cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Escape strategies for turboprop aircraft in microburst windshear

The dynamic reponse of a P-3 aircraft and a light twin-engine turboprop to a low-level microburst encounter is modeled. The response to the microburst is depicted for various escape maneuvers. Plots of altitude, velocity, and specific energy are shown for all cases. Takeoff escape strategies are discussed. The optimal escape procedure is found to be flying a constant value of pitch angle. Constant angle of attack maneuvers sometimes result in superior performance.
Preferred Orientations for Sol-Gel Derived Plzt Thin Layers

PLZT thin layers were deposited onto various substrates by sol-gel methods, and crystallized under different conditions and substrate treatments. Relationships are given for the chemical characteristics of the substrate’s surface and the preferred orientations which develop on heat treatment. A preferred (111) orientation always developed for perovskite crystallized on Pt layers which contained Ti on the surface. This was attributed to the formation of Pt3Ti and the role of heteroepitaxial nucleation and growth sites. In addition, a preferred (100) orientation was also obtained on unarmealed Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates which were free of Ti on the surface. This was attributed to self-textured growth with flat faces striving for minimum surface energy conditions. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of interfacial chemistry on the control of texture for crystallization of PLZT thin layers on coated substrates.
A categorical data analysis of contacts with the family health clinic, Calabar, Nigeria

Abstract The relationships of population, environmental and accessiblity variables to registration and attendance by mothers of children under 6 at the Family Health Clinic in Calabar, Nigeria are investigated. The technique used to analyze the data collected is categorical data analysis which proceeds in two stages, variable selection to reduce the variable set and fitting a log-linear model to the reduced set. Details of the statistical procedures used are provided to indicate how categorical data analysis can be used as a valuable tool of analysis in medical geographical studies that employ count or frequency data. It was found that younger mothers and Ibibio women registered more often at the clinic than did their counterparts. However, if the relatively sparse data on fathers is accepted, the association between age and registration is found to be spurious and a model can be substituted which shows younger fathers and fathers who spoke a non-Efik/Ibibio language to be associated with higher clinic registration of mothers. It was further found that for registered mothers the probability of a clinic visit was decreased by mother's age, increased by distance given no travel cost, unaffected by distance given some travel cost, increased by travel cost given a short distance to the clinic and decreased by travel cost given a longer distance from the clinic. These results are discussed in relation to population characteristics such as socio-economic status, clinic procedures such as health worker activities, transportation availability in Calabar, the spatial ecology of the city and local environmental conditions.
A CROSS‐CULTURAL COMPARISON OF COMMUNICATION ABILITIES: SOME EFFECTS OF AGE, SCHOOLING, AND CULTURE*

Abstract Development of coding ability was studied in Indian villagers, schooled and unschooled, and American school children, at ages 6, 10, and 15. Children described items in an array and, at a later time, decoded both their own descriptions and the descriptions of others in their age/schooling/culture group. Two stimulus arrays were used: colors, which were familiar to Americans but not to Indians; and grains and seeds, which were familiar to Indians but not to Americans. On the color array, unschooled village children performed so poorly they could not decode their own names any better than the names of others, and little developmental change in accuracy was seen. Schooled village children, although scoring significantly lower than Americans, were similar to them in the superiority of self- to other-decoding and in age-related changes. On the grain array, unschooled villagers performed better than schooled villagers, and both village groups performed better than Americans. It was concluded that lack ...
Field trials evaluating the safety and serologic reactions of reduced-dose Brucella melitensis Rev 1 vaccination in adult sheep

Abstract Field trials of two reduced doses of Brucella melitensis Rev 1 vaccine were conducted in Portuguese Merino crossbred ewes. All ewes had been bred 73–100 days prior to vaccination. Doses of 106 and 107 Rev 1 live organisms were given subcutaneously in treatment groups of 43 ewes and 42 ewes respectively, with an additional 25 ewes maintained as non-vaccinated controls. Ewes were monitored for 20 weeks post-vaccination by clinical observation, vaginal culture to detect B. melitensis Rev 1 excretion, and repeated serologic testing by Rose Bengal, serum agglutination, Complement fixation, and rivanol tests. No difference in live lambing rates was observed between the two treatment groups or the control. No shedding of vaccine organism was detected in vaccinated ewes. Serologic reactions were stronger and persisted longer in the higher-dose treatment group. Titers fell rapidly in the vaccinated ewes, with only one ewe testing positive beyond the eighth week.
Measurement of highly forbidden optical transitions by intracavity cw dye laser spectroscopy

Abstract Intracavity cw dye laser quenching has been used to observe extremely weak optical transitions near 6300 A: the 2.0 band of the red atmospheric system of molecular oxygen and the 6,0 overtone band of HCl. Sensitivity tests indicate that band systems with oscillator strengths less than 10 −2 can be detected readily, thereby suggesting routine use for high-resolution optical spectroscopy of forbidden transitions.
Addressing Tectonic and Metamorphic Controversy in the Pakistan Himalaya

DOI = 10.3126/hjs.v5i7.1250 Himalayan Journal of Sciences Vol.5(7) (Special Issue) 2008 p.45-46
Integrated operational control and dynamic task allocation of unattended distributed sensor systems

Unattended autonomous systems of the future will involve groups of static and mobile sensors functioning in coordination to achieve overall task objectives. Such systems can be viewed as wirelessly networked unmanned heterogeneous sensor networks. We discuss a distributed heterogeneous sensing system with static sensors and mobile robots with novel control optimization algorithms for dynamic adaptation, coordinated control and end to end resource management of all sensors in response to detected events to achieve overall system goals and objectives. Our system is designed for a host of applications, such as unmediated data monitoring and record keeping of the environment, battlefield monitoring using integrated ground, ocean and air sensors, and reactive operation to threats or changing conditions, and homeland security or border/road surveillance systems where unmanned vehicles can be deployed autonomously in response to detected events. Results for large area coastal monitoring are presented. Offline results using actual modeled data from in-situ sensory measurements demonstrate how the sensor parameters can be adapted to maximize observability of a freshwater plume while ensuring that individual system components operate within their physical limitations. 1 2
Coadsorption of n-Propanol and Water on SiO2: Study of Thickness, Composition, and Structure of Binary Adsorbate Layer Using Attenuated Total Reflection Infrared (ATR-IR) and Sum Frequency Generation (SFG) Vibration Spectroscopy

The thickness and structure of the binary adsorbate layer of n-propanol and water molecules formed on fused silica at near equilibrium vapor pressure at room temperature were studied using attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR) and sum frequency generation (SFG) vibration spectroscopy. The thickness of the binary adsorbate layer on silica is kept relatively constant at ∼0.9 nm when the n-propanol vapor fraction (ypropanol) is between 0.6 and 1 and then gradually increases up to ∼6.5 nm as ypropanol decreases from 0.6 to 0 (ywater increasing from 0.4 to 1). The composition of the binary adsorbate layer as well as the n-propyl group at the adsorbate/air interface shows a drastic change at the azeotrope composition of the vapor mixture (ypropanol = 0.36). The binary mixture is propanol-rich at ypropanol > 0.36 and water-rich at ypropanol < 0.36, which is consistent with the vapor–liquid equilibrium. However, the vapor composition dependence of the adsorbate/air interface structure appear...
Industrialization Stresses, Alcohol Abuse & Substance Dependence: Differential Gender Effects in a Kenyan Rural Farming Community.

Developing countries’ industrialization and urbanization attempts have been linked to psychological distress and alcohol abuse. We used Hobfoll’s COR theory to examine the relationship between gender, perceived resource loss (an indicator of industrialization stress), and alcohol abuse and dependence in a sample of Kenyan rural village men and women (N = 186). Regression analyses indicated that both gender and COR loss predicted alcohol abuse and dependence. Additionally, results suggested that gender moderated the relationship between COR loss and alcohol dependence; such that higher COR loss scores predicted higher alcohol dependence for men, but COR loss scores did not predict alcohol dependence for women. Thus, we suggest that gender differences in substance abuse may be due less to actual differences in resource loss, but rather to gender differences in the response to resource loss. Limitations and opportunities for future research are discussed.
The impact of wives' earnings on income inequality: issues and estimates.

We estimate the extent to which rising family income inequality can be explained by changes in the earnings of married women. We develop a decomposition equation that separates single persons from married couples (decomposition by population group) and, for married couples, distinguishes the impact of wives ’ earnings from other sources of income (decomposition by income source). Despite the rising correlation between husbands’ and wives’ earnings, changes in wives ’ earnings do not explain a substantial portion of the increase in family income inequality. Our results contradict those of some previous analyses. The inconsistency of recent esti-mates can be traced to the use of a variety of conceptually different approaches in the previous literature. We clarify these approaches by explicitly distinguishing the conceptual issues, analyzing the empirical components, and providing comprehensive estimates.
Comparison of risk profile and outcomes in patients undergoing surgical and catheter-based revascularization.

Background: The effects of the randomized revascularization trials and improved strategies and techniques for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and percutaneous transluminal catheter-based revascularization (PTCR) on current patient selection and clinical outcomes are unknown. Methods: We evaluated a concurrent, contemporary (1995 to 1997), and consecutive group of patients undergoing CABG (n = 982) or PTCR (n = 939) in a single institution that participated in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI) trial. Results are presented as percent or mean ± SD. Compared to PTCR, patients undergoing CABG were older (66.2 ± 10.7 vs 62.0 ± 11.8 years, p < 0.05) with a higher incidence of hypertension (73.3% vs 52.4%, p < 0.05), diabetes (32.5% vs 23.1%, p < 0.05), active smoking (67.8% vs 27.2%, p < 0.05), prior myocardial infarction (MI) (66.8% vs 28.5%, p < 0.05), peripheral vascular disease (19.8% vs 7.7%, p < 0.05), prior cerebrovascular accident (CVA)/transient ischemic attack (TIA) (6.4% vs. 2.8%, p < 0.05), and a lower ejection fraction (48.7% ± 14.5% vs 55.3% ± 11.7%, p < 0.05). The presenting functional class and incidence of female gender were similar for both revascularization strategies. Results: Compared to patients undergoing CABG, those undergoing PTCR were more likely to have single or two vessel coronary artery disease (88.6% vs 23.1%, p < 0.001) and had fewer vessels revascularized per patient (1.08 ± 0.30 vs 3.5 ± 0.98, p < 0.001). Outcomes were comparable for CABG and PTCR with a similar incidence of death (1.0% vs 0.9%, NS), renal insufficiency (0.7% vs 0.6%, IMS), and CVA/TIA (0.9% vs 0.3%, NS). Patients undergoing CABG had a higher incidence of pulmonary complications (5.2% vs 1.0%, p < 0.05), a lower incidence of periprocedural MI (1.1% vs 4.1%, p < 0.05) and major complication (5.9% vs 9.4%, p < 0.05), but longer hospital stays (6.5 ± 5.1 vs 3.1 ± 2.6 days, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Despite higher clinical and angiographic risk profiles in patients undergoing CABG, clinical results, morbidity, and mortality were comparable to those of PTCR. With evolving techniques, continued reevaluation of indications and outcomes are necessary.
Finding the right notes: an observational study of score and recording seeking behaviors of music students

Abstract There are several complexities inherent in searching for music materials and many possible starting points both within the library and outside of it. This study uses task observation as well as interviews to determine how undergraduate and graduate music students undertake finding music scores and recordings in an academic setting. It explores what tools and search strategies music students employ, and whether they are more disposed to use YouTube or Google rather than trying to make sense of the wide array of choices and interfaces libraries offer. Results of this study show that context of the search and the end use of the materials are important factors in how and where students search.
The diversity and abundance of North American butterflies vary with habitat disturbance and geography

Aim We used data from the annual Fourth of July Butterfly Count for the years 1989–97 to examine patterns of species richness and total butterfly abundance across North America and within topographically diverse and disturbed landscapes. Location We analysed counts from 514 different locations in North America. The counts represent all areas of the USA and southern Canada, with a few Mexican sites as well, although most counts were in the eastern USA. Methods First, we standardized published count data according to the effort expended per count (total party-hours). Using regression analysis and analysis of variance, we then examined the impact of latitude, longitude, topographical relief, habitat disturbance and different climatic measures on the species richness and total abundance of butterflies per count. We also examined the abundance of exotic species in disturbed landscapes. Results Our analyses suggest that: (1) species richness is highest at low latitudes and near Rocky Mountain longitudes; (2) the total abundance of individuals is highest in northern US latitudes and Great Plains longitudes; (3) species richness but not total abundance increases with greater topographical relief; (4) species richness and diversity indices are lower in more disturbed habitats; and (5) the abundance of the introduced Pieris rapae (L.) is greater in more disturbed habitats. Main conclusions Different factors control the abundance and species richness of North American butterflies. Along with geographical location, habitat disturbance and topographical variability affect species richness. Our analysis also shows the value of broad-based monitoring regimes, such as the North American Fourth of July Butterfly Count.
Jovian satellite nomenclature

A brief review of the history of Jovian satellite nomenclature is given to indicate the background for the names proposed for the numbered satellites. The new names are consistent with established tradition and should cause minimal confusion with other named objects in the solar system.
External analyses of preference models

Using Carroll's external analysis, several studies have found that unfolding models account for more, although seldom significantly more, variance in preferences than Tucker's vector model. In studies of sociometric ratings and political preferences, the unfolding model again rarely outpredicted the vector model by a significant amount. Yet on cross-validation, the unfolding model consistently accounted for more variance. Results suggest that sometimes significance tests are less sensitive than cross-validation procedures to the small but consistent superiority of the unfolding model. Future researchers may wish to use significance tests and cross-validation techniques in comparing models.
Foods of Mountain Plovers wintering in California

Prey items were identified from the stomachs of wintering Mountain Plovers (Charadrius montanus) collected in California at the Pixley National Wildlife Refuge and Carrizo Plain Natural Area in 1991, and south of the Salton Sea in 1992. Stomach contents of the 39 birds included 2,092 different food items representing 13 orders and at least 16 families of invertebrates. Diets at each of the three locales differed greatly, with coleopterans and hymenopterans dominating the Carrizo samples, lepidopterans the Pixley samples, and coleopterans and orthopterans the Salton Sea samples. Diets of males and females were similar. These findings counter the current perception that Mountain Plover diets are specialized on coleopterans and orthopterans, and bring the species more in line as a dietary generalist/opportunist as reported for most shorebirds.
Quasi-static compaction of porous propellant beds. I. Modeling ball powder experiments with deformed spheres in a regular lattice

Abstract A simple but physically-based model describing compaction of granular energetic materials is presented for the case where the grains deform plastically. The model assumes an ideal porous bed consisting of initially uniform spherical particles arranged in a cubic lattice. As the bed is loaded, the spheres are flattened at each contact; particle volume is conserved by allowing the radius of the uncontacted portion of the particle to expand. The contact forces are approximated as a constant stress (termed Meyer yield stress) multiplied by the contact area. The equations describe compaction from the initial lattice density (point contacts) until either contact surfaces on a grain begin touching each other or second nearest neighbor interactions occur. In actual porous beds, the particles are unlikely to be arranged in any long-range regular lattice because of random packing and variations in particle shape and size. Since initial bed densities are often between those of simple and face-centered cubic lattices, a mix of these two lattices is used to approximate an actual bed. In another approach to modelling actual porous beds, average lattice parameters (for initial packing density and number of contacts per particle) are used within the generalized equations for the regular lattices. Each approach successfully models quasi-static compaction data reported previously for ball propellants.
The Flicker of Freedom: A Reply to Stump

In a fascinating article in The Journal of Ethics, Eleonore Stump contends that while the flicker of freedom defense is the best available strategy for defending the principle of alternative possibilities against the threat posed to that principle by the Frankfurt cases, the defense is ultimately unsuccessful. In this article I identify a number of difficulties with Stump’s criticism of the flicker strategy. Along the way, I also clarify various nuances of the strategy that often get overlooked, and I highlight the advantages of one version of it in particular.
Resisting Identity: Fleur Jaeggy's Life Stories

In this paper, I discuss Fleur Jaeggy's writings from her early narrative experiment Il dito in bocca (1968) to her latest short novel Proleterka (2001). Fascinated with the notion of identity formation as fluid subjectivity, Jaeggy creates imaginary existences in which time is fragmented in non-continuous segments, and personal identity is represented in the process of being molded and dissolved. Yet, the author fails to defy the notion of identity and its world of certainties and stability, for her characters, whose all-pervading selves take over the narration, suspend time in the actual moment of their storytelling, and their becoming is in fact a being once and for all. Jaeggy does not write and does not like to speak about herself, and her narrative is only vaguely autobiographical; however, by questioning the concept of identity, she voices the individual's resistance to any binding definition of his/her psychological complexity and freedom.
Nop10 Is a Conserved H/ACA snoRNP Molecular Adaptor

The H/ACA class of small nucleolar ribonucleoproteins (snoRNPs) is primarily responsible for catalyzing the isomerization of uridine to pseudouridine (Psi) in ribosomal and other cellular RNAs. Each H/ACA snoRNP consist of four conserved proteins, Cbf5 (the Psi-synthase), Gar1, Nhp2 (L7Ae in archaea) and Nop10, that assemble onto a unique RNA component (the snoRNA). The smallest of these proteins, Nop10 ( approximately 7 kDa), has an essential role in the assembly and activity of these particles and binds directly to the Psi-synthase to form the minimal active enzyme in archaea. To better understand the conserved function of this protein, we characterized the NMR structure and dynamics of Nop10 proteins from both archaea and yeast. We show that archaeal Nop10 contains a highly stable Zn2+ binding motif that is replaced in eukaryotes by a smaller meta-stable beta-hairpin, while a highly conserved and conformationally dynamic linker connects these motifs to a nascent alpha-helical structure. Our structural analysis and NMR relaxation data show that these motifs do not interact with each other and tumble independently in solution. Several residues within the archaeal Nop10 Zn2+ binding motif have clear structural and functional roles and are conserved in eukaryotes, yet remain disordered in the free yeast Nop10. We propose that the dynamic structure of Nop10 facilitates an induced-fit recognition with the H/ACA Psi-synthase and allows it to act as a molecular adaptor for guiding snoRNP assembly in similar fashion in all archaea and eukaryotic organisms.
Enabling computer-aided food process engineering: Property estimation equations for transport phenomena-based models

Abstract During processing of a food, its temperature, moisture and other compositions, structure, etc., can change, continuously changing its physical properties. Realistic simulation of food processes require dynamic estimation of the food physical properties as they continue to change during the process. Having a few data points for a few states of the material, as is true for the majority of food properties data, is not sufficient for realistic process simulations. The goal of this article is a practical one: it is to develop a concise resource for the equations that can estimate food properties as they change during processing. Such a resource should make computer-aided food product, process and equipment design one step closer to reality by making the necessary input parameters available in one location and in a format that can be readily used in a simulation software. Several equilibrium, transport and electrical properties are included. The estimation equations for any property are chosen from among the most successful and accurate, staying away from property estimators that have theoretical basis but have not been as successful for food materials. For each property, implementation of its prediction equations in a computer model has also been discussed. Accuracy of each property estimation process have been included from the literature, showing most properties can be estimated to within 10% accuracy, sufficient for modeling purposes. Having such reasonable prediction models has the important implication that unavailability of sufficient data, that is expected to be always true due to the variety and complexity of food materials and processes, is not a bottleneck for computer-aided food process engineering.
Assay of fissile materials by a cyclic method of neutron activation and delayed-neutron counting

Abstract A cyclic method of thermal neutron activation and delayed-neutron counting provides a quantitative assay that is specific, rapid, and sensitive for fissile material in solid or liquid samples. In each activation/counting cycle the sample is transferred into a thermal neutron flux for activation and then to a detector for delayed-neutron counting. Computer calculations based on specific induced fission rates of the fissile material and on the half-lives and delayed-neutron yields of six beta-emitting precursor groups are used to optimize analyses of various fissile isotopes and of natural uranium. Corrections for interferences caused by the reaction 17 O(n, p) → 17 N → β 4.4s 17 O ∗ → 16 O+n(delayed) are made by using a cross section that was measured with water enriched in 17O. For an analysis time of 10 min/sample and a thermal neutron flux of 109 n/(cm2·s), detection limits in 15 g soil samples are 0.5 ppm for natural uranium and 8 ppb for 239Pu.
Induction of Microsomal Oxidase in F1 Hybrids of a High and a Low Oxidase Housefly Strain

Microsomal oxidase activity is increased up to sixfold in dieldrin-resistant houseflies exposed to sublethal doses of dieldrin. The net increase in enzyme activity is greater in a strain initially high in oxidase activity than in a strain low in this respect, and this tendency is carried into the F1 hybrids of the strains.
Achieving peptide binding specificity and promiscuity by loops: case of the forkhead-associated domain.

The regulation of a series of cellular events requires specific protein–protein interactions, which are usually mediated by modular domains to precisely select a particular sequence from diverse partners. However, most signaling domains can bind to more than one peptide sequence. How do proteins create promiscuity from precision? Moreover, these complex interactions typically occur at the interface of a well-defined secondary structure, α helix and β sheet. However, the molecular recognition primarily controlled by loop architecture is not fully understood. To gain a deep understanding of binding selectivity and promiscuity by the conformation of loops, we chose the forkhead-associated (FHA) domain as our model system. The domain can bind to diverse peptides via various loops but only interact with sequences containing phosphothreonine (pThr). We applied molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for multiple free and bound FHA domains to study the changes in conformations and dynamics. Generally, FHA domains share a similar folding structure whereby the backbone holds the overall geometry and the variety of sidechain atoms of multiple loops creates a binding surface to target a specific partner. FHA domains determine the specificity of pThr by well-organized binding loops, which are rigid to define a phospho recognition site. The broad range of peptide recognition can be attributed to different arrangements of the loop interaction network. The moderate flexibility of the loop conformation can help access or exclude binding partners. Our work provides insights into molecular recognition in terms of binding specificity and promiscuity and helpful clues for further peptide design.
Token Reinforcement of Verbal Responses Controlled by Temporally Removed Verbal Stimuli.

Establishing control by verbal stimuli over the listener with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), of which circumscribed stimulus control is a defining feature (American Psychiatric Association 2013), may represent a formidable challenge to the typical verbal community. Without directed intervention, individuals with autism often respond indiscriminately to other people’s verbal behavior (Petursdottir et al. 2008; Sundberg and Sundberg 2011). Verbal stimuli are particularly complex, because their effects on the environment are merely temporary. Once the speaker stops speaking, the verbal stimulus no longer exists. The complexity is compounded when the listener with autism is asked to recount events that happened in the past. Within such verbal episodes, the listener with autism may emit prepotent verbal responses under disproportionate environmental control (Kenny et al. 2014). Biro and Russell (2001) define prepotent responses as “an erroneous response that is called out either by some salient feature of the environment or by some feature rendered salient through previous learning” (p. 98). For instance, when asked in the evening, “What did you eat for lunch today?”, the listener with autism may reply with what he/she would like to eat for lunch tomorrow (disproportionate mand control), by listing food items presently on the dinner table (disproportionate tact control), or with partial echolalia (e.g., “Lunch today.”; disproportionate echoic control). Consequently, the speaker’s verbal stimulus fails to exact control over the listener with autism.
Sweat electrolytes in allergic children

Abstract The concentration of chloride in the sweat of allergic children was compared with the concentration of this electrolyte in 70 normal children who were used as controls. The mean concentrations of chloride in the experimental and control groups were both within the normal physiologic range, and no significant differences were found. An unexplained variation in concentration of sweat chloride was observed in male and female children at different age periods.
The Dark Side of Taxonomic Sufficiency (TS)

Abstract Benthic invertebrates possess a number of characteristics which makes them attractive tools for monitoring pollution. This proposition has been expressed by many for a long time. Many indices, coefficients and analytic approaches have been used to measure the response of marine benthic invertebrates to contaminants. Moreover, benthic invertebrates are frequently used as `bioindicators'. Accurate taxonomic analysis must be available for the use of indicator species to be effective (Grant et al ., 1995) . The Capitella capitata sibling species complex is an example of how new information emerges about different ecophysiological responses of `siblings', and the exclusion of rare species has seriously violated results from general ecological observations and theory, leading to unacceptable losses of ecological information; the emerging practice of taxononmic sufficiency in monitoring marine benthic populations exacerbates such concerns.
Kinematical resolution of a streamer chamber for events with unobserved interaction vertex

Abstract Using simulated film data, the resolution of a streamer chamber has been studied in an experimental situation, where the interaction vertex can not be observed, and the magnetic field is nonuniform. In particular the distinction of three-constraint events from zero-constraint events was examined. The analysis of a small sample of real events, observed in a streamer chamber, renders results, consistent with those of the simulated events.
Reduction in induced pain by ultrasound may be caused by altered expression of spinal neuronal nitric oxide synthase-producing neurons

Abstract Hsieh Y-L. Reduction in induced pain by ultrasound may be caused by altered expression of spinal neuronal nitric oxide synthase-producing neurons. Objective To examine the peripheral influence of therapeutic ultrasound (US) on central spinal nociceptive modulation. Design Controlled, experimental animal trial. Setting Neuroscience laboratory of a medical university in Taiwan. Animals Ten male Wistar rats weighing 250 to 300g. Intervention To induce inflammatory arthritis, the rats were injected intracapsularly with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into the right tibiotarsal joint. Eighteen hours later, at the inflammatory phase of arthritis, US or sham-operated treatment was applied to the arthritic limb. Main Outcome Measures The numbers and distributional proportions of immunoreactive spinal neuronal nitric oxide synthase-like (nNOS-LI) neurons were assessed. Results The nNOS-LI neurons were abundant bilaterally in the L1 and L2 regions of the spinal cord areas after CFA-induced arthritis with sham-operated treatment. US treatment significantly suppressed this increase in the numbers of nNOS-LI neurons bilaterally in the superficial laminae (laminae I–II, P P P P P P Conclusions US treatment may modulate the CFA insult-induced increase in total and regional nNOS-LI neurons. I propose that the peripheral influences of US on central modulation of the spinal nociceptive processing system is important and may reflect the neuroplasticity of the spinal cord in response to peripheral input.
Tropomyosin Phosphorylation Has Filament-Level And Crossbridge-Level Effects On Actin-Myosin Interactions

The α-isoform of tropomyosin (Tm) can be phosphorylated near the C-terminus, and dephosphorylation of Tm has been shown to decrease actin-myosin ATPase rates (Heeley et al., 1989). Additionally, Tm polymerizes with adjacent Tm molecules in a head-to-tail manner. Phosphorylation of Tm might therefore influence the strength of these interactions, and thus regulate the degree of cooperative activation by myosin binding. We tested Tm phosphorylation effects by measuring the force and velocity of actin-myosin interactions at the level of single actin filaments using a combination of actin-Tm binding assays, in vitro motility assays, and a novel, high throughput laser trap assay to measure isometric force. In these assays we used purified heavy meromyosin (HMM) and actin filaments reconstituted with either natively phosphorylated or dephosphorylated Tm. Dephosphorylation of Tm did not result in significant changes in actin-Tm binding or unloaded sliding velocities. Isometric force measurements showed that thin filaments were cooperatively activated by myosin, but only when Tm was phosphorylated. When Tm was dephosphorylated, the reconstituted filaments behaved like bare actin filaments. These results suggest transmission of cooperative activation beyond one thin filament regulatory unit when Tm is phosphorylated. Moreover, Tm phosphorylation increased isometric force production ∼50% compared to bare actin filaments at intermediate HMM surface densities. In combination with sliding velocity data, this result suggests that Tm phosphorylation may have effects at the level of a single crossbridge that cannot be explained by steric hindrance. We hypothesize that Tm phosphorylation accelerates the rate of crossbridge attachment. Single molecule kinetic and force spectroscopy experiments are underway to gain insight on this possibility.
Macro distributions of plutonium in the femur of the general population and comparisons to occupational cases and animal studies

The femur samples obtained from the general populations were dissected into five different parts: the distal end (DE), distal shaft (DS), middle shaft (MS), proximal shaft (PS) and proximal end (PE). The dissections were performed in the same manner as for the persons exposed to plutonium occupationally. The concentrations of plutonium in these sections were determined by a radiochemical procedure utilizing solvent extraction and alpha-spectrometry. The preliminary results indicate that the distribution of plutonium in the femur was nonuniform and was highest in the proximal end followed by distal end.
The Decline of Barriers to Immigrant Economic and Political Rights in the American States: 1977–2001

State governments exercise significant powers to regulate the economic and social activities of resident aliens. We review the laws of the six leading states of immigrant settlement regulating access of noncitizens to 23 occupations, updating existing studies from 1946–77. Citizenship requirements for these occupations have plummeted, a change we attribute to federal court decisions, advisory opinions of state attorneys general, and state legislative and administrative action. There are numerous additional citizenship requirements in the statutes of the six states, although these appear to be poorly enforced. The authority of states to regulate their political communities is the most important remaining constitutionally valid basis of citizenship requirements. States define their political community broadly, leading to questionable exclusions of noncitizens from important activities.
Optimal open/closed-loop control of a Rayleigh beam

Optimal open/closed-loop control of a Rayleigh beam relative to a specified performance measure is investigated. A method to suppress the undesired transient beam vibrations is proposed and utilized to obtain numerical results for different problem parameters. With the assumption of a prescribed closed-loop control law, the Fourier-type open-loop optimal control law is derived in closed form through minimization of the performance measure via a calculus-of-variations technique. Numerical results presented in graphical form indicate that a feedback control mechanism may be effectively utilized in the presence of an open-loop control.
Full-Electron Ligand-to-Ligand Charge Transfer in a Compact Re(I) Complex

Ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (LLCT) states in transition metal complexes are often characterized by fractional electron transfer due to coupling of the LLCT state with many other states via the metal. We designed and characterized a compact ReI complex that displays essentially full-electron charge transfer in the LLCT excited state. The complex, [Re(DCEB)(CO)3(L)]+ (DCEB = 4,4′-dicarboxyethyl-2,2′-bipyridine), referred to as ReEBA, features two redox active ligands with strong electron accepting (DCEB) and electron donating (L is 3-dimethylaminobenzonitrile (3DMABN)) properties. The lowest energy excited state formed with a ca. 10 ps time constant and was characterized as the full-electron 3DMABN → DCEB LLCT state using time-resolved infrared spectroscopy (TRIR), transient absorption spectroscopy, and DFT computations. Analysis of a range of vibrational modes helped to assign the charge transfer characteristics of the complex. The LLCT state lifetime in ReEBA shows a strong dependence on the solvent ...
Electron-capture gas chromatography of barbituric acids and diphenylhydantoin after pentafluorobenzylation.

Abstract Alkylation of barbituric acids and diphenylhydantoin with pentafluorobenzyl bromide is described; the reaction is quantitative in the presence of excess of triethylamine. The electron-capture detector response of the derivatives is high, ranging from 2 to 8 × 10 −17 moles/sec. The derivatives demonstrate excellent peak symmetry and are well suited to quantitative analysis. The structures of the derivatives have been confirmed by mass spectrometry.
Synthesis of Gemcitabine-(C4-amide)-[anti-HER2/neu] Utilizing a UV-Photoactivated Gemcitabine Intermediate: Cytotoxic Anti-Neoplastic Activity against Chemotherapeutic-Resistant Mammary Adenocarcinoma SKBr-3.

Gemcitabine is a pyrimidine nucleoside analog that becomes triphosphorylated intracellularly where it competitively inhibits cytidine incorporation into DNA strands. Another mechanism-of-action of gemcitabine (diphosphorylated form) involves irreversible inhibition of the enzyme ribonucleotide reductase thereby preventing deoxyribonucleotide synthesis. Functioning as a potent chemotherapeutic gemcitabine promote decreases in neoplastic cell proliferation and apoptosis which is frequently found to be effective for the treatment of several leukemias and a wide spectrum of carcinomas. A brief plasma half-life in part due to rapid deamination and chemotherapeutic-resistance restricts the utility of gemcitabine in clinical oncology. Selective “targeted” delivery of gemcitabine represents a potential molecular strategy for simultaneously prolonging its plasma half-life and minimizing innocient tissues and organ systems exposure to chemotherapy. The molecular design and an organic chemistry based synthesis reaction is described that initially generates a UV-photoactivated gemcitabine intermediate. In a subsequent phase of the synthesis method the UV-photoactivated gemcitabine intermediate is covalently bonded to a monoclonal immunoglobulin yielding an end-product in the form of gemcitabine-(C4-amide)-[anti-HER2/neu]. Analysis by SDS-PAGE/chemiluminescent auto-radiography did not detect evidence of gemcitabine-(C4-amide)-[anti-HER2/neu] polymerization or degradative fragmentation while cell-ELISA demonstrated retained binding-avidity for HER2/neu trophic membrane receptor complexes highly over-expressed by chemotherapeutic-resistant mammary adenocarcinoma (SKBr-3). Compared to chemotherapeutic-resistant mammary adenocarcinoma (SKBr-3), the covalent immunochemotherapeutic, gemcitabine-(C4-amide)-[anti-HER2/neu] is anticipated to exert greater levels of cytotoxic anti-neoplastic potency against other neoplastic cell types like pancreatic carcinoma, small-cell lung carcinoma, neuroblastoma, glioblastoma, oral squamous cell carcinoma, cervical epitheliod carcinoma, or leukemia/lymphoid neoplastic cell types based on their reported sensitivity to gemcitabine and gemcitabine covalent conjugates.
N- and O-linked keratan sulfate on the hyaluronan binding region of aggrecan from mature and immature bovine cartilage.

In the hyaluronan binding region (HABR) peptide of aggrecan, there is a marked increase in the level of keratan sulfate (KS) during aging. To determine the sites of KS attachment, KS-containing peptides were prepared from HABRs from immature and mature bovine articular cartilage by digestion with trypsin or papain followed by carbohydrate analysis and peptide sequencing. KS is attached to Thr42 within loop A in mature, but not in immature, HABR. Within loop B KS is N-linked to Asn220 in both HABRs, but in the immature HABR the chains are shorter. Asn314 in loop B‘ of mature HABR is substituted either with a KS chain or with an oligosaccharide of the complex type. In immature HABR this site does not carry KS. In the interglobular domain, 2 threonine residues within the sequence TIQTVT are substituted in both calf and steer, and in steer further substitution occurs within the sequence NITEGEA, which contains a major catabolic cleavage site (Sandy, J., Neame, P. J., Boynton, R., and Flannery, C. R.(1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 8683-8685). The extreme polydispersity of mature HABR was investigated by preparing four subfractions of increasing molecular size which had essentially the same protein core, i.e. Val1-Arg367 or Val1-Arg375. The smaller species lacked the KS chains attached to loop A. These results show that KS substitution occurs within each of the disulfide-bonded loops of the HABR, that the KS may be either N- or O-linked, and that variations in the addition of KS are responsible for the polydispersity of mature HABR.
The cause and treatment of idiopathic pruritus ani.

Six common foods can cause the clinical entity called “idiopathic” pruritus ani. They are coffee, tea, cola, beer, chocolate, and tomatoes. Pruritus ani occurs in 24 to 48 hours when a patient consumes more than a threshold amount of one or more of these foods and disappears spontaneously in a few days provided the threshold is not exceeded again.
Effects of chemical modification of f2 viral coat protein on its shell-forming activity.

Abstract The coat protein of f2 bacteriophage has been modified in an attempt to determine the effects of changes in primary structure on the ability of this protein monomer to form shells in vitro. Cleavage by cyanogen bromide results in loss of ability to form shells; however, the fragments produced were active in inhibiting shell formation by unmodified protein. Reactions aimed at sulfhydryl and methionine residues resulted in precipitation of the protein monomer and attendant loss of ability to form shells. Arginine residues were reacted with phenylglyoxal hydrate: in the monomer, this prevented shell formation; although phage disintegrated upon treatment with reagent, the empty protein shells remained intact. Cleavage of the carboxyl-terminal tyrosine by carboxypeptidase produced a modified protein which was incapable of forming shells, but which prevented intact monomers from achieving the conformation necessary for shell formation. Shells and phage treated with carboxypeptidase did not release the carboxylterminal tyrosine residue.
Predicting regional neurodegeneration from the healthy brain functional connectome.

Neurodegenerative diseases target large-scale neural networks. Four competing mechanistic hypotheses have been proposed to explain network-based disease patterning: nodal stress, transneuronal spread, trophic failure, and shared vulnerability. Here, we used task-free fMRI to derive the healthy intrinsic connectivity patterns seeded by brain regions vulnerable to any of five distinct neurodegenerative diseases. These data enabled us to investigate how intrinsic connectivity in health predicts region-by-region vulnerability to disease. For each illness, specific regions emerged as critical network “epicenters” whose normal connectivity profiles most resembled the disease-associated atrophy pattern. Graph theoretical analyses in healthy subjects revealed that regions with higher total connectional flow and, more consistently, shorter functional paths to the epicenters, showed greater disease-related vulnerability. These findings best fit a transneuronal spread model of network-based vulnerability. Molecular pathological approaches may help clarify what makes each epicenter vulnerable to its targeting disease and how toxic protein species travel between networked brain structures.
Hill-Sachs lesion location: does it play a role in engagement?

To see if there is an association between engagement on physical examination (PE) and the location of the Hill-Sachs lesion (HSL) as assessed by the modified biceps angle. Sixty-two patients with a history of anterior shoulder dislocation, who underwent preoperative MRI and arthroscopy at our institution and were tested for engagement on PE, were collected. Two musculoskeletal radiologists reviewed the MR studies, noting the presence of an HSL and documenting the location of the HSL with the modified biceps angle. Statistical analysis included the Mann-Whitney (MW) test and ROC (receiver-operating characteristic) curve. Of 62 patients, there were 58 males and 4 females with a mean age of 30 (range 18–59 years). Twenty patients demonstrated engagement on PE, while 42 did not. All patients had evidence of an HSL on MRI and arthroscopy. The mean biceps angle for the engaging group was 151.5 ± 13.9°, and 142.4 ± 17.3° for the non-engaging group. The biceps angle was statistically significantly higher among patients who had engagement compared to those who did not (p = 0.027). Overall, diagnostic accuracy was highest for a biceps angle >149°, which resulted in a sensitivity of 70 % and specificity of 67 %. The modified biceps angle, as measured on MRI, was significantly higher in patients who demonstrated engagement on physical examination than in those who did not. This supports the theory that the location of the Hill-Sachs lesion may play a role in engagement and may be its most important characteristic when determining its significance.
Effect of a bulge on the subharmonic instability of subsonic boundary layers

The effect of a two-dimensional hump on the three-dimensional subharmonic instability of subsonic flow over a flat plate was investigated. The mean flow was calculated by using interacting boundary layers, thereby accounting for viscid/in viscid interactions and capturing separation bubbles. The results show that increasing the hump height produces an increase in the amplification factors of both the primary and subharmonic waves. When the hump causes separation, the growth rates of both the primary and subharmonic waves are considerably larger than those in the case of no separation. The effect of compressibili ty on reducing the amplification factors of the primary and subharmonic waves decreases as the hump height increases.