cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Importance of complete DNA digestion in minimizing variability of 8-oxo-dG analyses

Estimates of 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) in DNA vary at least one order of magnitude using different quantitative methods or even the same method. Our hypothesis is that an incomplete DNA hydrolysis to nucleosides by the conventional nuclease P1 (NP1) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) digestion system plays an important role in contributing to the variability of measurements using HPLC coupled with UV and electrochemical (EC) detection. We show here that factors, such as the amount of DNA, choice of enzymes, their activities, and incubation time, can affect DNA digestion and, thus, cause variability in 8-oxo-dG levels. The addition of DNase I and phosphodiesterases I and II to the NP1 + AP system improves the DNA digestion by completely releasing normal nucleosides and 8-oxo-dG, thereby reducing the interday variations of 8-oxo-dG levels. Diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA), an iron chelator, prevented background increases of 8-oxo-dG during DNA digestion, as well as during the waiting period in the autosampler when a batch of DNA samples is analyzed by HPLC. After optimization of the DNA digestion conditions, the interday variability of 8-oxo-dG measurements using commercially available salmon testes DNA (ST DNA) were 26% over a period of 2 years. Under these optimal conditions, our laboratory variability may contribute as little as 13% to the overall variability as shown by assessment of oxidative DNA damage in a population of smokers. Based on our results, we believe that the modified DNA digestion conditions will provide much more accurate 8-oxo-dG determinations and, thus, more reliable estimates of cancer risk.
Same bed, different dreams?: a comparative analysis of citizen and bureaucrat perspectives on e-government

Recent studies indicate that bureaucrats and citizens are beginning to appreciate the opportunities and constraints for applications of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for governance. Using the data collected from independently administered random surveys of citizens and bureaucrats in late 2001 by Hart-Teeter, this essay is designed to explore whether and how citizen and bureaucrat perspectives on e-government coincide and/or diverge in terms of the effectiveness of e-government and pace of e-government implementation, equity (e.g. access), and safety (e.g. privacy and security).
Diagnosing Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Where Are We Now?

Background: The brain acoustic monitor (BAM), an indicator of cerebral autoregulation, has previously shown high sensitivity but low specificity for computed tomographic (CT) abnormality in patients following the clinical diagnosis of traumatic brain injury. We assessed the utility of the BAM in diagnosing mild TBI (mTBI) in patients with and without normal findings of CT scan, a population for which there are a few objective markers of disease. Methods: We prospectively studied 369 patients with mechanism of injury consistent with TBI. The diagnosis was evaluated by five methods: (a) study enrollment (i.e., mechanism of injury), (b) signs of head trauma, (c) expert physician assessment, (d) presence of initial symptoms (loss of consciousness [LOC]; amnesia), and (e) BAM. All patients had a head CT scan. We compared the BAM screen results with the diagnosis of mTBI and BAM data from 50 normal volunteers and 49 trauma control patients not thought to have TBI. Results: None of the diagnostic methods correlated well with the others. Correlation between the methods ranged from 21% to 71%. BAM discriminated between patients with mTBI versus without TBI (p < 0.01) and patients with mTBI versus normal subjects (p < 0.001). There were 14 patients with new abnormal findings of CT scans. A history of LOC and physical signs of head injury were associated with a new abnormality on head CT (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively), whereas an abnormal BAM signal was suggestive (p = 0.08). The sensitivity of BAM abnormality for head CT abnormality was 100%, with a specificity of 30.14%. Conclusion: There is no gold standard for the diagnosis of mTBI. BAM screening is a useful diagnostic adjunct in patients with mTBI and may facilitate decision making. An abnormal BAM reading adds significance to LOC as a predictor of a new abnormality on head CT. In our study, opting not to CT scan patients with a normal BAM signal would have missed no new CT findings and no patients who required medical intervention for TBI, at a cost savings of $202,950.
Fas ligand, death gene.

The concept of death genes goes back to the early days of programmed cell death, when a researcher's model system was required to be dependent on transcription of the dying cell in order to qualify as apoptosis. In 1987 Andrew Wyllie,* one of the pioneers of cell death research, outlined four `cardinal elements' of apoptosis: one of which was a requirement for macromolecular synthesis. In the following years the complexity of the apoptotic process has become evident and while it is now clear that apoptosis does not have to rely on gene expression, the idea of death genes remains. Induction of an apoptotic cascade via activation of caspases, selective release of mitochondrial proteins and further activation of caspases, can be stimulated by engagement of the Fas surface molecule via membrane bound or soluble forms of Fas ligand (FasL). The FasL gene, which is often transcriptionally inactive, becomes activated in many forms of transcription/translation dependent apoptosis. Here we will discuss FasL as a candidate death gene.
Agent Negotiation Strategies for Composing Service Workflows

Composing services into executable workflows presents many challenges. One of the most difficult challenges is deciding which option among several available workflows is the best value for the user. Cost, reliability, user preferences, and other factors must be balanced to develop the best recommendation. In this paper we describe a strategy for developing optimal recommendations in a system where each service is represented by an intelligent agent that employs a bidding strategy that balances its own interest and its relationship to other agents in the proposed workflow. This offers opportunities for agents to not only compete with each other, but also to form informal ad-hoc coalitions that cooperate to win more work.
YBCO-coated conductors fabricated by inclined substrate deposition technique

Inclined substrate deposition (ISD) is an attractive technique for rapid production of high-quality template layers for YBCO-coated conductors. We have grown biaxially textured magnesium oxide (MgO) films on metallic substrates by ISD at rapid deposition rates, 20–100 A s−1. Scanning electron microscopy of the ISD MgO films showed columnar grain structures with a roof-tile-shaped surface. X-ray diffraction pole figure analysis revealed that the ISD MgO film is biaxially aligned with the c-axis tilted from its substrate normal. Tilt angles of and were measured on ISD MgO films deposited at 55° and 35° inclination angles, respectively. A full width at half maximum (FWHM) of was observed in the -scan for short-length ISD MgO films. A 1 m long tape of ISD MgO grown on a metallic substrate was fabricated by a reel-to-reel method. This tape has an average -scan FWHM of 16.1° with a standard deviation of 2.6°. YBCO films were grown on strontium ruthenium oxide (SRO)-buffered ISD MgO substrates by pulsed laser deposition. A superconducting critical transition temperature Tc = 91 K and critical current density Jc = 1.1 × 106 A cm−2 were measured at 77 K in self-field for a sample that is 0.3 µm thick, 2.9 mm wide, and 1.0 cm long.
Frequency Effects and the Representational Status of Regular Inflections

Abstract There have been many recent proposals concerning the nature of representations for inflectional morphology. One set of proposals addresses the question of whether there is decomposition of morphological structure in lexical access, whether complex forms are accessed as whole words, or if there is a competition between these two access modes. Another set of proposals addresses the question of whether inflected forms are generated by rule-based systems by connectionist type associative networks or if there is a dual system dissociating rule-based regular inflections from association-based irregular inflections. A central question is whether there are whole-word representations for regularly inflected forms. A series of five lexical decision experiments addressed this question by looking at whole-word frequency effects across a range of frequency values with constant stem-cluster frequencies. Frequency effects were only found for inflected forms above a threshold of about 6 per million, whereas such effects were found for morphologically simple controls in all frequency ranges. We discuss these data in the context of two kinds of dual models and in relation to competition models proposed within the connectionist literature.
Antibacterial activity of sucralfate versus aluminum chloride in simulated gastric fluid.

Studies have previously demonstrated that sucralfate possesses intrinsic antibacterial activity. This study was designed to indirectly assess whether aluminum is the active antibacterial component of sucralfate and to further evaluate factors that may influence this agent's antibacterial activity. Utilizing an in vitro model, the antibacterial activity of sucralfate, an equivalent quantity of aluminum in the form of aluminum chloride, and a control were compared. In addition, the influences of bacterial species (Enterobacter cloacae andPseudomonas aeruginosa), time (0–24 h) and environmental pH (3, 5, 7) on the agents' antibacterial activities were evaluated. Equivalent quantities of aluminum, as either sucralfate or aluminum chloride, were added to two of three flasks containing approximately 105 cfu/ml of bacteria in pH-adjusted simulated gastric fluid. The third flask served as a control. Samples were obtained over 24 h, diluted and subcultured onto agar plates. The experiments demonstrated that bacterial growth was influenced by pH, time and treatment (aluminum chloride or sucralfate). Regardless of pH or bacterial species, bacterial death occurred within 20 min following the addition of aluminum chloride. In contrast, bacterial death following the addition of sucralfate was more variable and appeared to be pH dependent. In conclusion, sucralfate and aluminum chloride both possess antibacterial activity, even at pH values that normally support bacterial growth in gastric fluid. Although differences in the antibacterial activity of the two agents may in part be related to drug-induced changes in pH, these differences also support data suggesting that aluminum release from sucralfate is incomplete and is dependent on pH.
Mechanism of stimulation of renal phosphate transport by 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol.

Abstract Vitamin D has been shown to stimulate renal phosphate transport and to alter membrane phospholipid composition. The present studies examine the possibility that the effects of 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 on phosphate transport are related to its effects on membrane lipids. Arrhenius plots, which relate maximum rates of sodium dependent phosphate uptake into brush-border membrane vesicles to temperature were constructed. Phosphate transport was studied using brush-border membrane vesicles from normal, vitamin D-deficient, and physiologically replete (15 pmol/100 g body weight per 24 h) rats. These plots were triphasic with characteristic, lipid-dependent, slopes ( M 1 , M 2 , M 3 ) representing activation energies and transition temperatures ( T 1 , T 2 ). Physiologic 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 repletion normalized these plots by stimulating phosphate transport at all temperatures, increasing T 2 from 18 ± 0.7 to 23.5 ± 0.9°C and decreasing M 2 and M 3 from −5.8 ± 0.2 and −10.2 ± 0.4 to −4.5 ± 0.4 and −7.7 ± 0.3 , respectively. Pharmacologic (1.2 nmol/100 g per 3 h) 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 treatment resulted in a change in the Arrhenius plot of phosphate transport to a biphasic one with a transition temperature of 30°C. This effect was not blocked by cycloheximide. The Arrhenius plots of glucose transport were triphasic and unchanged with vitamin D repletion. These data support a liponomic mechanism of action for 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 on phosphate transport.
The prognosis in acute glomerulonephritis in children.

Summary 1. Of 102 children observed in this institution during the initial stage ofglomerulonephritis and for adequate periods thereafter, approximately 81 per cent fully recovered; 11 per cent died and 8 per cent still showed activity for two years or more after the onset, when the chances of recovery had become negligible. Six per cent died during the initial stage, and 5 per cent died later of chronic nephritis. 2. Of those surviving the initial stage 86.5 per cent were cured; 8.3 per cent had remained active for more than two years, and 5.2 per cent died of chronic nephritis. 3. The differences in prognosis expressed by our data and by those of others are discussed. 4. We question the existence of geographical differences in prognosis.
PDF and cAMP enhance PER stability in Drosophila clock neurons.

The neuropeptide PDF is important for Drosophila circadian rhythms: pdf01 (pdf-null) animals are mostly arrhythmic or short period in constant darkness and have an advanced activity peak in light–dark conditions. PDF contributes to the amplitude, synchrony, as well as the pace of circadian rhythms within clock neurons. PDF is known to increase cAMP levels in PDR receptor (PDFR)-containing neurons. However, there is no known connection of PDF or of cAMP with the Drosophila molecular clockworks. We discovered that the mutant period gene perS ameliorates the phenotypes of pdf-null flies. The period protein (PER) is a well-studied repressor of clock gene transcription, and the perS protein (PERS) has a markedly short half-life. The result therefore suggests that the PDF-mediated increase in cAMP might lengthen circadian period by directly enhancing PER stability. Indeed, increasing cAMP levels and cAMP-mediated protein kinase A (PKA) activity stabilizes PER, in S2 tissue culture cells and in fly circadian neurons. Adding PDF to fly brains in vitro has a similar effect. Consistent with these relationships, a light pulse causes more prominent PER degradation in pdf01 circadian neurons than in wild-type neurons. The results indicate that PDF contributes to clock neuron synchrony by increasing cAMP and PKA, which enhance PER stability and decrease clock speed in intrinsically fast-paced PDFR-containing clock neurons. We further suggest that the more rapid degradation of PERS bypasses PKA regulation and makes the pace of clock neurons more uniform, allowing them to avoid much of the asynchrony caused by the absence of PDF.
Effects of choledochojejunostomy with Roux-en-Y exclusion on dimethylhydrazine induced neoplasms in rats

The role of biliary secretions was studied in the development of neoplasms in the small intestine and colon of rats treated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH). Sixty-eight female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent either no operative procedure or choledochojejunostomy with or without a Roux-en-Y exclusion. All animals then received weekly subcutaneous injections of DMH at 20 mg/kg for 26 weeks and were subsequently sacrificed. The largest number of neoplasms was found in the proximal duodenum, within 3 cm distal to the pylorus, in the control as well as both operative groups. In addition, only six neoplasms developed in relation to the choledochojejunostomy site in rats undergoing choledochojejunostomy only, and no neoplasms were noted at this location in the animals undergoing choledochojejunostomy with Roux-en-Y exclusion. These results suggest that the distribution of enteric neoplasms in DMH treated rats does not depend on excretion of active carcinogen in bile.
Induction and Repression of β‐Galactosidase Synthesis by Verticillum albo‐atrum

Verticillium albo-atrum grew on lactose-containing culture media only after a prolonged lag phase. The intracellular specific activity of β-galactosidase [EC 3.2.1.23] increased 40–200 times during he lag phase. The β-galactosidase was induced by lactose and to a lesser degree by galactose. The appearance of the enzyme in lactose cultures was decreased by cycloheximide. Glucose and other readily metabolized carbon sources were effective repressors of β-galactosidase production. The production of β-galactosidase therefore appeared under control by lactose induction and catabolite repression.
Dentin dysplasia, type II, or dentin dysplasia, coronal type.

Abstract The second reported family with an unusual dentin abnormality is presented. This abnormality is characterized by involvement of both the deciduous and the permanent dentitions, but the involvement in each is different. The deciduous teeth resemble the condition known as hereditary opalescent dentin, both clinically and radiographically. However, the permanent teeth appear normal clinically, but dilated pulpal chambers and pulp stones are evident radiographically.
Pattern recognition for detection of human heads in infrared images

Human automated target recognition (ATR) capability holds important tactical value in military as well as civilian applications. Unmanned systems equipped with real-time human ATR sensors and software will serve to detect potential threats before human forces encounter them. Unattended ground stations may use human ATR in search and rescue applications, to alert rescue teams when help is necessary. The algorithm proposed in this study utilizes infrared imagery to detect people based on the radiance and shape of the human head. The algorithm works in a three-step process of segmentation, feature extraction, and classification. First, the IR image is segmented to reveal only human skin areas (e.g., arms, legs, heads). Next, three morphological features are extracted from each segmented object of interest. Finally, a classifier will use the features to determine whether the object is a head or a nonhead, based on previous algorithmic training. Two types of classifiers were tested in this study: a k-nearest-neighbor classifier and various neural networks. Results show that using a neural network classifier, 97% accuracy in head identification is possible after examining two sequential uncorrelated frames containing the same human head in different views. Tests in a desert environment at nighttime show that the majority of test subjects are detected, with few false positives.
The organization of endocytotic vesicles in lymphatic endothelium

Abstract The lymphatic endothelium from renal hilar lymphatics in the rat was subjected to qualitative and quantitative ultrastructural analysis with emphasis on the extent and disposition of its vesicular component. The uncoated endocytotic vesicles had an average maximum diameter of 0.073 μm and occupied 7% of the cytoplasm. There were approximately 21 vesicles in each cubic micrometer of cytoplasm. In standard electron microscopic preparations of glutaraldehyde-fixed endothelium 50% of the vesicles appeared to lie free within the cytoplasm. The remainder were seen to touch or open onto the luminal or abluminal surface of the endothelium. The degree to which intracytoplasmic endocytotic vesicles remained discrete or communicated with the plasma membrane was examined using tannic acid and ruthenium red. These substances specifically bind to charged molecules on the cell surface and identify membranes continuous with it. When this technique was applied to aldehyde-fixed tissue nearly 90% of the vesicles that were apparently free within the cell could be shown to retain a connection with the surface, approximately equal numbers communicating with either the luminal or abluminal surface. At least 15% of these vesicles existed as intercommunicating clusters. These results suggest that many vesicles are not simple discrete units, but rather form parts of chains that reach either luminal or abluminal surface. Thus, apparently discrete vesicles may be parts of vesicular chains cut in cross section. The possible relation between chemical fixation and this plan of vesicular organization is discussed and it is concluded that while chemical fixation may result in an overestimation of the numbers of intercommunicating vesicles, the qualitative aspects of vesicle disposition seem largely unaffected. Although the functional significance of our observations has yet to be determined, should this plan of vesicular organization apply to initial lymphatics as well, the concept of vesicular transport solely by random movement of discrete vesicles across lymphatic endothelium should be modified.
SETI@home: an experiment in public-resource computing

Millions of computer owners worldwide contribute computer time to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, performing the largest computation ever.
Multitiered inference management architecture for participatory sensing

This paper describes a multitiered architecture for realizing an inference management firewall (IMF) that employs context-aware information masking techniques for systematic management of risk-vs-value trade-off of sensor data. Previously we have demonstrated an initial implementation of the IMF running as messaging services on the Information Fabric, which is a middleware asset developed under the International Technology Alliance (ITA) research program. Furthermore, we have presented an additional asset, recently implemented on a commercially-available mobile device running the Android operating system, which is intended to operate as an information source and first-line inference management capability at the edge of the network. The low-cost and widespread use of Android-based mobile devices offers a popular platform for crowdsourced participatory sensing. The focus of our current work is on the integration of these two technology assets in support of policy-managed, sensor-driven workflows in coalition scenarios.
Contrasting actions of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors in distinct mouse striatal neurones

In mouse striatum, metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) activation leads to several modulatory effects in synaptic transmission. These effects range from dampening of glutamate release from excitatory terminals to depolarization of divergent classes of interneurones. We compared the action of group I mGluR activation on several populations of striatal neurones using a combination of genetic identification, electrophysiology, and Ca(2+) imaging techniques. Patch-clamp recordings from spiny projection neurones (SPNs) and various interneurone populations demonstrated that the group I mGluR agonist (RS)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) robustly depolarizes several interneurone classes that form GABAergic synapses onto SPNs. We further utilized the genetic reporter mouse strain Ai38, which expresses the calcium indicator protein GCaMP3 in a Cre-dependent manner. Breeding Ai38 mice with various neurone selective, promoter-driven Cre recombinase mice resulted in GCaMP3 expression in defined cell populations in striatum. Consistent with our electrophysiological findings, group I agonist applications increased intracellular levels of calcium ([Ca(2+)]i) in all interneurone populations tested. We also found that acute DHPG application evoked a transient, rapid increase in [Ca(2+)]i from only a small percentage of identifiable SPNs. Surprisingly, this fast [Ca(2+)]i response exhibited a robust enhancement or sensitization, in a calcium-dependent fashion. Following several procedures to increase [Ca(2+)]i, the vast majority of SPNs responded with rapid changes in [Ca(2+)]i to mGluR agonists in a time-dependent fashion. These findings extend our understanding on group I mGluR influence of striatal output via powerful, local GABAergic connections in addition to [Ca(2+)]i dynamics that impact on activity or spike-timing-dependent forms of synaptic plasticity.
The Chemical Table: An Open Dialog between Visualization and Design

With a history of over 300 years, the chemical table is the textbook case of information visualization. This paper explores the development of the chemical table as a tool designed for chemical information visualization. It uses a historical context to investigate the purpose of chemical tables and charts, and suggests reasons why the two-dimensional periodic table remains the de facto standard for chemical information display.
Re-evaluating a test of the heterogeneity explanation for mortality plateaus.

[Drapeau, M.D., Gass, E.K., Simison, M.D., Mueller, L.D., Rose, M.R., 2000. Testing the heterogeneity theory of late-life mortality plateaus by using cohorts of Drosophila melanogaster, Experimental Gerontology, 35 71–84.] tested, in populations of Drosophila melanogaster, a prediction of the heterogeneity explanation for mortality plateaus. They concluded that heterogeneity could not explain their results. We contend here that the statistical analysis was flawed. It was declared that there was no difference between the mortality plateaus of three different strains, on the basis of averaged outcomes. In fact, the results for the different strains were quite different. Most trials showed the expected lowering of the mortality plateaus for the flies selected for robustness, but these effects were washed out by a small number of very large opposing deviations. There is ample reason to believe that the opposing deviations are artifacts of fitting an overly restrictive hazard-rate model. When we fit more appropriate models, the evidence points toward a rejection of the null hypothesis (of identical plateaus), hence toward modest support for the heterogeneity explanation.
Electrokinetic behavior of colloidal particles with thin ionic double layers

The phenomenological equations that govern the nonequilibrium behavior of the ionic diffuse double layer surrounding an isolated, charged coloidal particle are considered. An approximate solution is constructed that is valid when the ratio of the Debye length to the characteristic particle dimension is small. This solution is applicable to a particle that is subjected to an external perturbation composed of an arbitrary linear combination of steady, axisymmetric electrical, hydrodynamical, or concentration gradient fields. Hence, this analysis provides a unified approach to the treatment of the entire class of admissible problems in the thin double layer approximation. Specific applications are shown to the problems of electrophoresis and dilute shear viscosity of a suspension of uniform, noninteracting spherical colloidal particles. Comparison with the numerical results of previous investigators shows that the solutions are accurate over much of the parameter range of practical interest in colloidal suspensions. The role of the zeta potential and the mobilities, valences, and concentrations of the dissolved ions on electrokinetic phenomena are examined.
Variational principles for set-valued mappings with applications to multiobjective optimization

This paper primarily concerns the study of general classes of constrained multiobjective optimization problems (includ- ing those described via set-valued and vector-valued cost mappings) from the viewpoint of modern variational analysis and generalized differentiation. To proceed, we first establish two variational princi- ples for set-valued mappings, which—being certainly of independent interest—are mainly motivated by applications to multiobjective op- timization problems considered in this paper. The first variational principle is a set-valued counterpart of the seminal derivative-free Ekeland variational principle, while the second one is a set-valued ex- tension of the subdifferential principle by Mordukhovich and Wang, formulated via an appropriate subdifferential notion for set-valued mappings with values in partially ordered spaces. Based on these variational principles and corresponding tools of generalized differen- tiation, we derive new conditions of the coercivity and Palais-Smale types ensuring the existence of optimal solutions to set-valued opti- mization problems with noncompact feasible sets in infinite dimen- sions and then obtain necessary optimality and suboptimality con- ditions for nonsmooth multiobjective optimization problems with general constraints, which are new in both finite-dimensional and infinite-dimensional settings.
Lie to Me No More: Believable Stories and Marital Affairs

This case study illustrates the dilemmas of systemic practice when the presenting problem is relational infidelity (marital affairs). After several months of treatment with a structural therapist, the couple and therapist were at an impasse because of arguments over the husband's alleged sexual encounter 3 years previously. The introduction of a consultant and a story-based therapy allowed the couple to reconcile their marital difficulties. The article ends with a discussion of the implications of systemic paradigms and personal morality.
Proteins that bind to the RERMS region of β amyloid precursor protein

The main objective of this study was to investigate the biological function of β amyloid precursor protein (APP), in particular its nerve growth factor-like activity. We hypothesize that the extracellular domain containing the sequence RERMS, amino acids 328-332 of APP695, represents the active site for this function. Binding assays using peptide fragments of this domain have demonstrated specific and saturable binding to the cell surface with affinity in the low nanomolar range. This induced our quest for an APP-specific receptor. We chose different peptide fragments of the RERMS domain as ligands and displacing agents on affinity columns to purify APP binding molecules. Amino acid microsequencing yielded partial sequences of serum albumin, actin, two novel proteins of 41 and 63 kDa and human Collapsin Response Mediator Protein-2 (hCRMP-2). Because both APP and hCRMP-2 promote neuronal outgrowth and use a common signaling pathway, APP could be acting through a semaphorin receptor as well.
A data-flow graphical user interface for querying a scientific database

We describe the design principles and functionality of a visual query language called See QL that represents data retrieval and analysis operations as a data-flow graph. A query is viewed as a sequence of relational algebra and other data transformation operations applied to database tables. The language is well-suited for large-scale scientific database applications, where data analysis is a major component and the typical queries or data retrieval patterns are unrestricted. The language provides a flexible yet easy-to-use environment for database access and data analysis for non-programmer research scientists. We have implemented this language in a system being used in a long-term data-intensive highway pavement research project (MnRoad) conducted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. >
The Teacher Consultant Role: Impact on the Profession

(1986). The Teacher Consultant Role: Impact on the Profession. Action in Teacher Education: Vol. 8, Recruiting and Inducting Quality Personnel for Schools, pp. 65-74.
Electronic Mail and Organizational Communication: Does Saying Hi Really Matter?

When people use electronic mail, they can communicate even when they are not physically or temporally proximate. Thus, it is not surprising that most studies report that the use of electronic mail increases organizational communication. In the study presented here, overall organizational communication declined as use of electronic mail increased. As we probed the nature of this decline, we discovered that much of the lost communication was greetings. This raises questions about the role that greetings, and other forms of casual conversation, play in an organization. To organize our insights about this topic we formulate a two-by-two communication matrix based on presence versus absence and availability versus unavailability. Prior research focuses on the ways being present and available and being absent but available through electronic mail affect the performance of specific communication tasks. Using our typology, we direct attention to the role of casual conversation in presence availability and to the parts that presence unavailability and absence unavailability can play in organizational communication.
Design of a low sidelobe double difference beam for a circular aperture

A low-sidelobe double-difference beam is synthesized for a circular aperture in a manner similar to the synthesis of the circular Taylor sum beam and the circular Bayliss difference beam. The method proposed allows the designer to select a peak-to-sidelobe level ratio and an integer N which controls the shape of the close-in sidelobes. Such a beam finds use in main beam ECCM applications. >
Teaching About Twins: College Courses and Public Lectures/Twin Research: Obesity Control, Post-Zygotic Mutation, In Vitro Fertilization, and Schisis-Associated Defects/Noted in the News: Double Rape Charges, Chinese Twins Separated at Birth, Twin CEO, and Shared Professions

The present article describes teaching experiences and observations in college courses and public lectures on twins. It is concluded that much more information about twins, at both research and practical levels, requires general dissemination. This discussion is followed by reviews of recent twin research on the topics of obesity control, post-zygotic mutation, in vitro fertilization, and schisis-associated defects. Media reports of twins accused of rape, infant Chinese twins sold separately for profit, a twin CEO, and twins pursuing the same career are presented.
Beamforming and scheduling strategies for time slotted multiuser MIMO systems

We investigate the problem of scheduling for the uplink of a time slotted multiuser MIMO system with sum capacity as the performance metric. We first consider scheduling users' transmissions for fixed transmit beamformers and construct a low complexity scheduling algorithm. Since the performance of the system depends on the transmit beamformers, we consider transmit beamformer selection next and combine the proposed scheduling algorithm with perfectly controlled transmit beam-forming, eigen transmit beamforming and antenna selection. We observe that as the feedback level is increased, the performance of the scheduling algorithm is improved. In particular, a substantial gain is attained when the individual channel state information (CSI) is available at the transmitter side.
Slavery and African Ethnicities in the Americas: Restoring the Links

The survival of African ethnic identities through four hundred years of the Atlantic slave trade Enslaved peoples were brought to the Americas from many places in Africa, but a large majority came from relatively few ethnic groups. Drawing on a wide range of materials in four languages as well as on her lifetime study of slave groups in the New World, Gwendolyn Midlo Hall explores the persistence of African ethnic identities among the enslaved over four hundred years of the Atlantic slave trade. Hall traces the linguistic, economic, and cultural ties shared by large numbers of enslaved Africans, showing that despite the fragmentation of the diaspora many ethnic groups retained enough cohesion to communicate and to transmit elements of their shared culture. Hall concludes that recognition of the survival and persistence of African ethnic identities can fundamentally reshape how people think about the emergence of identities among enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Americas, about the ways shared identity gave rise to resistance movements, and about the elements of common African ethnic traditions that influenced regional creole cultures throughout the Americas.
Development history of the hybrid test vehicle

The development of the hybrid test vehicle (HTV) is described from its conception during Phase I of the DOE/JPL Near-Term Hybrid Vehicle Program through the design, fabrication, and delivery of the final HTV to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for evaluation and testing. Important design and test experiences gained in the development program leading to the final HTV are highlighted and described. The various mule vehicles leading to the final design are discussed. The HTV is described including computer projections of final performance.
Treadmill exercise tests in persons with Parkinson's disease: responses and disease severity.

There is a paucity of information on cardiovascular responses with regard to the disease stage of Parkinson’s disease (PD) when using an exercise test. Our purpose was to examine whether cardiovascular responses to the treadmill exercise test differed among persons with PD who have different disease severity. Forty-five subjects with PD were studied (34 men and 11 women). The subjects underwent a treadmill exercise test using a modified Bruce protocol. Resting heart rate (HR), resting blood pressure (BP), maximal HR, maximal BP, exercise duration, maximum percentage HR and METs achieved after the treadmill exercise test were studied. Seventeen subjects were in Hoehn and Yahr Staging Scale (HY) 2, 16 were in HY 2.5, and 12 were in HY 3. HR increased significantly in all three stages. Systolic BP increased significantly in the HY 2 and 2.5, but not the HY 3. Diastolic BP did not change in any stage. Resting HR was lower in the HY 2 compared to the HY 3 and resting systolic BP was higher in HY 2 compared to the HY 2.5. The three HY stages were not different in exercise duration, HR and BP responses, maximum percentage HR achieved, and METs achieved. Fatigue was a primary reason to discontinue the test. There were no fall incidents in any of the tests. Cardiovascular responses to the treadmill exercise test did not vary with disease severity. Treadmill exercise tests were safe to perform in persons with PD.
On the automatic parallelization of sparse and irregular Fortran programs[1]This work is supported in part by Army contract DABT63-95-C-0097; Army contract N66001-97-C-8532; NSF contract MIP-9619351; and a Partnership Award from IBM. This work is not necessarily representative of the positions or policies of the Army or Government.

Automatic parallelization is usually believed to be less effective at exploiting implicit parallelism in sparse/irregular programs than in their dense/regular counterparts. However, not much is really known because there have been few research reports on this topic. In this work, we have studied the possibility of using an automatic parallelizing compiler to detect the parallelism in sparse/irregular programs. The study with a collection of sparse/irregular programs led us to some common loop patterns. Based on these patterns new techniques were derived that produced good speedups when manually applied to our benchmark codes. More importantly, these parallelization methods can be implemented in a parallelizing compiler and can be applied automatically.
Gall, Franz Joseph (1758–1828)

Franz Joseph Gall (1758–1828) was a pioneer in the study of brain anatomy. He made significant contributions to the understanding of brain physiology and was an early advocate for localization of function. In his public lectures, he argued that the relative size of brain areas reflected specific abilities and determined the external shape of the skull. His theories were adapted and further popularized by his assistant, Johann Gasper Spurzhiem (1776–1832), who used the term phrenology to describe the practice of personality assessment through analysis of skull shape. Phrenology was both popular and controversial in Europe and the United States, and it was largely discredited by the mid-nineteenth century. Keywords: history of science; abnormal; brain; personality traits; phrenology
Abstract 19664: Molecular Mechanisms of Gα12 Regulated E-cadherin Shedding in Epithelial Cells

Introduction and hypothesis: E-cadherin plays an important role in maintaining the integrity of cell polarity and cell junctions. It is one of the major proteins that forms part of the polycystin-1 (PC1) complex in renal epithelial cells. We previously showed that deletion of the PC1-regulated protein, Gα12, protected kidneys from development of kidney cysts induced by Pkd1 inactivation and activation of Gα12 increased the shedding of E-cadherin in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The objective of this study was to determine the molecular mechanisms by which Gα12 regulates E-cadherin shedding. Methods: We analyzed polycystic kidneys from human and from Pkd1 knock-out mice. Using Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, we developed a Pkd1 deletion in vitro model using Pkd1 siRNA. Results: Our data shows that Pkd1 deletion caused accumulation of cleaved E-cadherin fragment in renal cystic fluid in both human polycystic kidneys and in our mice model. In addition, we found that activation of Gα12 increased the active form of ADAM10, the cleavage protein for E-cadherin in both human and mice polycystic kidneys, in vivo. In our MDCK cellular three-dimensional culture system, Gα12 activation promoted cyst formation and this phenomenon was inhibited by ADAM10 knockdown. Furthermore, knockdown of ADAM10 abolished the shedding of E-cadherin caused by Gα12 activation. These data indicate that ADAM10 is the major sheddase for cleavage of E-cadherin caused by Gα12 activation. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that Gα12 activation increases ADAM10 activity and promotes the ectodomain shedding of E-cadherin, which is an important mechanism in the development of kidney cysts induced by Pkd1 deletion in ADPKD.
Plastics flammability

The study of how plastics burn has been, and continues to be, a major area of research at universities, in industry, and at various national, military, and private laboratories. This research examines the nature of the burning phenomenon in plastics, various methods to reduce plastics flammability, and methods to test flammability. This paper reports on some of the basic principles of the burning process in plastics and suggests methods whereby the flammability of plastics might be reduced. The most common methods for testing plastics flammability are also examined, including the application of those methods and use in various standards which might require particular flammability performance.
Valued redundancy

The idea of valued redundancy for the complex memory hierarchies of the gigabit networks of tomorrow is introduced. The goal of valued redundancy is to replicate only the most valuable objects in the system, i.e. those that contribute the most to system performance and availability. The objects value explicitly represents its cost/performance ratio for the redundancy management system. In this way, performance and availability are maximized while the redundancy cost is minimized. Valued redundancy integrates the main components of a redundancy management system: the object location algorithm, the page replacement algorithm, and the consistent update algorithm. >
Basis pursuit

The time-frequency and time-scale communities have recently developed an enormous number of over-complete signal dictionaries, wavelets, wavelet packets, cosine packets, Wilson bases, chirplets, warped bases, and hyperbolic cross bases being a few examples. Basis pursuit is a technique for decomposing a signal into an "optimal" superposition of dictionary elements. The optimization criterion is the l/sup 1/ norm of coefficients. The method has several advantages over matching pursuit and best ortho basis, including super-resolution and stability. >
Bactericidal Power of Blood in Chronic Arthritis

There is considerable evidence that chronic rheumatic joint disease, as well as acute rheumatic arthritis, is neither strictly a metabolic disturbance nor purely allergic in character but the result of hematogenous streptococcic infection of the joints. This evidence is of 4 types: the demonstration of streptococci in involved joints with typical structural alteration in direct relation to the actual distribution of the bacteria;1, 2, 3 the streptococcemia which occurs at intervals during the active phases of the disease;2, 4, 5 the presence of streptococcic antibodies in arthritic patients in concentrations greater than those usually found in normal individuals;5, 6, 7, 8 and the production experimentally of lesions in the joints of animals by the use of intravenous injections of streptococcus cultures.2, 10 On the other hand, other investigators have failed to corroborate some of these observations.11-13This positive evidence has led to the wide use of agglutination and sedimentation tests as diagnostic...
A uniqueness theorem in the linear theory of elasticity with microstructure

It is shown that in theMindlin theory of elastic materials with microstructure, uniqueness holds for the traction, the displacement, and a wide variety of mixed problems, provided the potential energy function is homogeneous of order two.
Versatility of Microbial Transglutaminase

Although microbial transglutaminases (mTGs) were initially discovered to offset the cost of producing mammalian transglutaminases for food applications, they have quickly become important tools in research and biotechnology. Today, mTGs are utilized for a large number of applications to conjugate proteins and peptides to small molecules, polymers, surfaces, and DNA, as well as to other proteins. It is important to know how to maximize the advantages of the enzymatic approach and avoid undesired cross-linking. This review focuses on the versatility of transglutaminases in the field of bioconjugation and covers recent developments in utilizing mTG for generating antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) for therapeutic applications.
Applications of Ion-Implanted Covalent Polymers

Materials presently used for packaging precision instrument bearings contain minor amounts of antistatic agents, shown earlier to be potential contaminants to both bearing surfaces and lubricants. One method to eliminate the antistatic additives is to use electroactive polymers. The materials with the most promise for this application are the F ion implanted polyacetylene and polyparaphenylene. The characteristics and behavior of the polymers will be presented.
Relationship of Undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) and Graduate Record Examination Scores With Level II Fieldwork Performance

Date Presented 4/17/2015 Admission into occupational therapy programs is an increasingly competitive process. It is important for programs to be strategic in admitting students who will be successful in both academic and clinical requirements. The results of the study may provide an evidence-based rationale for selecting applicants.
Analysis about examination rate and its influence factors in schistosomiasis dissemination areas under control

Objective To promote the examination rate of the disease among schistosomiasis nonattainment areas. Methods Chose twelve villages from five areas of Jingmen City which were considered as investigated areas and made a survey about spread and control of the schistosomiasis and then carried out analysis on the examination rate and influence factors. Results The total examination rate was 51.77%, up to 96.25%, and showed a minimum to 27.59%. The influence factors of examination rate were mainly due to staff who went out and who refused to examination. Conclusion We need strengthen monitoring on schistosomiasis in school students and migrant workers, also we can increase inquiry check as well as promote health education to improve the compliance of the examination rate.
A comparison of ornithine decarboxylases from normal and SV40-transformed 3T3 mouse fibroblasts

Ornithine decarboxylase (L-ornithine carboxy-lyase, EC 4.1.1.17) has been purified from 3T3- and SV40-transformed 3T3 mouse fibroblasts by affinity chromatography, and the physicochemical properties of the two enzymes compared. Measured properties include molecular weight of the active species, subunit molecular weight and specific activity of the purified enzymes, kinetic parameters, thermostability, degradation rate in vivo and immunological cross-reactivity. Although crude extracts of the transformant possess more ornithine decarboxylase activity per mg of protein than the parent strain, there is no evidence for the appearance of an altered form of the enzyme in these cells. The results reported in the present paper indicate that the increased ornithine decarboxylase activity in the transformed cells is the result of higher enzyme biosynthesis de novo.