolescents and young adults; parents of children and adolescents reported on their child's stress and coping. Ratios of primary control coping, secondary control coping, disengagement coping, involuntary engagement, and involuntary disengagement coping were calculated. Descriptive statistics and t-tests were utilized to describe coping and stress responses and to determine potential change over time. T-tests were also used to compare youth and parent reported coping styles with those of youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and sickle cell disease (SCD). Associations between demographic/disease factors and coping styles were also examined. Results Parent and youth report indicated that youth with SB tend to use primary control coping. Youth with SB use more primary control coping and less disengagement coping compared to youth with SCD and youth with T1D. Few significant changes in coping were found between T1 and T2. IQ and socioeconomic status were significantly associated with coping styles. Conclusion Youth with SB use more primary control coping compared to other coping methods and as compared to other pediatric populations. Future studies should examine mechanisms by which primary control coping is advantageous for youth with SB. Future interventions should be more focused on promoting adaptive coping behaviors and be tailored to developmental age and access to resources.
Regulation of Blos1 by IRE1 prevents the accumulation of Huntingtin protein aggregates

Abstract Huntington’s Disease is characterized by accumulation of the aggregation-prone mutant Huntingtin (mHTT) protein. Here, we show that expression of mHTT in mouse cultured cells activates IRE1, the transmembrane sensor of stress in the endoplasmic reticulum, leading to degradation of the Blos1 mRNA and repositioning of lysosomes and late endosomes toward the microtubule organizing center. Overriding Blos1 degradation results in accumulation of larger mHTT aggregates and increased cell death. Although mHTT is degraded by macroautophagy when highly expressed, we show that prior to the formation of large aggregates, mHTT is degraded via an ESCRT-dependent, endosomal microautophagy pathway. This pathway is enhanced by Blos1 degradation and appears to protect cells from a toxic, less aggregated form of mHTT. Condensed title Blos1 regulation protects from Huntingtin protein aggregation
Cutaneous reactive angiomatosis associated with intravascular cryoprotein deposition as the presenting finding in a patient with underlying lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma: A case report and review of the literature.

Cutaneous reactive angiomatosis, a group of disorders defined by benign vascular proliferation, is associated with a number of systemic processes, including intravascular occlusion by cryoproteins. We report a case of a 64-year-old female patient who presented with a one-year history of non-tender petechiae of the bilateral arms and lower legs. Dermoscopic evaluation showed increased vascularity with a globular pattern. Over a period of months, her findings progressed to erythematous to violaceous plaques with admixed hypopigmented stellate scarring of the bilateral lower extremities, forearms, and lateral neck. Biopsy showed increased thin-walled, small dermal blood vessels with focal inter-anastamosis. Some vessels were occluded by eosinophilic globules suspicious for cryoprotein. Subsequent laboratory studies confirmed a diagnosis of type 1 cryoglobulinemia, prompting a bone marrow biopsy that revealed lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. Herein we report the fourth case of angiomatosis secondary to intravascular cryoproteins as the initial presentation of an underlying hematologic malignancy. We also present a review of the literature and emphasize the need for thorough initial work-up and close and prolonged clinical monitoring for underlying systemic disease in these patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Gene regulation networks: a theory for their global structure and behaviors.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes that at least some of the tasks the integrated gene control system seems to accomplish are:, (1) to develop a theory that allows to see some ways that controls the system, might work, (2) to discuss the implications of the theory for the kinds of control functions that the molecular mechanisms that regulate transcription, translation, and enzyme activation might follow and that would yield systems whose global behavior is as orderly as cells, (3) to evaluate several predictions from the theory, and (4) to attempt to find the various empirical approaches to test them. The emphasis of the chapter is on the urgent need for theories about the ways, in which integrated genetic control systems might function.
Sensitivity Analysis of Best Management Practices Under Climate Change Scenarios1

Woznicki, Sean A. and A. Pouyan Nejadhashemi, 2011. Sensitivity Analysis of Best Management Practices Under Climate Change Scenarios. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(1): 90-112. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00598.x Abstract: Understanding the sensitivity of best management practices (BMPs) implementation as climate changes will be important for water resources management. The objective of this study was to determine how the sensitivity of BMPs performance vary due to changes in precipitation, temperature, and CO2 using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. Sediment, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus loads on an annual and monthly basis were estimated before and after implementation of eight agricultural BMPs for different climate scenarios. Downscaled climate change data were obtained from the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate System Model for the Tuttle Creek Lake watershed in Kansas and Nebraska. Using a relative sensitivity index, native grass, grazing management, and filter strips were determined to be the most sensitive for all climate change scenarios, whereas porous gully plugs, no-tillage, and conservation tillage were the least sensitive on an annual basis. The monthly sensitivity analysis revealed that BMP sensitivity varies largely on a seasonal basis for all climate change scenarios. The results of this research suggest that the majority of agricultural BMPs tested in this study are significantly sensitive to climate change. Therefore, caution should be exercised in the decision-making processes.
Embodied Conversational Agents: Social or Nonsocial?

Since the advent of radio, we are accustomed to hearing disembodied human voices from devices. If system designers use an embodied conversational agent (ECA) as the interface to their system, they select either a human or a synthetic voice. One prior research study shows that pairing a synthetic face with a natural voice is problematic for users. Another study showed users perceive high-quality synthetic voices as nearly equal to professional voice talent. The incongruence between the verbal and nonverbal channels of an ECA has a negative effect on ECA users. This study will demonstrate that task type (low affect-infusion vs. High affect-infusion) has an unexplored impact on the social requirements of an ECA, and that cognitive effort and trust may provide greater perceived value for high affect-infusion tasks.
Asociación entre los ambientes escolares y las actitudes de apoyo hacia la violencia en estudiantes colombianos

En el presente estudio se explora si los estudiantes que atienden instituciones con ambientes escolares de cuidado, en orden y abiertos a la participacion estudiantil, demuestran tener menos actitudes de apoyo a la violencia que los estudiantes que atienden instituciones educativas con ambientes que exhiben poco orden, poco cuidado y poca apertura a la participacion, despues de controlar por variables demograficas e institucionales. Se usan los datos piloto de la prueba Saber 2012 en competencias ciudadanas y modelos de regresiones multinivel con interceptos aleatorios para predecir las actitudes de apoyo a la violencia de 253 estudiantes a partir de los ambientes escolares en que estudian, tal y como fueron descritos por un grupo independiente de 274 pares en 39 instituciones educativas. Los resultados indican que las actitudes de apoyo a la violencia tienen una relacion negativa, moderada y estadisticamente significativa con los ambientes de cuidado (p<.001), positiva, moderada y estadisticamente significativa con los ambiente en orden (p=.01) y ninguna relacion aparente con los ambientes escolares abiertos a la participacion estudiantil. Despues de construir una tipologia de cuatro ambientes prototipicos cruzando las caracteristicas de cuidado y orden, se observa que los estudiantes en ambientes autoritarios exhiben las actitudes mas altas de apoyo a la violencia del grupo, seguidos por los estudiantes en ambientes negligentes, autoritativos, y por ultimo, con el puntaje mas bajo, los estudiantes en ambientes permisivos. Se discuten las implicaciones de estudio para la practica, asi como limitaciones e investigaciones futuras.
Roig: de canto a canto

Entre los dos cantos de la existencia humana -mocedad y vejezse tensa la evocacion del "mal querer" pasado en la juventud reavivado desde el otro extremo, desde la vejez. Por eso el enfoque de los acontecimientos narrados -anecdotas-, sucesos breves, briznas de vida algo desleidases el paso del tiempo (un personaje comenta alli a otro que propone cambiar el mobiliario de una habitacion: "Espera un poco ... espera que pase el tiempo"), condicion imprescindible de toda reminiscencia que enrojece, por ultima vez, los rescoldos mal apagados del brasero amoroso.
Flow blocks as a conceptual bridge between understanding the structure and behavior of a complex causal system

Complexity exists in the world all around us. While it has garnered the focus of scientists in forms such as quantum mechanics and chaos theory, complexity also exists in the every day world. For instance, in order to understand the transmission of a common cold, one needs to understand probabilistic causation, branching causal patterns, and distributed agency. In this paper we argue that students need opportunities to learn the causal concepts related to complexity and we review research in support of this assertion. We introduce a set of materials called "Flow Blocks" that are designed to give children the opportunity to explore complex causal relationships and their analogical relationships to real world systems. We go on to share exploratory research that we conducted using Flow Blocks and to discuss what the finding suggest for learning about the nature of complexity.
Small Zeros of Quadratic Forms over the Algebraic Closure of Q

Let $N \geq 2$ be an integer, $F$ a quadratic form in $N$ variables over $\bar{\mathbb Q}$, and $Z \subseteq \bar{\mathbb Q}^N$ an $L$-dimensional subspace, $1 \leq L \leq N$. We prove the existence of a small-height maximal totally isotropic subspace of the bilinear space $(Z,F)$. This provides an analogue over $\bar{\mathbb Q}$ of a well-known theorem of Vaaler proved over number fields. We use our result to prove an effective version of Witt decomposition for a bilinear space over $\bar{\mathbb Q}$. We also include some related effective results on orthogonal decomposition and structure of isometries for a bilinear space over $\bar{\mathbb Q}$. This extends previous results of the author over number fields. All bounds on height are explicit.
Doping modulated amorphous semiconductors

Amorphous semiconductor doping superlattices consisting of alternating layers of n‐type and p‐type doped r.f. glow discharge deposited hydrogenated silicon have been prepared using a closed two‐chamber system. After very brief light exposure we observed large excess conductivities that persisted for many days but could be removed by annealing above 450 °K. These are explained in terms of Dohler’s model of charge separation by the internal fields. The photoluminescence peak of the npnp.... films is blue‐shifted with respect to the peak positions of the n‐type and p‐type films.
Determinants of the willingness to endorse assisted suicide a survey of physicians, nurses, and social workers

The authors surveyed 1,137 physicians, nurses, and social workers (overall response = 48%) to characterize the willingness to endorse assisted suicide. Willingness to endorse varied among disciplines and was negatively correlated with level of religious belief (r = -0.35, P < 0.0001), knowledge of symptom management (r = -0.21, P < 0.0001), and time managing symptoms (r = -0.21, P < 0.0001). On multivariate analysis, the significant predictors were lesser religious belief (P < 0.0001), greater concern about analgesic toxicity (P = 0.001), diminished empathy (P = 0.03), lesser knowledge of symptom management (P < 0.04), and the interaction between religious belief and knowledge of symptom management (P = 0.04). Professionals' attitudes toward assisted suicide are influenced by diverse personal attributes, among which may be competence in symptom management and burnout.
A Review of: “Putting Voters in Their Place: Geography and Elections in Great Britain”

Ron Johnston and Charles Pattie are among the most recognized experts in electoral geography, particularly as such work pertains to the United Kingdom. Over the past decade alone they have produced...
Stability of natural convection flow in a tall vertical enclosure under non-Boussinesq conditions

Abstract We have examined the linear stability of the fully developed natural convection flow in a differentially heated tall vertical enclosure under non-Boussinesq conditions. The three-dimensional analysis of the stability problem was reduced to a two-dimensional one by the use of Squire's theorem. The resulting eigenvalue problem was solved using an integral Chebyshev collocation method. The influence of non-Boussinesq effects on the stability was studied. We have investigated the dependence of the critical Rayleigh number on the temperature difference. The results show that two different modes of instability are possible, one of which is new and due entirely to non-Boussinesq effects. Both types of instability are oscillatory, and the critical disturbance wave speed is zero only in the Boussinesq limit.
Resistance towards exonucleases of dinucleotides with stereochemically altered internucleotide phosphate bonds.

Abstract Kinetic constants for the hydrolytic susceptibility of the internucleotide phosphate bond in normal dinucleotides [e.g., 2′-deoxycytidylyl-(3′>5′)-2′-deoxyuridine (dCpdU) and 2′-deoxyadenylyl-(3′→5′)-2′-deoxycytidine (dApdC)] and isomeric dinucleotides [e.g., 2′-deoxycytidylyl-(3′→5′)-1′-deoxy-2′-isouridine (dCpisodU) and 1′-deoxy-2′-isoadenylyl-(3′→5′)-2′-deoxycytidine (isodApdC)], toward 5′- and 3′-exonucleases, phosphodiesterase I (PDE I) and phosphodiesterase II (PDE II) were experimentally determined and remarkable differences emerged. The study is of importance in the discovery of nuclease-stable inhibitors of HIV integrase, but may also have ramifications in the area of anti-sense oligonucleotides of therapeutic interest.
An Energy-Efficient Adaptive Sensing Framework for Gait Monitoring Using Smart Insole

Gait analysis is an important process to gauge human motion. Recently, longitudinal gait analysis received much attention from the medical and healthcare domains. The challenge in studies over extended time periods is the battery life. Due to the continuous sensing and computing, wearable gait devices cannot fulfill a full-day work schedule. In this paper, we present an energy-efficient adaptive sensing framework to address this problem. Through presampling for content understanding, a selective sensing and sparsity-based signal reconstruction method is proposed. In particular, we develop and implement the new sensing scheme in a smart insole system to reduce the number of samples, while still preserving the information integrity of gait parameters. Experimental results show the effectiveness of our method in data point reduction. Our proposed method improves the battery life to 10.47 h, while normalized mean square error is within 10%.
Plankton: Its chemical composition and its significance as a source of pelagic sediments

Abstract The absolute concentrations of minor and trace elements vary considerably in plankton. However, normalization of elemental abundances versus the minor elements Fe, Al and Zn (instead of the commonly used normalization versus seawater concentrations) demonstrates that these elements show remarkably constant proportions vis a vis each other. Thus, Ti, Fe, Al, Mn, V, and Zr occur in marine lower organisms in the same proportions as in the average shale, whereas Ba, Cr, Cu, Ni, Cd, Pb, Zn and B are enriched relative to the shale abundances, as are also Ca, Mg, Na, K, and Sr. These patterns appear to suggest that marine plankton are rich in lithogenic matter, but this is probably not the normal case. Contrary to the uniformity of plankton, sediments from the Pacific vary considerably in composition. Under the Equatorial high-productivity region the sediments show striking similarities with a mixture of average shale and average plankton mass, as could be expected, whereas sediments from the East Pacific Rise differ considerably from such mixtures. An iron—manganese phase (of deep-seated origin?), mixed with biological matter, on the other hand, yields model sediments with remarkable similarities to the East Pacific Rise deposits. It is therefore likely that biological processes account for a considerable fraction of some elements such as Cu, Ni, Zn and Ba also in the East Pacific Rise metalliferous sediments.
Selecting selectivities and the neuropharmacology of antidepressant drug action A commentary

Scientific Advisor: David B. Bylund, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Scientific Reviewers: Solomon H. Snyder, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; and Frederick Petty, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Breakthroughs in Bioscience Committee: David L. Brautigan, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Tony T. Hugli, Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, San Diego, California, USA; Richard G. Lynch, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Mary Lou King, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA; and Loraine Oman-Ganes, American Society of Human Genetics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Breakthroughs in Bioscience Production Staff: Science Policy Committee Chair, John A. Smith, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Managing Editor, Carrie D. Wolinetz, FASEB Office of Public Affairs; and Suzanne Price, FASEB Office of Public Affairs. Thanks to Margaret Crane, who greatly contributed to the early stages of this project.
Enamel: A magnetic thermometer useful into the millidegree region

The static, temperature-dependent magnetization of enameled niobium wire was measured and found to explain the background signal present in previous experiments. The enamel itself shows great promise as a magnetic thermometer useful into the millidegree range.
Apoptosis Triggered by 1-O-Octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine Is Prevented by Increased Expression of CTP:Phosphocholine Cytidylyltransferase

A HeLa cell line was constructed for the regulation of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CCT) expression via a tetracycline-responsive promoter to test the role of CCT in apoptosis triggered by exposure of cells to the antineoplastic phospholipid 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine (ET-18-OCH3). Basal CCT expression in the engineered HeLa cell line was the same as in control HeLa cells lines, and CCT activity and protein were elevated 25-fold following 48 h of induction with doxycycline. Increased CCT expression prevented ET-18-OCH3-induced apoptosis. Acylation of exogenous lysophosphatidylcholine circumvented the requirement for CCT activity by providing an alternate route to phosphatidylcholine, and heightened CCT expression and lysophosphatidylcholine supplementation were equally effective in reversing the cytotoxic effect of ET-18-OCH3. Neither CCT overexpression nor lysophosphatidylcholine supplementation allowed the HeLa cells to proliferate in the presence of ET-18-OCH3, indicating that the cytostatic property of ET-18-OCH3 was independent of its effect on membrane phospholipid synthesis. These data provide compelling genetic evidence to support the conclusion that the interruption of phosphatidylcholine synthesis at the CCT step by ET-18-OCH3 is the primary physiological imbalance that accounts for the cytotoxic action of the drug.
Numerical modeling of spatially-variable precipitation and passive margin escarpment evolution

Abstract Passive margin escarpments are long-lasting landforms which can remain steep and high over tens of millions of years. Precipitation variability has seldom been considered as a contributor to passive margin escarpment evolution. However, large and distinct variability in precipitation rates with elevation is observed in mountainous landscapes. We assess the potential impacts of spatially variable precipitation on passive margin escarpment evolution with a numerical model that couples a simple elevation-dependent precipitation rule with the CASCADE surface processes model and a simple flexural uplift model. Modeled topography is more sensitive to the elevation of the precipitation maximum than to the effective elastic thickness of the lithosphere. If precipitation is maximized at the escarpment crest, the escarpment decreases in elevation, slope and proximity to the coast more rapidly than if precipitation is focused at low elevations. Low elevation precipitation maxima contribute to increasing escarpment slope over time and preservation of a high-elevation escarpment. Using Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation radar data, we establish precipitation/elevation relationships at high-elevation passive margins across the tropics and document the occurrence of patterns similar to those included in our model. Despite uncertainty as to the robustness of precipitation patterns and the simplified tectonic and geomorphic framework of our model we conclude that spatial variability in precipitation is a potentially significant contributor to passive margin escarpment evolution.
Configuration of Project Steering Committees and Their Role in Project Implementation Insights from Case Study Data

In this paper we analyze the role and the structure of steering committees for the management of projects. The impact of steering committees on the single project is not well understood. To date only few studies analyze steering committees and their focus is on understanding the organizational effectiveness rather than their effect on the single project level. In two in depth cases studies we analyze the configuration and the specific functions of steering committees. In both organizations steering committees play an important role in the selection and initiation, definition and control of projects. In many interviews, project managers perceived the existence of a project steering committee only when the context was defined and clarified in terms of what it meant to be a committee. This may answer the question why project steering committees were not directly analyzed.
Molecular Modeling and Site-directed Mutagenesis Define the Catalytic Motif in Human γ-Glutamyl Hydrolase

Human γ-glutamyl hydrolase (hGH) is a central enzyme in folyl and antifolylpoly-γ-glutamate metabolism, which functions by catalyzing the cleavage of the γ-glutamyl chain of substrates. We previously reported that Cys-110 is essential for activity. Using the sequence of hGH as a query, alignment searches of protein data bases were made using the SSearch and TPROBE programs. Significant similarity was found between hGH and the glutamine amidotransferase type I domain of Escherichia colicarbamoyl phosphate synthetase. The resulting hypothesis is that the catalytic fold of hGH is similar to the folding of this domain in carbamoyl phosphate synthetase. This model predicts that Cys-110 of hGH is the active site nucleophile and forms a catalytic triad with residues His-220 and Glu-222. The hGH mutants C110A, H220A, and E222A were prepared. Consistent with the model, mutants C110A and H220A were inactive. However, the Vmax of the E222A hGH mutant was reduced only 6-fold relative to the wild-type enzyme. The model also predicted that His-171 in hGH may be involved in substrate binding. The H171N hGH mutant was found to have a 250-fold reducedVmax. These studies to determine the catalytic mechanism begin to define the three dimensional interactions of hGH with poly-γ-glutamate substrates.
Why Should Our Students Study Animal Behavior

Studying animal behavior in the classroom is an excellent way to teach the nature and process of science. As a discipline, animal behavior is particularly well suited to facilitate integrative study and encourage students to make curricular connections. Students' focus can move readily from the organismal view "up" to the animal in its ecosystem or "down" to the molecular level as they investigate topics in animal behavior. Studying animal behavior is an excellent way to demonstrate the continuity of life and allow students to challenge their assumptions about nonhuman animals. "Why" questions serve to reinforce the role of evolution as a shaper of animal behavior and challenge students to move beyond Lamarckian explanations. Can animals make choices? Are all choices equally "good" (i.e., adaptive) ones? What do you mean when you say an animal is "smart"? What does it mean to learn? Do all members of a species behave the same way under similar circumstances? Collecting behavioral data necessitates the naming of behaviors, and the challenge for students is to …
Fatigue-loaded fiber optic strain gauges performance in reinforced concrete structures

This paper reports the performance of short gage length optical fiber sensors embedded in a reinforced concrete specimen for the quantitative measurement of periodic strain. We report the use of practical, short gage length relative and absolute strain sensors for the measurement of strain in a reinforced concrete specimen. Both types of fiber sensors were attached to steel reinforcement rods prior to filling with concrete, and were collocated with conventional foil strain gages to allow direct comparison of output signals. The relative fiber sensors were of the extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric type operating at a wavelength of 1300 nm and the absolute strain sensors used wavelength information to measure absolute strain. The results of this work show that such optical fiber elements may be considered for long term quantitative evaluation of civil structure components.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Design of a High Yielding Photonic Light Delivery System to be Used in Photodynamic Therapy for Esophageal Cancer, With Microwave Antenna Imprinted Balloon Catheter for Oxygen Enhancement

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive treatment with high effectiveness in the management of cancer of the upper gastrointestinal tract. A higher mortality rate associated with surgery and the higher morbidity in the older age group both make PDT a better treatment method for the treatment of esophageal cancer [1–3]. However, limitations in the best docimetry protocols performance of PDT are due to ineffectiveness of the light delivery and in the unavailability of sufficient oxygen required for singlet oxygen generation to bring cellular death [4–7]. The Introduction of an inexpensive high power semiconductor diode lasers for the light delivery system makes PDT efficient, low cost and portable [8–10]. However, the metallic water cooling systems used in the existing semiconductor cooling designs make those systems non-flexible and cumbersome in size [9].Copyright © 2006 by ASME
122 EXPRESSION OF DIRECTLY TRANSFERRED GENES IN SKELETAL AND CARDIAC MUSCLE OF NORMAL RODENTS AND DYSTROPHIC (MDX) MICE IN VIVO

Skeletal and cardiac muscles of rodents are able to take up and express directly injected plasmids containing reporter genes such as luciferase (pRSVL), E. coli B-galactosidase (pRSVLac-z). After injection of pRSVLac-z DNA into heart or skeletal muscle muscle, gene expression was localized histochemically to cardiocytes or myocytes, respectively. Seven days after injection of pRSVL DNA, luciferase activity (mean±SE×103 light units per ug DNA injected) was 1325±287 in normal mouse skeletal muscle, 1543±407 in mdx skeletal muscle, 3015±1295 in rat cardiac muscle. After injection of pRSVL, gene expression was present in cardiac and mdx skeletal muscle for only 1 month while it persisted in normal skeletal muscle for one year. Gene expression was stable in cardiac muscle of athymic and ciclosporin treated rats for at least 2 months that suggest the role of immune response in heart. Rapid turnover of myofibers in mdx muscle can explain the instability of gene expression. Direct transfer of genes into muscle has applications for gene therapy. (*Pres.inst.:Dept. of Ped. Univ. of Pecs, Hungary)
Performance Analysis of Linear Cooperative Multi-Hop Networks Subject to Composite Shadowing-Fading

We consider a cooperative multi-hop line network, where a group of nodes cooperatively transmits the same message to another group of nodes, and model the transmission from one group to another as a discrete-time quasi-stationary Markov process. We derive the transition probability matrix of the Markov chain by considering the wireless channel exhibiting composite shadowing-fading. The shadowing is modeled as a log-normal random variable (RV) and the multipath fading as a Rayleigh RV, where the multiplicative model for the mixture distribution known as Suzuki (Rayleigh-lognormal) distribution has been considered. The sum distribution of the multiple Suzuki RVs is approximated by a single log-normal RV by using the moment generating function (MGF)-based technique. This MGF-based technique uses Gauss-Hermite integration to present the sum distribution in closed form. We quantify the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) margin required to achieve a certain quality of service (QoS) under standard deviation of the shadowing. We also provide the optimal level of cooperation required for obtaining maximum coverage of a line network under a given QoS. Two topologies for linear network are considered and the performance of each topology under various system parameters is provided. The analytical results have been validated by matching with the simulation results.
Use of the Fab fragment for immunoneutralization of somatostatin in the isolated perfused human pancreas.

Abstract The role of the somatostatin-secreting D cell in the islet remains controversial. The present study was undertaken to determine whether infusion of the Fab fragment of a highly sensitive somatostatin monoclonal antibody into the isolated, perfused human pancreas would influence insulin secretion. Single-pass perfusion was performed in pancreata obtained from cadaveric organ donors using a modified Krebs-media with 3.9 mM glucose. Sequential test periods separated by basal periods were performed with either somatostatin monoclonal antibody Fab fragment (SFab), somatostatin-14 (SS-14), or a combined infusion. Immunoneutralization of intraislet somatostatin with SFab resulted in a significant increase in both immunoreactive insulin (IRI) (1,122 ± 497 pM) (p
Comparison of Upflow and Downflow Two-Phase Flow Packed-Bed Reactors with and without Fines: Experimental Observations

This study compares the performance of laboratory trickle-bed and upflow reactors over a range of operating conditions, using the hydrogenation of α-methylstyrene to cumene in hexane solvent over 2...
Fabrication of mirrors for the Magellan telescopes and the Large Binocular Telescope

We describe the fabrication and testing of the 6.5 m f/1.25 primary mirrors for the Magellan telescopes and the 8.4 m f/1.14 primary mirrors for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). These mirrors, along with the 6.5 m MMT primary, are the fastest and most aspheric large mirrors made. Steward Observatory developed special methods to polish and measure these and other fast mirrors. We use a stressed-lap polishing tool to fit the aspheric surface while providing strong passive smoothing, and computer-generated holograms to verify the measurement of up to 1.4 mm peak-to-valley asphericity to an accuracy of 0.01%. The Magellan mirrors are diffraction-limited at visible wavelengths, with surface accuracies of about 20 nm rms on active supports. We are currently polishing the first LBT primary mirror and preparing to make the thin shells for the LBT adaptive secondary mirrors.
On matricially normed spaces.

Arveson and Wittstock have proved a "non-commutati ve HahnBanach Theorem" for completely hounded operator-valued maps on spaces of operators. In this paper it is shown that if T is a linear map from the dual of an operator space into a C*-algebra, then the usual operator norm of T coincides with the completely bounded norm. This is used to prove that the Arveson-Wittstock theorem does not generalize to "matricially normed spaces". An elementary proof of the Arveson-Wittstock result is presented. Finally a simple bimodule interpretation is given for the "Haagerup" and "matricial" tensor products of matricially normed spaces. 1. Introduction. A. function space V on a set X is a linear subspace of the bounded complex functions on X. With the uniform norm, this is a normed vector space. Conversely, any (complex) normed vector space V may be realized as a function space on the closed unit ball X of the dual space V*. Thus one may regard a normed vector space as simply an abstract function space. An operator space V on a Hubert space H is a linear subspace of the bounded operators on H. For each «GN, the operator norm associated with Hn determines a distinguished norm on the n x n matrices over V. The second author recently gave an abstract characterization for the operator spaces by taking into consideration these systems of matrix norms. The operator spaces V are characterized among the "matricially normed spaces" (see §2), by the "L°°-property": given matrices v = [v/7], w = [wkl] with vzy, wkι e V, ||vθH>||=max{||v||,|M|}.
Testosterone, status, and mood in human males

Abstract Experimental literature on nonhuman primates indicates that a male's testosterone level changes when his status changes, rising when he achieves or defends a dominant position, and falling when he is dominated. Three experiments are reported which test for a similar effect among adult human males. In the first experiment, subjects played in doubles tennis matches in which winners received prizes of $ 100 apiece. Most winners of matches who had decisive victories showed subsequent rises in testosterone relative to losers of these matches; however, the winners of one very close match, in which there was no clear cut triumph, did not show testosterone rises. In the second experiment, subjects won $100 prizes, or not, depending on the random draw of a lottery. Winners in this situation, where their fortunes came without any effort of their own, did not show subsequent testosterone rises which were greater than those of losers. The third experiment used the natural setting of a medical school graduation. Rises in testosterone were observed among new recipients of the M.D. degree 1 and 2 days after the ceremony. In these experiments, changes in testosterone showed some relationship to subjects' moods. These results suggest that when a man achieves a rise in status through his own efforts, and he has an elation of mood over the achievement, then he is likely to have a rise in testosterone.
Pair Electrons Formed in the Field of an Electron

The observation of pair electrons which were formed in the field of an electron is reported. These triplets were photographed in a cloud chamber which was irradiated with gamma-rays from radioactive sodium. Measurements on the tracks of the triplets show that energy and momentum are conserved in the process.
A VARIATIONAL PRINCIPLE FOR SCATTERING

A variational principle is presented for the phase shifts ${\ensuremath{\delta}}_{l}$ of a central force scattering problem. This generalizes the principles of Schwinger and Hulth\`en for $S$-state scattering in that (a) it is applicable to states of higher angular momentum, and (b) it depends explicitly on the "inside" wave function only. The Born approximation may be obtained with the choice of an appropriate trial function. Illustrative calculations have been made for the $S$- and $P$-state scattering states for an exponential well nucleon-nucleon interaction potential. A simple one-parameter trial function was utilized. The results are in excellent agreement with previously given exact calculations.
Exploiting core–shell and core–alloy interfaces for asymmetric growth of nanoparticles

The alloy phase behavior of nanoparticle (NP) interfaces has been used to tailor asymmetric growth. Using either Au–Pd core–shell or Au–AuxPd1−x core–alloy NP starting materials, the deposition of Ag resulted in asymmetric and symmetric growth respectively. The phase segregation of the interface was confirmed by TEM and electrocatalytic activity.
Purification and characterization of anionic peroxidases from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Abstract Anionic isoperoxidases from cotton cotyledonary leaf tissue have been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by chromatography on ion exchange, lectin affinity, and gel filtration matrices. The enzyme was stable and active at a wide range of temperatures with optimal activity at 55°C. Maximum activity was observed when the pH was adjusted from pH 5.5 to pH 7.5. Electrophoresis on sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gels indicated a relative molecular mass of 56 000 Da when the sample was treated with a disulfide reducing agent and heated. The electrophoretic mobility was altered when either the disulfide reducing agent or heat treatment was omitted. Isoelectric focusing under native conditions resolved the activity into three isozymes with isoelectric points of 4.2, 4.4 and 4.6. The K m of peroxidase for 4-aminoantipyrine and o -dianisidine was 350 and 36 μM, respectively. Enzyme activity was inhibited by elevated concentrations of H 2 O 2 and by disulfide reducing agents. Known inhibitors of peroxidase activity such as potassium azide, sodium cyanide and sodium sulfite inhibited cotton anionic peroxidases. The absorption spectrum showed maxima at 280 and 402 nm, indicating the presence of a heme group in the active enzyme. The extinction coefficient at 402 nm was 1.12 × 10 5 mol −1 cm −1 .
“Dirty” displacive ferroelectrics

Abstract It appears that the lattice dynamic theory of displacive ferroelectrics does not predict correctly the zero frequency clamped value of the dielectric constant. This effect is particularly evident in disordered crystals. We qualitatively show, using a very simple model, that the contribution to the dielectric constant of a localized impurity can be enhanced considerably when it is coupled to a lattice mode.
Staircase voltammetry and pulse polarography with a microcomputer-controlled polarograph

Abstract A microcomputer, based on the 6502 microprocessor, is applied to the operation and data acquisition with staircase voltammetry and pulse polarography. Results for the reduction of cadmium(II) closely follow theoretical trends, indicating that the approach is a viable alternative to existing analog instruments and more costly minicomputer-controlled systems.
The effective number of a population that varies cyclically in size. I. Discrete generations

We consider a dioecious population having numbers of males and females that vary over time in cycles of length k. It is shown that if k is small in comparison with the numbers of males and females in any generation of the cycle, the effective population number (or size), N(e), is approximately equal to the harmonic mean of the effective population sizes during any given cycle. This result holds whether the locus under consideration is autosomal or sex-linked and whether inbreeding effective population numbers or variance effective population numbers are involved in the calculation of N(e). If, however, only two successive generations in the cycle are considered and the population changes in size between these generations, the inbreeding effective population number, N(eI), differs from the variance effective population number, N(eV). The mutation effective population number turns out to be the same as the number derived using calculations involving probabilities of identity by descent. It is also shown that, at least in one special case, the eigenvalue effective population number is the same as N(eV).
Does MR Imaging Improve Precision in Stroke Thrombolysis Trials

Summary: On the basis of these data, it appears that MR imaging can assist in measuring the effect of thrombolytic therapy. This has immediate application to laboratory and clinical trials of experimental treatment. The application of this imaging approach to routine patient care will depend on the still unknown value of predicting the infarct size and the ischemic penumbra in choosing therapy for patients with this difficult problem.
Issues in Arabic orthography and morphology analysis

This paper discusses several issues in Arabic orthography that were encountered in the process of performing morphology analysis and POS tagging of 542,543 Arabic words in three newswire corpora at the LDC during 2002--2004, by means of the Buckwalter Arabic Morphological Analyzer. The most important issues involved variation in the orthography of Modern Standard Arabic that called for specific changes to the Analyzer algorithm, and also a more rigorous definition of typographic errors. Some orthographic anomalies had a direct impact on word tokenization, which in turn affected the morphology analysis and assignment of POS tags.