cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Renal dipeptidase: Localization and inhibition

Abstract The principle locus of porcine renal dipeptidase activity has been found to be the microsomal fraction of kidney cortex. When the microsomal preparation was incubated with the enzymes, chymotrypsin, trypsin, lipase, and ribonuclease, the peptidase was released to no greater degree than other protein components of this fraction. Treatment of the microsomal fraction with deoxycholate and sodium dodecyl sulfate led to the identification of the dipeptidase within the resulting ribosomal fraction. Relatively large-scale isolation methods applied to the preparation of renal dipeptidase resulted in an enzyme of purity comparable to that reported in previous studies. The molecular weight of the purified peptidase was estimated by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 to be approximately 90 000. The enzyme was shown to be competitively inhibited by phosphate and phosphate esters, and the inhibition demonstrated to be instantaneous and completely reversible upon dilution. A comparison of Ki values for the adenine series indicated that the effectiveness of inhibition was in the order ATP > ADP > AMP > inorganic phosphate. It is suggested that the phosphate inhibition occurs as a result of the formation of a ternary (peptidase-Zn-inhibitor) complex at the active site of the enzyme. Inhibition of renal dipeptidase by 1,10-phenanthroline was measurably time dependent and could not be completely reversed by dilution or by the addition of excess zinc ions. However, removal of chelating agent followed by dialysis against zinc containing buffers led to reversal of inhibition. It seems likely that the inhibitory effect of 1,10-phenanthroline is caused by the removal of zinc from the active site of the peptidase to produce an inactive apoenzyme. The native enzyme can be reconstituted with additional zinc to restore full activity. When the rate of peptidase-catalyzed hydrolysis of dipeptides was measured in the presence of the free amino acid components, inhibition of hydrolysis was clearly demonstrated. The amino acids with bulkier side chains were the more effective inhibitors regardless of their positions as N-terminal or C-terminal components of the substrate. There was observed a lack of esterase activity against amino acid and peptidyl esters indicating that the free carboxyl group is required for renal dipeptidase activity.
Salinity effects on zoysiagrass cultivars and experimental lines

Salt tolerant turfgrasses are highly desirable in areas associated with saline soils and/or saline irrigation waters. To determine the salt tolerance of 29 zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) experimental lines and cultivars, two greenhouse studies were conducted by means of a hydroponic culture system. Sodium chloride was gradually added to a basic nutrient solution to obtain a final salinity level of 42.5 dS m -1 . Relative salt injury, indicated by leaf firing percentage, was associated with zoysiagrass leaf length and texture. Short, fine leaf-textured zoysiagrass ('Diamond', DALZ8501, and their hybrids) were most salt tolerant, coarse leaf-textured entries (Z. japonica Steud. and their hybrids) intermediate, whereas long, fine leaf-textured entries ('Cavalier', 'Emerald', and 'Zeon') exhibited the least salt tolerance. Salinity resulted in decreased K + and increased Na + in shoots of all cultivars. Sodium content was significantly correlated with percentage of leaf firing, with Zeon, Emerald, 'DeAnza', Cavalier, and TAES4377 having the highest concentration of Na + , and TAES4357, TAES4361, and TAES4373 the lowest concentration. Most hybrids with Diamond and DALZ8501 as parents exhibited good to intermediate salinity tolerance. The broad sense heritability was 0.67, 0.50, 0.41, 0.54, and 0.40 for relative leaf firing, shoot and root growth, and Na + and K + content, respectively. Results suggest that genetic progress may be made to develop salt tolerant zoysiagrass with conventional breeding techniques.
Pressure-Driven Operation of Microfabricated Multiplexed ElectroSprays of Ionic Liquid Solutions for Space Propulsion Applications

The performance of a Multiplexed ElectroSpray (MES) system for space propulsion is studied. The need for multiplexing, i.e., operating several emitters in parallel, stems from the thrust requirements of small satellites for which such a system is well-suited. The device is composed of a microfabricated Si array of nozzles whose hydraulic impedance is increased by packing them with 2.01- $\mu{\rm m}$ silica microbeads. An extractor electrode creates a sufficiently intense electric field to establish multiple electrosprays in the cone-jet mode. Two high electric conductivity ionic liquid solutions are tested in the colloidal (drop) regime: 1) a solution of 21.5% by volume of methylammonium formate (MAF) in formamide (FA), with electric conductivity ${K}={\rm 1.8}~{\rm S}/{\rm m}$ and 2) pure ethylammonium nitrate (EAN), with ${K}={2}~{\rm S/m}$ . Using a seven-nozzle (7-MES) system, we can achieve uniformity of operation of all emitters when the viscous pressure drop in each nozzle dominates the electrodynamic pull at the capillary outlets. Time-of-flight mass spectrometry measurements and comparison of a single-nozzle (1-MES) emitter and the 7-MES system confirm that all seven emitters operate in unison, with the same average propulsive efficiency $\eta_{p}$ as a 1-MES system: $\eta_{p}=85\%$ for FA/MAF and 62% for pure EAN. $\hfill[2013\hbox{-}0170]$
Visually Preadapted Constituents of Manipulatory Action

Every two weeks infants 8 to 22 weeks old were shown two balls, one at a time. Although both balls were within reach, one was of a graspable size while the other was too large to grasp. Before the infants were capable of reaching, grasping at the midline was more likely to occur in the presence of the graspable rather than the non-graspable ball. This suggests that grasping activity is coordinated with visual information about the graspability of an object even before the infant has had experience reaching.
Optimal good-aspect-ratio coarsening for unstructured meshes

A hierarchical gradient of an unstructured mesh MO is a sequence of meshes M{sub 1},...,M{sub {kappa}} such that {vert_bar}M{sub {kappa}}{vert_bar} is smaller than a given threshold mesh size b. The gradient is well-conditioned if for each i in the range 1 {le} i {le} {kappa}, (1) A is well-shaped, namely, elements of Mi have a bounded aspect ratio; and (2) M{sub i} is a coarsened approximation of M{sub i-1}. The gradient is node-nested if the set of the nodes of M{sub i} is a subset of that of M{sub i-1}. The problem of constructing well-conditioned coarsening gradients is a key step for hierarchical and multi-level numerical calculations. In this paper, we give an algorithm for finding a well-conditioned hierarchical gradient of a two dimensional unstructured mesh. Our algorithm can be used to generate both node-nested and non-nested gradients. The gradient M{sub 1},...,M{sub {kappa}} we generate is optimal in the following sense: there exists a constant c such that for any other well-conditioned hierarchical gradient M{prime}{sub 1},{hor_ellipsis}M{prime}{sub k}, {vert_bar}M{sub i}{vert_bar} {le} c {vert_bar}M{prime}{sub i}{vert_bar}, that is, the size of the mesh at each level is smaller up to a constant factor.
Surface composition reveals icy Galilean satellites' past

The four largest satellites of Jupiter, called the Galilean satellites after their discoverer, comprise a mini-solar system. They range from Moon-sized to larger than Mercury. The innermost satellite, Io, is the most volcanically active body in our solar system. Europa, the second Galilean satellite from Jupiter, has a dense core and an ice crust, which may be underlain by a liquid water ocean. Ganymede, the third Galilean satellite, is also differentiated, with surface scars from giant impacts and wide-scale resurfacing. Callisto, the fourth satellite, appears heavily cratered and is the least differentiated of the four satellites, which means that an abundance of evidence of its early history may be preserved.
Mortality of Persons With Developmental Disabilities After Transfer Into Community Care: A 1996 Update

Abstract More than 2,000 persons with developmental disabilities have recently been transferred from California institutions into community care. Using data on 1,878 clients moved between April 199...
Impact of dogmatism on reactions to unvalidated authority and anti-authority.

Summary.-Studies establishing a positive relationship between dogmatism and reverence for authority have generally dealt with sources of authority which were both untested and unquestionable. This research demonstrated that designated authoriries who failed to behave in an authoritative manner were evaluated less favorably by 68 high than by 68 low dogmatics. In addition, "anti-authorities" who behaved in a socially acceptable manner were evaluated more favorably by high than by low dogmatics. This pattern of results is predictable if dogmatism is viewed as a general defense mechanism, with reliance-on-authority functioning to reduce anxiety. Research on a number of topics consistently supports the contention that dogmatism (Rokeach, 1960) is a general defense mechanism which functions to protect a vulnerable personality system (Vacchiano, et al., 1769). Compared with low dogmatics, high dogmatics are more anxious (Rokeach, 1960), tend to overidealize and rely heavily on authority (Vidulich & Kaiman, 1961; Kemp, 1963; McCarthy & Johnson, 1962; Norris, 1765; DiRenzo, 1967; Steffensmeier, 1974), have problems integrating and accepting novel information (Ehrlich & Lee, 1967), and exhibit characteristics indicating personal maladjustment (Vacchiano, et al., 1969). An over-reliance on and idealization of authority can be viewed as a specific defense strategy within the dogmatism syndrome. Dependence on authority reduces anxiety by providing legitimation for one's beliefs, attitudes, and behavior, by relieving one of responsibility for acts having negative outcomes and by reducing the probability of embarrassment or criticism in social encounters. However, it may be fallacious to assume that high dogmatics over-evaluate authority in every circumstance. Inferences about authority are predicated on different types of information. Authority can be an ascribed characteristic established by an actor's uniform, aspects of the social-spatial situation, or identity establishing labels. Authority can also be an achieved characteristic resulting from demonstrations of bravery, excellence, or expertise. These two authorityestablishing types of information can occur independently or in some form of mutual interaction. Unfortunately, research establishing the relationship between dogmatism and authority has ensured that the authority stimulus is both impeccable and unable behaviorally to verify the identity of authority. In most research, nuthority is ascribed by identity-conferring labels and no opportunity is provided for social contact between the dogmatic persons and the authority figure. When
Diversification improvements through news article co-occurrences

Intuition suggests that a set of companies mentioned in the same news article are more likely to be related than unrelated. For instance, an article discussing a retailer would more probably mention its competitors or supply chain partners than mention other companies with no economic connection. Correspondingly, we consider using news article co-occurrences as a means to determine company relatedness. We show that companies mentioned together frequently are more likely to have higher future stock-return correlation, and consider using this data source as a means to achieve portfolio diversification by avoiding having pairs of related companies in the portfolio. We find this approach reduces risk and can be used to improve standard approaches to diversification that use expert-defined industry taxonomies, seeking to avoid portfolio concentration in any given economic sector.
NETWORKS OF VERBAL HABITS FOR DRUGS

Abstract Opiate addicts (n = 90) were asked to give forced associations to 278 words with options for drugs, users of drugs, places of use of drugs, activities including drug use, and stages of addiction. As expected, a major association network for heroin was found and was comprised of associations to heroin, drugs similar to heroin (morphine, methadone), “junkie” (heroin user), “shooting gallery” (place to inject heroin), “hooked” (stage of addiction), drugs (as an activity), and slang names for heroin. Hooked as a status is closer to the core of the heroin habit than “kicking a habit”. Minor association networks were found for the other drugs evaluated which included Benzedrine, alcohol, “goofball” (barbiturate), and “reefer” (marijuana).
Two-Player Knock 'em Down

We analyze the two-player game of Knock 'em Down, asymptotically as the number of tokens to be knocked down becomes large. Optimal play requires mixed strategies with deviations of order $\sqrt{n}$ from the naive law-of-large numbers allocation. Upon rescaling by $\sqrt{n}$ and sending $n\to\infty$, we show that optimal play's random deviations always have bounded support and have marginal distributions that are absolutely continuous with respect to Lebesgue measure.
Metabolism of O-(2,5-dichloro-4-iodophenyl) O,O-dimethyl phosphorothioate in rats and tomato plants.

O (2,5-Dichloro-4-iodophenyl) O,O -dimethyl phosphorothioate (iodofenphos) metabolism was studied in white rats and tomato plants. Elimination of iodofenphos-32P equivalents in rat urine and feces accounted for 92% of the dose by 24 hr after oral treatment. Although traces of the oxygen analogue, O (2,5-dichloro-4-iodophenyl) O,O -dimethyl phosphate (iodofenoxon) were detected in urine samples, greater than 98% of the total radio-activity in the urine was in the form of acidic metabolites. Limited translocation into the leaves was apparent when iodofenphos-32P was injected into stems of tomato plants. The parent compound was the predominant nonionized 32P-containing material in the stems. Iodofenphos-32P equivalents in stems and leaves 32 days after injection still constituted 93.3% of the injected radioactivity. LD30 values for 3-day-old female house flies, Musca domestica L., treated topically with acetone solutions of iodofenphos and iodofenoxon were 1.3 and 3.0 ¼g/g, respectively.
Two-dimensional Meixner Random Vectors of Class {\mathcal{M}}_{L}

The paper is divided into two parts. In the first part we lay down the foundation for defining the joint annihilation–preservation–creation decomposition of a finite family of not necessarily commutative random variables, and show that this decomposition is essentially unique. In the second part we show that any two, not necessarily commutative, random variables X and Y for which the vector space spanned by the identity and their annihilation, preservation, and creation operators equipped with the bracket given by the commutator forms a Lie algebra are equivalent up to an invertible linear transformation to two independent Meixner random variables with mixed preservation operators. In particular, if X and Y commute, then they are equivalent up to an invertible linear transformation to two independent classic Meixner random variables. To show this we start with a small technical condition called “non-degeneracy”.
Case---Seagate-Quantum: Encroachment Strategies

Case Teaching Note: Interested Instructors please see the Instructor Materials page for access to the restricted materials. To maintain the integrity and usefulness of cases published in ITE, unapproved distribution of the case teaching notes and other restricted materials to any other party is prohibited.
Modeling femtosecond pulse laser damage using particle-in-cell simulations

We present, to our knowledge, the first adaptation of the particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation method for use in the study of femtosecond pulse laser damage, including the first implementation of the Morse pair-potential for PIC codes. We compare the PIC method to a wide variety of currently used modeling schemes, ranging from purely ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to semi-empirical models with many fitting parameters and show how PIC simulations can provide a complementary approach by filling the gap in theoretical methodology between the two cases. We detail the necessity and implementation of an interatomic pair-potential in PIC studies of laser damage. Finally, we use our model to treat the full laser damage process of a copper target and show that our results compare well to simple scaling laws for crater size.
An alternative sampling strategy for obtaining child health data in a reproductive health survey.

Retrospective demographic surveys typically collect substantial information about child health. This information is often collected for all children born during a specified period. For women with several young children, the interview can become quite long. To shorten the interview, some surveys have asked child health questions only for the last child born. However, data on the last birth may be biased because last children have a younger age distribution and have longer subsequent birth intervals than does the average child. In this paper, we propose an alternative approach to collecting child health data - that child health questions be asked only for a child chosen randomly from among the respondent's children younger than age five. This alternative has the advantage of keeping the interview shorter but does not lead to biased information.
Preparation of Specifically Deuterated and 13C-Labeled RNA for NMR Studies Using Enzymatic Synthesis†

The enzymatic conversion of glucose into ATP, GTP, UTP, and CTP with several different isotopic labeling patterns is described. Enzymes of the pentose phosphate pathway and enzyme-catalyzed hydrogen exchange were used to convert three types of isotopically labeled glucose into [1‘,2‘,3‘,4‘,5‘,5‘-2H6]NTPs (1−4), [3‘,4‘,5‘,5‘-2H4]UTP (5), [1‘,2‘,3‘,4‘,5‘-13C5]NTPs (6−9), and [3‘,4‘,5‘,5‘-2H4-1‘,2‘,3‘,4‘,5‘-13C5]NTPs (10−13), which were then used to synthesize a 30 nucleotide HIV TAR RNA. Representative NOESY and HSQC spectra were acquired to demonstrate the utility of the new labeling patterns. The spectral editing afforded by 2H and 13C labeling dramatically simplifies the crowded NOESY and HSQC spectra of RNA molecules. The synthetic methods described here will permit the preparation of several specifically deuterated and/or 13C-labeled forms of RNA which should be useful in NMR structural studies of large RNAs.
Transient magnetization in photoexcitation of phenazine and its heteroexcimer with fluorene

Abstract Kinetics of the transient magnetization of phenazine and its heteroexcimer accompanying pulsed photoexcitation in crystals of fluorene are reported. The measurements are made over a wide range of temperature. Transient nutation of the phenazine magnetization is observed with pulsed laser excitation. The kinetic behavior is consistent with prompt excitation of the phenazine triplet followed by formation of the excimer with conservation of component of angular momentum along the field. The excimer is not observed in a dibenzofuran host, but is observed with diminished intensity in a host containing one molecule of fluorene per five molecules of dibenzofuran, suggesting that the excimer contains only one fluorene molecule.
Skin irritation and dryness associated with two hand-hygiene regimens: soap-and-water hand washing versus hand antisepsis with an alcoholic hand gel.

OBJECTIVE To compare the frequency of skin irritation and dryness associated with using an alcoholic-hand-gel regimen for hand antisepsis versus using soap and water for hand washing. DESIGN Prospective randomized trial with crossover design. Irritation and dryness of nurses' hands were evaluated by self-assessment and by visual assessment by a study nurse. Epidermal water content of the dorsal surface of nurses' hands was estimated by measuring electrical capacitance of the skin. SETTING Miriam Hospital, a 200-bed university-affiliated teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS Thirty-two nurses working on three hospital wards participated in the trial, which lasted 6 weeks. RESULTS Self-assessment scores of skin irritation and dryness decreased slightly during the 2 weeks when nurses used the alcoholic-hand-gel regimen (mean baseline score, 2.72; mean final score, 2.0; P=.08) but increased substantially during the 2 weeks when nurses used soap and water (mean baseline score, 2.0; mean final score, 4.8; P<.0001). Visual assessment scores by the study nurse of skin irritation and dryness did not change significantly when the alcoholic-hand-gel regimen was used (mean baseline and final scores were both 0.55), but scores increased substantially when nurses used soap and water (baseline score, 0.59; mean final score, 1.21; P=.05). Epidermal water content of the dorsal surface of nurses' hands changed little when the alcoholic-hand-gel regimen was used (mean+/-standard deviation baseline electrical capacitance reading, 24.8+/-6.8; mean final reading, 25.7+/-7.3), but decreased significantly (skin became dryer) with soap-and-water hand washing (mean baseline, 25.9+/-7.5; mean final reading, 20.5+/-5.4; P=.0003). CONCLUSIONS Hand antisepsis with an alcoholic-hand-gel regimen was well tolerated and did not result in skin irritation and dryness of nurses' hands. In contrast, skin irritation and dryness increased significantly when nurses washed their hands with the unmedicated soap product available in the hospital. Newer alcoholic hand gels that are tolerated better than soap may be more acceptable to staff and may lead to improved hand-hygiene practices.
Cross-correlation-based flowmetry using optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy with a digital micromirror device

Noninvasive and accurate blood flow measurement is critical for medical diagnoses. We proposed a cross-correlationbased method to quantitatively measure transverse flow velocity, using an optical-resolution photoacoustic microscope with a digital micromirror device (DMD). The DMD alternately delivers two spatially separated laser beams to the target. The slow-time photoacoustic signal profiles measured from the two beams are cross-correlated. The magnitude and sign of the time shift in the cross-correlation profile are used to simultaneously calculate the speed and direction of transverse flow. The proposed method was first demonstrated in an aqueous suspension of microspheres flowing in capillary tubing. Using 10-μm-microspheres, transverse flows in the range of 0.50–6.84 mm/s were measured with a root-mean-squared accuracy of 0.22 mm/s. Using three different sizes of microspheres (3, 6, and 10 μm in diameter), we proved experimentally that the flow measurements were independent of the particle size for flows in the velocity range of 0.55–6.49 mm/s. We also observed an expected parabolic distribution of flow velocity along the depth direction. Finally, we used this method to measure blood flow in a mouse ear in vivo.
Kalman Filtering With Intermittent Observations: Tail Distribution and Critical Value

In this paper, we analyze the performance of Kalman filtering for discrete-time linear Gaussian systems, where packets containing observations are dropped according to a Markov process modeling a Gilbert-Elliot channel. To address the challenges incurred by the loss of packets, we give a new definition of non-degeneracy, which is essentially stronger than the classical definition of observability, but much weaker than one-step observability, which is usually used in the study of Kalman filtering with intermittent observations. We show that the trace of the Kalman estimation error covariance under intermittent observations follows a power decay law. Moreover, we are able to compute the exact decay rate for non-degenerate systems. Finally, we derive the critical value for non-degenerate systems based on the decay rate, improving upon the state of the art.
Neurogenesis in the vocalization pathway of Xenopus laevis

We examined possible contributions of neurogenesis to sex differences in the vocalization pathway of the South African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. Birthdates of neurons were obtained from autoradiograms of animals receiving tritiated thymidine from gastrulation through 1 month after metamorphosis. Thymidine availability studies showed that 80% of the [3H]-thymidine injected into embryos and tadpoles was incorporated into the DNA of dividing cells within 3 hours. We observed 3 patterns of neurogenesis: late-short, a short burst of proliferation occurred late in development in the anterior preoptic area, the ventromedial nucleus of the thalamus, and the pretrigeminal nucleus of the dorsal tegmental area of the medulla; protracted-bimodal, a prolonged period of proliferation with an early and a late peak in the number of labeled cells occurred in the ventral striatum and in the ventrolateral and posterior nuclei of the thalamus; protracted-unimodal, a prolonged period of proliferation with a single early peak occurred in the inferior reticular formation and in the medial and lateral nucleus IX-X (containing laryngeal motor neurons). There were no differences between sexes in the number of tritiated thymidine labeled cells in any nucleus. The difference in nucleus IX-X neuron number in adults does not appear to result from sex differences in the proliferation of these cells during development. Since neurons in the vocalization pathway do not exhibit androgen receptors until after neurogenesis is complete, we also conclude that androgen probably does not regulate the genesis of these cells.
Measurement of Superoxide Dismutase in Erythrocytes and Whole Blood Using Iodonitrotetrazolium Violet

Abstract A simple analytical method for superoxide dismutase (SOD) is described. It is based on the competitive reduction of a superoxide anion (O2 −) by piodonitrotetrazolium (2-[4-iodopheny]-3-[4-nitrophenyl]-5-phenyltetrazolium chloride, INT). The magnitude of inhibition of INT reduction by SOD was dependent on the rate of O2 − generation by xanthine oxidase: within the range of xanthine oxidase we have examined (2.2 – 4.4 μg/mL or 1.1 – 2.2 mU), the inhibition ranged from 49 to 64% and was inversely related to the xanthine oxidase activity. With 4.4 μg/mL of xanthine oxidase, as high as 1.0 units (0.32 μg/mL) of SOD inhibited about 50% of INT reduction, and the calibration curve derived from the INT assay correlates quite well with that of the cytochrome c method (r = 0.991). Analysis of the patient samples (n = 19) for erythrocytes SOD by both the INT and the cytochrome c methods compares reasonably well (r = 0.901). Student's t-test on the results shows no significant difference between the values o...
Oral immunization with a shiga toxin B subunit:rotavirus NSP490 fusion protein protects mice against gastroenteritis

Abstract A fusion protein containing the shiga toxin-1 B subunit (STB) linked to a 90 amino acid peptide (aa residues 86–175) from simian rotavirus (SA-11) nonstructural protein NSP4 was synthesized in Escherichia coli . Mice orally inoculated with 60 μg of STB::NSP4 90 fusion protein per dose generated higher humoral and intestinal antibody titers than mice inoculated with 30 μg of NSP4 alone. Serum anti-NSP4 IgG2a isotype titers were substantially greater than IgG1 titers, suggesting a dominant Th1 immune response. ELISA measurement of cytokines secreted from splenocytes isolated from immunized mice confirmed the STB::NSP4 90 fusion protein stimulation of a strong Th1 cell mediated immune response. Diarrhea in SA-11 rotavirus challenged neonates suckling from STB::NSP4 immunized dams was significantly reduced in severity and duration in comparison with virus challenged neonates from unimmunized mice. Together, our experiments demonstrate for the first time that the shiga toxin B subunit provides ligand mediated delivery of virus antigens to the gut-associated lymphoid tissues for enhanced stimulation of humoral and cellular responses against rotavirus gastroenteritis.
Classifying spaces and properties of finite groups

There are simple examples where the classifying spaces BG and BG’ are stably homotopic but G is not isomorphic to G’. A theorem of Nishida [16] states that if BG N BG’ then G and G’ have isomorphic Sylow p-subgroups, but much more than that is true as the following theorems indicate. Part of the structure of G can be recovered from the stable homotopy type of BG. In 1962 D. Gorenstein and J.H. Walter published the following theorem.
Stimulation by phspholipid of calcium-dependent phosphorylation of endogenous proteins from mammalian tissues

The occurrence of endogenous substrate proteins for calcium-dependent protein kinase, augmented by either phospholipid or calmodulin, was examined in extracts of several rat tissues. Pancreas, vas deferens, adrenal and liver were found to contain substrate proteins for phospholipid-sensitive protein kinase. Under the conditions utilized, only vas deferens exhibited substrate proteins for calmodulin-sensitive protein kinase. Phosphorylation of pancreatic substrate protein for phospholipid-sensitive protein kinase was rapid and highly sensitive to Ca2+, being detectable within 15 s following exposure to Ca2+ and phosphatidylserine and at concentrations of Ca2+ as low as 0.5 muM. These findings suggest that phospholipid-sensitive protein kinase system may serve to mediate some effects of Ca2+ in a variety of mammalian cell types.
Single-center experience of arch reconstruction in the setting of Norwood operation.

Background Arch reconstruction is a key part of the Norwood operation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome and is related to late morbidity. Since 2003, our surgical technique has been standardized to a right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit, arch reconstruction with homograft patch, and Damus-Kaye-Stansel anastomosis onto homograft patch, with partial or complete resection of any coarctation ridge. We studied the impact of the surgical approach on arch reinterventions and outcome. Methods A retrospective review of echocardiogram, catheterizations, and hospital records of patients who underwent stage1 reconstruction from January 2003 to December 2010 was performed. Results A total of 289 patients underwent stage 1 reconstruction during this period. Age and body weight at operation were 9.3 ± 25 days and 3.1 ± 0.6 kg. Early survival was 86%. Seventy-three patients (25%) underwent intervention for recoarctation: balloon angioplasty (n = 68) or surgical intervention (n = 11). Eighteen patients underwent multiple interventions for recoarctation. Size of ascending aorta and incomplete resection of ductal tissue were risk factors for reintervention ( p = 0.01 and p = 0.02). Patients with an ascending aorta diameter less than 2 mm had significantly higher reintervention rates ( p = 0.01). Conclusions Our standard technique for the Norwood operation has good results but further intervention for recoarctation is common. Size of ascending aorta and incomplete resection of coarctation tissue were risk factors for recoarctation. Complete resection of coarctation tissue may reduce the incidence of recoarctation. A small ascending aorta may predict late arch problems.
Polarized XANES of Co(III)(NH3)6 molecular crystals

Polarized single crystal x-ray absorption spectra have been measured for Co(NH,) (ClO,),Cl:KCl. These spectra show pronounced orientation dependence fior several features on the high energy side of the Co K absorption edge. The Co in this salt has a tri onally distorted octahedral structure with N-Co-N angles of 89.5O and 90.5 8 , hence first shell scatterers cannot account for the observed orientation dependence. As we show below, the orientation dependent features can be interpreted in terms of a singlescattering EXAFS model involvin hydrogen-bonded to the Co(NH,), & scattering from a perchlorate which is ion. Co(NH,),(ClO.,),Cl:KCl was prepared by the method of Wilson and Solomon [l] and smgle crystals were oriented by standard diffraction methods. In initial experiments, the Co(NH3)03+ molecules were oriented so that both the propagation (k) and polarization (e) vectors were contained in one of the CoN4 planes. The crystal was rotated about e *k and XANES spectra were measured every 15 degrees for a total of thirteen different orientations of e. In a second experiment, the polarization vector was oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the crystallographic 3-fold axis. In order to compare different orientations it was necessary to develop a procedure for the precise, reproducible normalization of experimental XANES spectra. In brief, this method 121 involves subtraction of a low order polynomial from the data followed by multiplication by a scale factor. The polynomial and scale factor are adjusted to maximize the agreement, both below and above the edge, with tabulated x-ray absorption cross section.
Cochlear Tuning in the Gerbil: A Comparison of Responses to Sinusoidal Amplitude Modulation and Difference Tone Stimuli

Vocalizations often have periodic variations of their acoustic waveform envelope. Two simultaneously presented frequencies have an envelope fluctuation with a frequency equal to their difference tone (DT = F2-F1). Sinusoidal amplitude modulation (SAM) of a carrier frequency also produces an envelope fluctuation. Electrical ensemble responses to DT and SAM stimuli were recorded from the gerbil's round window. The predominant frequency of the response to the DT stimuli is F2–F1; to the SAM stimuli, it is the modulation frequency. Both responses are spectrally, temporally, and dynamically non-linear. Forward masking of a low-frequency DT response produced a tuning curve (TC) with a tip at the high-stimulus frequency. Forward masker TCs of a low-frequency SAM ensemble response had tips at the high frequency of the carrier. Tip thresholds and sharpness of tuning of DT and SAM TCs are quite similar, with cochlear neurons having high characteristic frequencies providing sharply tuned information about low freque...
Strategy and calculations for the design of baffles for Wolter Type II telescopes

Spaceflight, stellar pointing telescopes require baffle systems to define the field of view and protect this observational area from stray and scattered light. In the case of near normal incidence telescope systems, the problem consists in controlling the stray/scattered radiation reaching the image plane when circular plates, the primary and secondary mirrors, are the imaging elements. The case addressed in this paper is quite different in that it involves baffling two conical surfaces, i.e., the primary and secondary mirrors of a Wolter Type II telescope. A strategy is described for systematically moving through the telescope system and establishing criteria for placement of baffles. Calculations are given which determine the size and number of permitted baffles as a function of practical physical parameters. Clear options are given for the design of minimum baffle lengths to meet packaging constraints.
The standards for conducting research on topics of immediate social relevance

Should studies with immediate social relevance be held to exceptionally high standards of scientific excellence? This question is most often raised concerning studies of racial, ethnic, or gender differences in intelligence, but there are other areas where the question is appropriate. We treat the problem as one in signal detection. We argue that there is an excellent case for requiring unusually high quality work on a topic of immediate social relevance, regardless of the outcome of the study. Whether or not a decision concerning publication of a paper should hinge on the outcome of the research raises deeper issues. Nevertheless, decisions concerning threshold for publication will be influenced by such things as a priori beliefs and estimates of the costs and benefits of publishing (or not publishing) a particular finding. We believe that these considerations should be explicit rather than leaving them implicit.
Accelerating I/O Forwarding in IBM Blue Gene/P Systems

Current leadership-class machines suffer from a significant imbalance between their computational power and their I/O bandwidth. I/O forwarding is a paradigm that attempts to bridge the increasing performance and scalability gap between the compute and I/O components of leadership-class machines to meet the requirements of data-intensive applications by shipping I/O calls from compute nodes to dedicated I/O nodes. I/O forwarding is a critical component of the I/O subsystem of the IBM Blue Gene/P supercomputer currently deployed at several leadership computing facilities. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of the existing I/O forwarding mechanisms for BG/P and identify the performance bottlenecks in the current design. We augment the I/O forwarding with two approaches: I/O scheduling using a work-queue model and asynchronous data staging. We evaluate the efficacy of our approaches using microbenchmarks and application-level benchmarks on leadership class systems.
Conductivity Measurements of Molten Bi2O3

Since Direct Carbon Fuel Cell (DCFC) requires a molten electrolyte in order to facilitate ionic contact between solid carbon fuel and electrolyte, conductivity and stability studies concerning molten bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) has been thoroughly investigated. These studies reveal that Bi2O3 exhibits high ionic conductivities at temperatures higher than 700aC and slight decrease in total conductivity under carbon dioxide environment. Also, to account for the instability under CO2 environment Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) analysis has been done. EDX analysis revealed an increase in carbon content by 50 percent per one mole of bismuth that can be attributed to possible carbonate formation.
A mediated moderation model of cigarette use among Mexican American youth.

Abstract The current study tested a model examining both the direct and mediated effects of Ethnic Cultural Norms (ECN) on cigarette use in a sample of Mexican American youth (ages 11–14; N=921). Contextual risk factors (peer smoking and family smoking) were included as potential moderators of this mediational relationship. A product of coefficient (αβ) method to test the significance of the mediated effect [Evaluation Review 17 (1993) 144.] was adapted to assess the mediation of interaction effects. Results suggested that Tobacco Avoidance Self-Efficacy mediated the protective influence of ECN on cigarette use. However, as peer smoking increased, the influence of ECN on cigarette use diminished, though it remained a significant, protective influence on cigarette use. Results are discussed in terms of the potential synergy between ECN and social influence training in tobacco preventive intervention development among youth of Latin descent.
The effect of bilateral lesions of the ventral noradrenergic bundle on endocrine-induced changes of tyrosine hydroxylase in the rat median eminence.

With the microdissection method of Palkovits, individual hypothalamic nuclei were removed from the brains of adult male rats, and the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity of each nucleus was determined 7 days after gonadectomy or thyroidectomy. Following gonadectomy, TH activity increased significantly in the median eminence with no change in the periventricular (NPV), arcuate (NARC), and dorsomedial nuclei (NDM), or medial forebrain bundle (MF). Following thyroidectomy, TH activity increased significantly in all 5 hypothalamic nuclei examined. Placement of bilateral lesions in the ventral norepinephrine bundles resulted in a greater than an 85% fall in the dopamine-β-hydroxylase activity of the median eminence, arcuate nucleus, and ventromedial nucleus, but had no effect on tyrosine hydroxylase activity measured in those same areas. Furthermore, placement of such lesions had no effect on the endocrine-induced increases of TH activity found in the median eminence following gonadectomy and thyroidectomy, but...
Junction-like magnetoresistance of intergranular tunneling in field-aligned chromium dioxide powders

The magnetic and magnetotransport properties of field-aligned half-metallic ${\mathrm{CrO}}_{2}$ powders have been studied. Needle-shaped nanoparticles of ${\mathrm{CrO}}_{2}$ have been aligned in a strong magnetic field. The aligned powder sample shows a strong anisotropy along the alignment direction. The conduction mechanism of the aligned ${\mathrm{CrO}}_{2}$ powder sample has been examined and is consistent with the intergranular spin-dependent tunneling. Negative tunneling magnetoresistance of about 41% is achieved in a small field in the vicinity of the coercive field at 5 K. The magnetoresistance (MR) versus field curve shows two well-separated narrow peaks at the coercive fields and resembles that of a magnetic tunnel junction. This junctionlike MR results from the narrow switching field distribution of the aligned powders. Our results suggest that the aligned magnetic ${\mathrm{CrO}}_{2}$ particles may find novel applications in spin-transport structures and devices.
The Math Tables Project of the work projects administration: the reluctant start of the computing era

The Mathematical Tables Project, one of the last large human computing groups, began operation in 1938 as a WPA project in New York City. Unlike preceding computing organizations, the Math Tables Project mass produced calculations using unskilled labor. Prior to 1938, most hand computing organizations used well educated computing assistants who could operate independently. Over its 10-year history, the Math Tables Project completed 28 published volumes of tables and calculations for dozens of scientific and war projects. During World War II, it acted as a general computing contractor for the Office for Scientific Research and Development and prepared LORAN Navigation Tables for the Navy. After the war, it was absorbed by the National Bureau of Standards. It proved to be a transitional institution in the history of computing, promoting mass scientific computation and developing the numeric methods that would eventually be used on electronic computers.
A Statistically Load-Weighted Probabilistic Fatigue Life Model

By interpreting traditional stress-strength interference model as a statistical average of the probability that strength (a random variable) is greater than stress (another random variable) over its whole distribution range, the same model configuration, which was conventionally applied only to the case of same system-of-units parameters (e.g., stress and strength, both are measured in MPa), was applied to more general situation of different system-of-units parameters. That is to say, the traditional model was extended to more general situations of any two variables, as long as one of the variables can be expressed as a function of the other. Further more, the probabilistic fatigue life under random stress can be predicted, with known probabilistic fatigue lives under several deterministic cyclic stress amplitudes and known distribution of the random cyclic stress amplitude. The underlying principle is that the fatigue life under random stress is equal to the statistical average of the fatigue lives under cyclic stress of deterministic amplitudes which can be considered as the samples of the random stress.
Hydrodynamic and biochemical correlates of the activation of the glucocorticoid-receptor complex.

Abstract Possible changes in the size and shape of the glucocorticoid-receptor complex (GRC) following activation remain poorly documented, due to the lability and possible activation of the receptor during the determination of these hydrodynamic parameters. In the present study molybdate was used to stabilize the GRC, thus preventing these uncontrolled transformations. Cytosol prepared from mouse whole brains was incubated for 18 h at 0–2°C with [3H]triamcinolone acetonide (± molybdate). Activation was then initiated by incubation at 22°C for variable times and quenched at 0°C by adding molybdate. The Stokes radius and sedimentation coefficient of the GRC declined from 77 A and 9.2 S before activation to 58 A and 3.8 S after activation. These measurements remained consistent after recycling GRC between sedimentation and gel filtration procedures and correspond to a 3-fold reduction in the relative molecular mass. The loss and formation of the 297 and 92 kDa species, respectively, after different durations of activation correlated nearly perfectly with increased binding of GRC to DNA-cellulose (DNA-C). The observed size change also correlated well with decreased adsorption to DEAE-cellulose filters (DE-81) and increased adsorption to glass fiber filters (GF/C). The increased adsorption to GF/C may reflect an increase in hydrophobicity which, with extended durations of activation, leads to increased aggregation and reduced binding to DNA-C, but not to a change in adsorption to DE-81. We propose that during activation the 297 kDa form of the GRC splits to form a 92 kDa species that displays an increased affinity for DNA.
Application of the 2D TOCSY-NOESY experiment to DNA assignment

The structure determination of small DNA oligomers relies on the accurate and efficient assignment of cross peaks in homonuclear 2D spectra ( 1, 2). The sequential assignment strategy for DNA relies almost solely on analysis of NOESY spectra with some additional information commonly obtained from COSY and TOCSY spectra (3-5). Unfortunately, the desire to study the structure of progressively larger DNA oligomers inevitably leads to mo lecules where the sequential assignments cannot be made solely from NOESY, COSY, and TOCSY spectra. Proton-detected heteronuclear experiments have not enjoyed the same wide application to synthetically prepared nucleic acid systems as seen for proteins due to the difficulty of obtaining 13Cand ‘5N-enriched ol igomers ( 6 ) . A recent study of a DNA triplex illustrated the difficulties that may arise when there is both a large number of unique nucleotides and a “nonstandard” structural form ( 7, 8). We found that for the DNA sequence d( GTCCGGGTAATGC ) and its complement, information from TOCSY and NOESY experiments was not sufficient to allow unamb iguous sequential assignment. This 13-base-pair mo lecule contains the specific recognition sequence for the yeast transcription factor REB 1 (9, 10). As with many biologically interesting systems, you are forced to play the hand that has been dealt with respect to spectral resolution. The large number of consecutive G-C base pairs in this mo lecule results in rather crowded base-H 1’ and base-H2’, H2” NOESY spectral regions. The HOENOE ( HOHAHA-edited NOE) experiment described by Sklenhi and Feigon is a recent example of how spectral simplification can aid the DNA assignment process ( 7). Unfortunately for the REB 1 system, the base-H 1’ region of the NOESY experiment shown in F ig. 1 was not signiticantly simplified in the HOENOE experiment (data not shown). This is not surprising since all eight cytosines contribute cross peaks to this relatively small region. In addition to a problem with general congestion, differentiation between cross peaks from CzO and C, 3, and similarly between peaks from C4 and Czl, was especially doubtful since the H6 shifts for these pairs of residues are nearly coincident. These problems were easily addressed by applying the TOCSYNOESY experiment described by Kessler et al. ( 11) . The TOCSY-NOESY experiment does add spectral complexity ( 7)) but for cytosine base-H 1’ relayed NOES these added peaks are in a relatively uncongested region near the diagonal. The additional cross
Lower Density HCFC Blown Appliance Foams

New, more stringent electrical efficiency standards for refrigerated home appliances will go into effect in 1993. In order to meet these new standards, manufacturers of appliances may have to use foams for insulation that have lower thermal conductivity values than their current production foams. In 1994, the substantial tax increase on CFC-11 used in insulating foams will likely result in the replacement of CFC-11 blown foams with HCFC blown foams. It is well known however, that HCFCs have about 25% higher thermal conductivity values than CFC-11, and drop in replacement foams with HCFCs have about 5 to 10% higher values. Miles Inc. has developed and previously published data [1] on microcell HCFC polyurethane foams that offered about 2 to 3% lower thermal conductivities than conventional CFC-11 blown production foams