cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of glycosylation-site heterogeneity using plasma desorption mass spectrometry.

Abstract Plasma desorption mass spectrometry (PD-MS) was used to assess the molecular weight heterogeneity of glycopeptides (6–12 amino acids) from each of the three N-linked glycosylation sites of bovine fetuin (R. G. Spiro (1962) J. Biol. Chem. 237 , 382–388). The glycopeptides were purified by a combination of anion exchange chromatography and reverse-phase HPLC. Since no detectable fragmentation was observed in the PD-MS of these asialoglycopeptides, the observation of multiple molecular ions could be attributed to either carbohydrate or peptide heterogeneity. Assignment of molecular ions, within 3 to 5 amu of the theoretical mass, of glycopeptides from each glycosylation site was made from amino acid composition, peptide sequence around the glycosylation sites, and previously reported triantennary oligosaccharide structures (B. Nilsson, N. E. Norden, and S. Svensson (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254 , 4545–4553). Ion groups differing in mass by one N -acetyllactosamine unit were observed in glycopeptides from the Asn-Asp and Asn-Cys sites, localizing these previously observed biantennary oligosaccharide structures (R. R. Townsend, M. R. Hardy, T. C. Wong, and Y. C. Lee (1986) Biochemistry 25 , 5716–5725; S. Takasaki and A. Kobata (1986) Biochemistry 25 , 5709–5715) to these two sites. The presence of biantennary oligosaccharides at the Asn-Asp sites could be substantiated using 1 H NMR but were not detected in the Asn-Cys glycopeptides. PD-MS was also implemented in the purification protocol for these glycopeptides and proved to be useful in assessing purity of chromatographic fractions which were mixtures of glycopeptides displaying both carbohydrate and peptide heterogeneity. A preparation scheme was developed to obtain molecular ions of desialylated glycopeptides by PD-MS.
Interaction of tRNA transcription factors with satellite I DNA from Xenopus laevis

A cloned repeat of Xenopus laevis satellite I DNA was tested for the ability to form stable complexes with tRNA transcription factors in vitro. In template exclusion studies, the satellite I DNA competed efficiently with a tRNA gene for binding of yeast RNA polymerase III transcription factors. DNase I footprinting further showed that transcription factor TF IIIC alone bound to satellite I DNA at both the A block and B block consensus promoter sequences immediately downstream from the transcription start point. The strength and position of these associations indicate that satellite I DNA is a potential site for association of the same DNA-binding proteins that activate tRNA gene transcription.
DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY WHICH DISTINGUISHES THE β-SUBUNIT OF HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN (βhCG) IN THE PRESENCE OF THE hCG

A monoclonal antibody specific for the β-subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (βhCG) has been developed which has a cross reactivity of 0.23% with intact hCG. There was no cross reactivity with other glycoprotein pituitary hormones in the range in which they might be expected to be present in serum. The Β-subunits of hFSH, hTSH and hLH did not inhibit binding of [125I]iodo-βhCG to the antibody at up to 250 ng/tube. The dissociation constant (Kd) with [125I]iodo-βhCG was 3.3 × 10-10, and the reaction had reached equilibrium within 1 h.
Resilience among women with HIV: Impact of silencing the self and socioeconomic factors.

In the U.S., women account for over a quarter of the approximately 50,000 annual new HIV diagnoses and face intersecting and ubiquitous adversities including gender inequities, sexism, poverty, violence, and limited access to quality education and employment. Women are also subjected to prescribed gender roles such as silencing their needs in interpersonal relationships, which may lessen their ability to be resilient and function adaptively following adversity. Previous studies have often highlighted the struggles encountered by women with HIV without focusing on their strengths. The present cross-sectional study investigated the relationships of silencing the self and socioeconomic factors (education, employment, and income) with resilience in a sample of women with HIV. The sample consisted of 85 women with HIV, diverse ethnic/racial groups, aged 24–65 enrolled at the Chicago site of the Women’s Interagency HIV Study in the midwestern region of the United States. Measures included the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale -10 item and the Silencing the Self Scale (STSS). Participants showed high levels of resilience. Women with lower scores on the STSS (lower self-silencing) reported significantly higher resilience compared to women with higher STSS scores. Although employment significantly related to higher resilience, silencing the self tended to predict resilience over and above the contributions of employment, income, and education. Results suggest that intervention and prevention efforts aimed at decreasing silencing the self and increasing employment opportunities may improve resilience.
Fast Algorithms for Classical Physics

Some of the recently developed fast summation methods that have arisen in scientific computing are described. These methods require an amount of work proportional to N or N log N to evaluate all pairwise interactions in an ensemble of N particles. Traditional methods, by contrast, require an amount of work proportional to N2. As a result, largescale simulations can be carried out using only modest computer resources. In combination with supercomputers, it is possible to address questions that were previously out of reach. Problems from diffusion, gravitation, and wave propagation are considered.
Conservation and diversity of eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF3.

The largest of the mammalian translation initiation factors, eIF3, consists of at least eight subunits ranging in mass from 35 to 170 kDa. eIF3 binds to the 40 S ribosome in an early step of translation initiation and promotes the binding of methionyl-tRNAi and mRNA. We report the cloning and characterization of human cDNAs encoding two of its subunits, p110 and p36. It was found that the second slowest band during polyacrylamide gel electrophresis of eIF3 subunits in sodium dodecyl sulfate contains two proteins: p110 and p116. Analysis of the cloned cDNA encoding p110 indicates that its amino acid sequence is 31% identical to that of the yeast protein, Nip1. The p116 cDNA was cloned and characterized as a human homolog of yeast Prt1, as described elsewhere (Methot, N., Rom, E., Olsen, H., and Sonenberg, N. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 1110-1116). p36 is a WD40 repeat protein, which is 46% identical to the p39 subunit of yeast eIF3 and is identical to TRIP-1, a phosphorylation substrate of the TGF-β type II receptor. The p116, p110, and p36 subunits localize on 40 S ribosomes in cells active in translation and co-immunoprecipitate with affinity-purified antibodies against the p170 subunit, showing that these proteins are integral components of eIF3. Although p36 and p116 have homologous protein subunits in yeast eIF3, the p110 homolog, Nip1, is not detected in yeast eIF3 preparations. The results indicate both conservation and diversity in eIF3 between yeast and humans.
Application of a x-Plane Design Method to the Grumman F - 14 Pitch Axis Control Problem

A specific z-plane control design technique is used to design the pitch axis controller for the Grumman F - 14 aircraft. Simulations show that the angle-of-attack (sampled-data) step response of the system satisfies the design specifications. Due to the sampling, a non-minimum phase zero is induced in the plant which makes the controller unstable. An attempt is also taken to stabilize the controller via the H? model-matching technique.
Limits on the12C to13C isotopic ratio in two white dwarfs

A search for the molecular12C13C isotopic bands in two white dwarfs is described. Spectroscopic observations of the two carbon band white dwarfs, BPM 27606 (=2153-51) andL 879-14 (=0435-08) have been obtained. These data have a resolution slightly better than 2 A, higher than usually employed for white dwarfs and cover the Δv=1 vibrational swan bands of the C2 molecule where the isotopic shift is of order 8 A. The isotopic bands have not been detected. However, upper limits to the12C:13C abundance ratio derived from the data yield12C:13C>40 for BPM 27606 and12C:13C>8 for L879-14. If these ratios are representative of the material in the interiors of the carbon band white dwarfs and taking the low upper limits on the N and O abundances relative to C, this is consistent with the carbon having been formed by the 3α process and not having undergone any subsequent mixing with H-rich material. In addition, the C2 vibrational bandheads are blueshifted, most probably by pressure shifts. This shows that the employment of higher resolutions reveals additional physical effects in the spectra of the carbon band white dwarfs that may become important for interpreting the cool end of the helium rich white dwarf sequence.
Realization of Dynamically Adaptive Weather Analysis and Forecasting in LEAD: Four Years Down the Road

Linked Environments for Atmospheric Discovery (LEAD) is a large-scale cyberinfrastructure effort in support of mesoscale meteorology. One of the primary goals of the infrastructure is support for real-time dynamic, adaptive response to severe weather. In this paper we revisit the conception of dynamic adaptivity as appeared in our 2005 DDDAS workshop paper, and discuss changes since the original conceptualization, and lessons learned in working with a complex service oriented architecture in support of data driven science.
Growth failure in children: a symptom or a disease?

One of the most important aspects of a well-child examination is an assessment of a child’s growth. Children who are failing to grow are often labeled “failure to thrive.” However, close examination of the pattern of growth on standardized growth charts often allows the caregiver to characterize the growth failure as failure to grow, failure to gain weight, or failure to grow and gain weight. Such refinement of the pattern of growth failure allows for a more specific differential diagnosis and helps to focus laboratory and radiographic evaluation.
Video image processing for nuclear safeguards

In this presentation we introduce digital video image processing and analysis systems that are being developed at Los Alamos for application to nuclear safeguards. Of specific interest are the Inventory Verification System (IVSystem), an automated materials monitoring system; the Video Time Radiation Analysis Program (VTRAP), an integrated safeguards system; VideoTech, a surveillance system designed in conjunction with EURATOM for use in international safeguards; and we introduce detector-activated predictive wavelet transform image coding used to significantly reduce the image data storage requirements for all of these unattended, remote safeguards systems.
American English usage frequencies for noun phrase and tensed sentence complement-taking verbs.

The present research documents the American English usage frequencies for 136 verbs that occur with noun phrase and tensed sentence complements (e.g., accepted, noun phrase complement: The student knew the answer yesterday, tensed sentence complement: The student knew the answer was correct). This class of verbs has been the focus of numerous empirical studies investigating how syntactic ambiguity is resolved during language comprehension (Ferreira & Henderson, 1990; Garnsey, Pearlmutter, Myers, & Lotocky, 1997; Holmes, Stowe, & Cupples, 1989; Kennedy, Murray, Jennings, & Reid, 1989; Kennison, 1995; Rayner & Frazier, 1987; Trueswell, Tanenhaus, & Kello, 1993). The frequencies for noun phrase complements, tensed sentence complements, prepositional phrase complements, infinitival complements, and other usages are provided, as well as the frequencies with which specific verbs occur with the overt complementizer that in tensed sentence complements.
A Gang Capacitor Testing Device

Testing equipment for gang capacitors for factory inspection must be simple, accurate, and reliable in operation. The test described uses two oscillating circuits, one of which is tuned by each unit of the capacitor gang in succession. The arrangement is such that the first unit acts as a standard for the other units. The zero beat method of measurement is used. The other oscillator is tuned separately and acts as a reference. The complete procedure of operation is described.
Does High-Frequency Ventilation Offer Benefits Over Conventional Ventilation in Adult Patients With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome?

High-frequency ventilation is the application of mechanical ventilation with a respiratory rate > 100 breaths/min. High-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) is the form of high-frequency ventilation most widely used in adult critical care. The principles of lung-protective ventilation have matured in parallel with the technology for HFOV. The 2 basic principles of lung-protective ventilation are the use of small tidal volume and maintenance of adequate alveolar recruitment. Research in animal models and humans demonstrate that HFOV can support gas exchange with much smaller tidal volume than can be achieved with conventional ventilation. HFOV also provides more effective lung recruitment than conventional mechanical ventilation. However, at present, evidence is lacking that survival in adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome is improved by HFOV. Although HFOV may improve P(aO(2)) in some patients, this improvement is often transitory. Available evidence does not support that pulmonary inflammation is reduced with HFOV in adult acute respiratory distress syndrome. Heavy sedation and often paralysis are necessary. The promise of HFOV as a lung-protective ventilation strategy remains attractive, but additional clinical trials are needed to determine whether this approach is superior to lung-protective ventilation with conventional mechanical ventilation.
Computerized Cognitive Training Restores Neural Activity within the Reality Monitoring Network in Schizophrenia

SUMMARY Schizophrenia patients suffer from severe cognitive deficits, such as impaired reality monitoring. Reality monitoring is the ability to distinguish the source of internal experiences from outside reality. During reality monitoring tasks, schizophrenia patients make errors identifying ‘‘I made it up’’ items, and even during accurateperformance,they show abnormally low activation of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a region that supports self-referential cognition. We administered 80 hr of computerized training of cognitive processes to schizophrenia patients and found improvement in reality monitoring that correlated with increased mPFC activity. In contrast, patients in a computer games control condition did not show any behavioral or neural improvements. Notably, recovery in mPFC activity after training was associated with improved social functioning 6 months later. These findings demonstrate that a serious behavioral deficit in schizophrenia, and its underlying neural dysfunction, can be improved by well-designed computerized cognitive training, resulting in better quality of life.
Universal Divergence Estimation for Finite-Alphabet Sources

This paper studies universal estimation of divergence from the realizations of two unknown finite-alphabet sources. Two algorithms that borrow techniques from data compression are presented. The first divergence estimator applies the Burrows-Wheeler block sorting transform to the concatenation of the two realizations; consistency of this estimator is shown for all finite-memory sources. The second divergence estimator is based on the Context Tree Weighting method; consistency is shown for all sources whose memory length does not exceed a known bound. Experimental results show that both algorithms perform similarly and outperform string-matching and plug-in methods
Multi-period cell loading and job sequencing in a cellular manufacturing system

In this paper, a multi-period cell loading problem is addressed, where the objectives are to minimise the number of tardy jobs (nT) in a multi-period planning horizon and optimise the scheduling of tardy jobs. Three cell loading and job scheduling strategies are proposed and tested with two newly developed mixed integer programming models. Additionally, three types of due dates (tight, medium and loose) and three different demand levels were considered. Finally, two tardy job assignment methods were proposed to observe the impact on nT. Case problems were solved based on minimising nT, Tmax and total tardiness (TT) objectives and cost sensitivity analysis was performed. Results indicated that, the first strategy, (early start allowance and tardy job assignment after each period) performed better in terms of nT. For the secondary objectives, tradeoffs were observed among different strategies depending on the type of due date, demand level and tardy job assignment method.
NPM phosphorylation stimulates Cdk1, overrides G2/M checkpoint and increases leukemic blasts in mice

An elevated level of nucleophosmin (NPM) is often found in actively proliferative cells including human tumors. To identify the regulatory role for NPM phosphorylation in proliferation and cell cycle control, a series of mutants targeting the consensus cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) phosphorylation sites was created to mimic or abrogate either single-site or multi-site phosphorylation. Simultaneous inactivation of two CDK phosphorylation sites at Ser10 and Ser70 (NPM-AA) induced G2/M cell cycle arrest, phosphorylation of Cdk1 at Tyr15 (Cdc2Tyr15) and increased cytoplasmic accumulation of Cdc25C. Strikingly, stress-induced Cdk1Tyr15 and Cdc25C sequestration was suppressed by expression of a phosphomimetic NPM mutant created on the same CDK sites (S10E/S70E, NPM-EE). Further analysis revealed that phosphorylation of NPM at both Ser10 and Ser70 was required for proper interaction between Cdk1 and Cdc25C. Moreover, NPM-EE directly bound to Cdc25C and prevented phosphorylation of Cdc25C at Ser216 during mitosis. Finally, NPM-EE overrided stress-induced G2/M arrest and increased leukemia blasts in a NOD/SCID xenograft model. Thus, these findings reveal a novel function of NPM on regulation of cell cycle progression, in which phosphorylation of NPM controls cell cycle progression at G2/M transition through modulation of Cdk1 and Cdc25C activities.
Segmentation of the thalamus based on BOLD frequencies affected in temporal lobe epilepsy

Objective Temporal lobe epilepsy is associated with functional changes throughout the brain, particularly including a putative seizure propagation network involving the hippocampus, insula, and thalamus. We identified a specified frequency range where functional connectivity in this network was related to duration of disease. Then, to identify specific thalamic nuclei involved in seizure propagation, we determined the subregions of the thalamus that have increased resting functional oscillations in this frequency range. Methods Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was acquired from 20 patients with unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE; 14 right and 6 left) and 20 healthy controls who were each age and gender matched to a specific patient. Wavelet-based fMRI connectivity mapping across the network was computed at each frequency to determine those frequencies where connectivity significantly decreases with duration of disease consistent with impairment due to repeated seizures. The voxel-wise power of the spontaneous blood oxygenation fluctuations of this frequency band was computed in the thalamus of each subject. Results Functional connectivity was impaired in the proposed seizure propagation network over a specific range (0.0067–0.013 Hz and 0.024–0.032 Hz) of blood oxygenation oscillations. Increased power in this frequency band (<0.032 Hz) was detected bilaterally in the pulvinar and anterior nucleus of the thalamus of healthy controls, and was increased over the ipsilateral thalamus compared to the contralateral thalamus in TLE. Significance This study identified frequencies of impaired connectivity in a TLE seizure propagation network and used them to localize the anterior nucleus and pulvinar of the thalamus as subregions most susceptible to TLE seizures. Further examinations of these frequencies in healthy and TLE subjects may provide unique information relating to the mechanism of seizure propagation and potential treatment using electrical stimulation.
Vibrational density of states of nanocrystalline Ni3Fe

Abstract We measured inelastic neutron scattering spectra for two states of Ni3Fe: firstly as milled, when the material had a characteristic nanocrystallite size of 9 nm; secondly annealed, when the material had a characteristic crystallite size of 30 nm. The nanocrystalline material showed an enhancement by a factor of two in it density of states (DOS) at energies below 15 meV, and some broadening of its longitudinal peak at 33 meV The differences between the vibrational DOSs of the nanocrystalline and annealed materials provide a difference in vibrational entropy of 0.18k B atom-1 at high temperatures.
Energy-dispersive X-ray microscopy to trace gadolinium in tissues

An electron microscopic technique, energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis, was applied to rat tissue specimens containing gadolinium diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid (DTPA). EDX spectroscopy was able to detect the characteristic radiation spectra of gadolinium from tissues in concentrations as low as 0.005 mmol per gram of tissue. A mapping algorithm allowed the detected spectra to be assigned to a specific site of origin within the tissue. This technique allows direct visualization of the location of Gd-DTPA complexes in tissues.
Supercomputing in medical imaging

It is suggested that the diagnostic imaging department of the future will make extensive use of computer networks, mass storage devices, and sophisticated workstations at which humans and machines will interact, assisted by techniques of computer vision and artificial intelligence, to achieve integration of multimodality imaging information and expert medical knowledge. Recent developments in medical imaging are described, and manipulation, display, and analysis techniques that are likely to benefit from supercomputing are examined. The following image processing tasks are discussed; restoration of images; spatial and temporal image and image sequence analysis; image restoration; mathematical image reconstruction from projections; and three-dimensional image analysis. Current trends and future efforts are discussed. >
Effects of varying dietary iron on the expression of copper deficiency in the growing rat: Anemia, ferroxidase I and II, tissue trace elements, ascorbic acid, and xanthine dehydrogenase

The effect of dietary iron on the development of copper-deficiency anemia in the growing rat was investigated. For up to 80 d, female rats (75 g) were fed purified diets containing adequate, marginal or low levels of iron, and either 0.7 or 10 ppm copper. Hemoglobin levels and factors postulated to affect liver iron mobilization, including ferroxidase (Fox) I and II, ascorbate and liver xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) were assayed. By d 7, Fox I activity in the copper-deficient groups was 10% that of the copper-sufficient groups; thereafter, Fox I activity remained low, and was not affected by dietary iron. Fox II activity in the copper-deficient groups after d 28 was 50-75% of values from rats adequate in copper. On d 49, hemoglobin levels in the copper-deficient groups were lower than in the copper-sufficient groups fed low and marginal levels of iron, but were similar to those fed adequate iron. Liver iron was similar in both groups fed adequate iron, but was higher in the copper-deficient than in the copper-sufficient rats fed low or marginal levels of iron. Copper deficiency tended to result in slightly lower ascorbate levels on d 80 at all levels of iron. Liver XDH activity tended to be lower in the copper-deficient groups than in the copper-sufficient groups on d 28 and 49. These results show that copper deficiency may impair liver iron mobilization in the growing rat if dietary iron is low. Possible mechanisms include decreased Fox activity and/or decreased iron reduction by ascorbate or XDH.
Simultaneous in-bore rail and insulator spectra from a railgun plasma armature

Absolute spectral radiance measurements have been obtained simultaneously at the rail and insulator surfaces of a 1 cm square-bore railgun. The emission spectra were obtained through the use of quartz optical fibers which penetrated both the rail and the insulator walls. The spectral characteristics of the rail and insulator emission are quite similar, but differ significantly in magnitude. A detailed plasma radiation model was used to analyze these spectra. In order to obtain reasonable agreement between the model predictions and the experimental spectra, it was necessary to assume that there existed a broadband absorbing layer at the insulator surface. This result suggests a new physical model of the plasma armature in which insulator ablation leads to significant three-dimensional flow and affects the shape of the current emission pattern on the rail surfaces. >
Impact of Power Control on Capacity of TDM-Scheduled Wireless Mesh Networks

In this paper, we consider power control as network layer problem in wireless mesh networks. The network connectivity between nodes is determined by their communication range which in turn can be controlled by adjusting the transmit power level. It is generally acknowledged that reducing transmit power levels of nodes to the minimum required to retain connectivity always increases network capacity. In this work, we show that though this is true for CSMA/CA based medium access, increasing power level of nodes can be beneficial in many cases when links are TDM-scheduled. Based on analysis and simulations, it is observed that increasing power levels of nodes (and decreasing number of hops in routing paths) results in increase of throughput in many representative traffic patterns and topologies. We characterize achievable spatial reuse and capacity with respect to power control in different topologies and traffic patterns. With increasing number of MAC protocols adopting TDMA approach, results presented here can be crucial in understanding how capacity is affected with varying levels of network connectivity.
A Climatology of Rossby Wave Breaking along the Subtropical Tropopause

Ten years (1986‐95) of global analyses from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts are used to investigate the temporal and spatial distributions of Rossby wave breaking (RWB) at 350 K along the tropopause, herein defined by the 61.5 potential vorticity (PV) unit (10 26 Km 2 s21 kg21) contours. Though many studies acknowledge RWB as an important contributor to the complex of mixing processes in the atmosphere, there exists no prior climatological study of its distribution near the tropopause. As in previous studies, RWB is identified in the global analyses by southward directed PV gradients. At 350 K, RWB along the tropopause occurs preferentially during summer over the midoceans, in relative proximity to the planetary-scale high pressure systems in the subtropics. Isentropic trajectories at 350 K show that outflow from the tops of these subtropical highs directly participates in RWB over the adjacent, downstream oceanic regions. Two regions are highlighted in this study: the North Pacific during boreal summer and the South Atlantic during austral summer. Synoptic maps of breaking Rossby waves in these regions are provided to reveal the acute tropopause folding in the meridional plane, which characteristically accompanies RWB. The rich interaction between the tropical flow and the extratropical westerly current exhibited by these cases suggests that the subtropical highs serve as important agents in the coupling between the tropical troposphere and the extratropical stratosphere. As expected from theoretical considerations, the locations where RWB occurs most frequently, known as ‘‘surf zones,’’ are shown to coexist with regionally weak time-mean wind speeds and horizontal gradients of PV at 350 K.
Maximum Sustainable Yield

Maximum sustainable yield (MSY) is a theoretical concept used extensively in fisheries science and management. In fisheries, MSY is defined as the maximum catch (in numbers or mass) that can be removed from a population over an indefinite period. The concept of MSY relies on the surplus production generated by a population that is depleted below its environmental carrying capacity. Despite many concerns about MSY, MSY remains a key paradigm in fisheries management. However, MSY has evolved from a fisheries management target to a limit on fishing mortality and biomass depletion. The concepts involved in determining MSY for fisheries are similar to concepts in forest and wildlife management.
Pressures We Face in Running Counseling Centers on College and University Campuses

Those of us who serve as directors of college and university counseling centers are facing a pair of dilemmas that seem, at least to this observer, to have been less prominent in the past. The firs...
Weather Modification Program for South Dakota

Physical and economic factors make it feasible for South Dakota to embark upon a state weather modification program to increase rain, reduce hail, and enhance knowledge concerning weather modification. Scientists have found that silver iodide seeding from aircraft in the Northern Plains can lead to more rain in the form of local showers, less hail from intense storms. They have also found that the introduction of hygroscopic materials into cumulus clouds can increase rainfall by increasing the efficiency of the precipitation process. Consequently, an amendment to South Dakota law was passed in 1971 to provide for a state program of weather modification, which sets the stage for the first program of this kind in the United States. The program should be organized to include local inputs on a decision-making level and a compromise between the short-term and long-term objectives of obtaining additional benefits and obtaining additional knowledge. Benefit-cost ratios are expected to be greater than 10:1.
Structural relaxations of thin polymer films.

Time-dependent changes of thermodynamic properties due to structural relaxations and physical aging occur in all glasses. We show that the physical aging of thin supported films of star-shaped macromolecules, with $f$ arms of length ${N}_{\mathrm{arm}}$, exhibits average aging dynamics that are sensitive to $f$ and ${N}_{\mathrm{arm}}$. Regions of the films in proximity to interfaces age at substantially different rates than the interior of the film; this is also true of linear chain systems. This behavior may be reconciled in terms of a universal picture that accounts only for changes in the local ${T}_{g}$ of the films.
ON THE APPLICABILITY OF SIMILAR FADING METHOD FOR ANALYSIS OF THE RECORDS OBTAINED BY CLOSE-SPACED RECEIVERS

In this paper, having taken into account the effects of random motion as well as anisotropy, the author derived simple analytic formulae expressing the geometrical parameters of equi-probability surface in Putter's plot of the ends of time-vectors in relation to those of equi-correlation surface introduced by Briggs, Phillips and Shinn. These formulae bring out the basic identity of the models used in the similar fading method and the correlation method. Therefore, based on these formulae, the author suggested a very quick and convenient graphical approach; it is nearly as simple as that of Piitter and yet vigorous enough to determine accurately all the parameters which can be determined by the elaborate correlation method. Moreover, in the cases for which the correlation method is not fully valid, the measured parameters of this simple method can be checked directly in accordance with the intuitive clarity of the geometrical picture in the course of drawing it.
Evidence for the involvement of β-endorphin in the human menstrual cycle

The possibility that β-endorphin, an endogenous opiate, is involved in the regulation of the menstrual cycle was examined. Daily serum β-endorphin levels, in conjunction with luteinizing hormone, progesterone, and 17β-estradiol were measured during 26 hormonally normal menstrual cycles. Twenty-one cycles showed a preovulatory peak and postovulatory trough of β-endorphin, 2 cycles had a postovulatory peak, and 3 had a postovulatory peak with sustained elevation. The raw data were standardized by conversion to “Z-scores,” and the composite values were computed for each of the three classes described above. Significance within these three classes was assessed using a one-way analysis of variance with an F-ratio at 95% confidence limits. The composite plot of the 26 cycles showed a statistically significant preovulatory peak occurring 2 days prior to the luteinizing hormone surge and a postovulatory trough of β-endorphin 5 days later. These results suggest that β-endorphins play a significant role in the neurochemical mechanisms of gonadotropin release.
THU0270 Immunosuppressive Therapy in Combination with Steroids in the Treatment of Giant Cell Arteritis

Background High glucocorticoids doses represent the standard of care in Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) 1 . Objectives The aim of the study was to assess the disease course and the adverse events in GCA patients treated with corticosteroids alone or in association with immunosuppressive drugs. Methods 47 consecutive patients with GCA, treated with conventional therapy (steroids) or with combined therapy (Methotrexate+steroids or Cyclophosphamide+steroids) were analyzed. Disease relapses (defined as recurrence of clinical symptoms and increasing of inflammation markers) and adverse events were evaluated for a mean follow-up of 30.8 months (range 12-131). Results Twenty-four patients (51.1%) were conventionally treated with glucocorticoids only, 12 (25.5%) with MTX+steroids, 11 (23.4%) with CYC+steroids. Patients treated with steroids only (“steroid”) showed more disease relapses than those treated with immunosuppressive drugs (“CYC-MTX”) (41.7% in “steroids” vs 13% in “CYC-MTX”, p=0.049). The steroid starting dose was less than 1 mg/kg/day prednisone equivalents in 21.7% of patients in the “MTX-CYC” group. The minimum steroid maintenance dose (5 mg/day of prednisone equivalents) was obtained in a mean time of 5.3±4.2 months in the “CYC-MTX” and in 10.4±6.6 months in the “steroids” (p=0.005). The adverse events recorded were two cases of pneumonia in “CYC” and one case of transaminasitis in “MTX”. The number of glucocorticoids side-effects were 19 in the “steroids” and 3 in the “CYC-MTX” subgroup. Conclusions Immunosuppressive drugs (CYC or MTX) combined with steroids, in GCA patients, could lower the risk of disease relapses and the steroid exposure and side effects, without increasing adverse events. References Mukhtyar C et al. European Vasculitis Study Group. EULAR recommendations for the management of large vessel vasculitis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2009;68:318-23. Disclosure of Interest None declared
Wave Prediction Models For Coastal Engineering Application

Publisher Summary This chapter provides a review of some state-of-the-art nearshore wave models that can be used for practical prediction in engineering studies. The chapter describes modeling philosophy, strengths, and limitations of models based on the steady state energy equation and the steady and unsteady state mass and momentum equations. Coastal engineering projects such as those dealing with wave agitation in harbors, beach protection, maintenance of navigational channels, studies of shoreline evolution, etc. typically require a detailed knowledge of the wave field in the project area. Mathematical models of wave propagation attempt to simulate the various mechanisms that induce the transformation of waves. This chapter reviews some wave models that strive to provide an acceptable mix of simplification, sophistication, and convenience of application from the standpoint of practical engineering. The purpose of this chapter is to briefly describe the overall philosophy, methodology, advantages, difficulties, and some applications of each modeling strategy. The chapter describes two kinds of wave models commonly used for coastal engineering applications: models based on the conservation of energy and models based on the conservation of mass and momentum. Both types of models can, by some rigorous or approximate method, incorporate many of the mechanisms mentioned in this chapter. Concluding remarks address some general difficulties that a practicing engineer is likely to encounter while using numerical wave models.
Non-recurrent congestion analysis using data-driven spatiotemporal approach for information construction

Abstract A systematic approach to quantify Incident-Induced Delay (IID) is proposed in this study. The paper complements existing literature by developing a data-driven method to dynamically determine the spatiotemporal extent of individual incidents. The information construction process can be further used to uncover a variety of features that are associated with any specific incidents for optimal freeway management. Additionally, this study contributes two particular highlights: secondary incident identification and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) pattern matching. Secondary incident identification, as a pre-processing for IID estimation, disentangles the convoluted influences of subsequent incidents. The proposed method uses KNN pattern matching, an essentially heuristic search process to separate the delay solely induced by incidents from the recurrent congestion. The proposed algorithm on IID quantification was implemented on Interstate 15 in the state of Utah using data obtained from 2013. Results and implications are presented. Hot spot analysis is conducted that can be potentially used for incident mitigation and to inform investment decisions. The proposed methodology is easily transferable to any traffic operation system that has access to sensor data at a corridor level.
The Nixon Doctrine and Western Europe: a ‘Genuine Partnership’?

President Nixon’s criticism of US foreign policy towards Western Europe during the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations, and the appointment of Kissinger as Assistant for National Security Affairs, generated hope in Western Europe that the US would focus on some of the apparently insoluble issues which permeated the US-West European relationship. This hope lay to a large extent in Kissinger’s conviction that the forging of a common Atlantic policy with Western Europe was the most urgent task confronting American foreign policy.1
Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Infantile Convulsions

The association of vitamin B12 deficiency and benign familial infantile convulsions (BFIC) is reported in one 4-month-old boy admitted to the University Hospital, Lund, Sweden, and in an additional 4 of 14 infants with BFIC who were found to have homocysteinuria or methylmalonic aciduria.
Modeling of Target Shadows for SAR Image Classification

A recent thrust of non-cooperative target recognition (NCTR) using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has been to complement the extraction of scattering centers by incorporating information contained in the target shadow. When classifying targets based on the shadow region alone, it is essential that an image be well clustered into its respective shadow, highlight, and background regions. To obtain the segmentation, the intensity and spatial location of a pixel are modeled as a mixture of Gaussian distributions. Expectation-maximization (EM) is used to obtain the corresponding distributions for the three regions within a given image. Anisotropic smoothing is applied to smooth the input image as well as the posterior probabilities. A representation of the shadow boundary is developed in conjunction with a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) ensemble to obtain target classification. A variety of targets from the MSTAR database are used to test the performance of both the segmentation algorithm and classification structure.
Catharsis in Therapy: Primal Therapy

Of the many different therapies presently “on the market”, perhaps the most cathartic is primal therapy. Primal therapy is the creation of Arthur Janov, a Los Angeles psychologist, and was first described in 1970 in his book, The Primal Scream. The book was a best seller with the public, and the therapy became quite the vogue for a while, with individuals such as John Lennon and James Earl Jones seeking help for their neuroses (Keerdoja, 1978).
A Community Cultural Wealth Model to Train Promotoras as Data Collectors.

The literature has documented the use of community health workers as an effective strategy to work with underserved communities. However, there is scant research on the strategies community health workers use when working in research studies. This qualitative study examines how promotoras (community health workers) implement their community cultural wealth to participate as data collectors in the control site of the Ninos Sanos, Familia Sana (Healthy Children, Healthy Family) study. Our findings indicate that promotoras implement their cultural values, knowledge, and practices to recruit study participants and facilitate the data collection process. This study has implications for the recruitment and development of culturally and relevant linguistic training targeting promotoras in Mexican-origin communities.
Low-Loss Compact Silicon Nitride Arrayed Waveguide Gratings for Photonic Integrated Circuits

We report on low-loss, low-crosstalk, and compact arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) based on a 200-nm-thick-Si3 N4-core platform. High-resolution fabrication processes realized four types of Si3N4 AWG devices: 8 channel × 200 GHz, 16 channel × 100 GHz, 16 channel × 50 GHz, and 16 channel × 25 GHz AWGs. The insertion loss values of the four devices were 1.5 dB, 1.7 dB, 1.8 dB, and 2.7 dB; the corresponding crosstalk values were –24 dB, –21 dB, –20 dB, and –13 dB; footprints were 1.8 × 0.6 mm2, 2.2 × 0.7 mm2, 3.7 × 0.7 mm2, and 6.8 × 0.7 mm2, respectively.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE IN-VITRO MATURATION OUTCOMES

Objectives : In-vitro maturation of human oocytes is becoming increasingly important in treating some aspects ol infertility. Our aim is to study the effect of concentration of recombinant follicle stimulating hormone(r-FSH) in culture media and follicle size, on oocytes maturation, fertilization, and cleavage and pregnancy rates in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.Methods; In a randomized study of 100 women in an IVF program, 50 patients with 674 germinal vesicle oocytes were allocated to study the effect of three concentrations of r-FSH (0.0, 0.075, and 7.5 IU) supplemented in culture media on oocyte maturation, fertilization, cleavage, and pregnancy rate. The remaining 50 patients produced 500 GV and were allocated to study the effect of two follicle r sizes (8-10 and 11-13 mm) on the same parameters as above. Results; Oocyte maturation rate significantly (P < 0.05) increased from 47% at 0.0 (control) to 81 and 83% at 0.075 and 7.5 lU/ml of r-FSH concentration, respectively. Fertilization, cleavage, and clinical pregnancy rates showed a similar trend and significantly increased from 45 to 83 and 80%; from 32 to 80 and 77% and from 0 to 17 and 14% at the three r-FSH concentrations, respectively. The results however showed that increasing r-FSH concentration to more than 0.075 IU did not further improve the rates of the above parameters even when the concentration was increased 100 folds.Follicular size on the other hand showed significant (P<0.05) increase on the above parameters. Oocytes retrieved from 11-13 mm follicles showed higher rates of maturation, fertilization, cleavage, and pregnancy, than those retrieved from 8-10 mm follicles. The above parameters increased from 48 to 70%; from 54 to 76% from 64 to 68%, and from I to 22.5%, respectively.Conclusion: The results suggested that r-FSH supplementation in the culture media with a concentration of 0.075 IU was optimum in the present study and improving GV maturation, fertilization, cleavage and pregnancy rate. The results also showed that oocytes recovered from follicles with 11-13 mm in diameter provided higher maturation rates and a better subsequent developmental competence than those retrieved from smaller follicles of 8-10 mm diameter.
Faculty technology beliefs and practices in teacher preparation through a TPaCK lens

Due to the importance of technology to student learning, technology has become a vital part of teacher education programs across the country. In order to fully understand technology integration in teacher education, it is important to examine current faculty technology integration practices. This study examined how this faculty infused technology into their education courses in an effort to train teacher candidates to be successful digital educators.
Experimental Investigation on the Dynamic Icing Process over a Rotating Propeller Model

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the dynamic ice accretion process over the blade surfaces of a rotating propeller model for unmanned-aerial-system (UAS) applications. In addition...
Are There People Who Do Not Need to Lose Weight: The Role of Body Fat Distribution and Implications from Diabetes Research

A number of studies indicate that both overall adiposity and upper body adiposity predict the incidence of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (Ohlson, Larrson, Svardsudd, Welin, Ericksson, Wihelmson, Bjorntorp, & Tibblin, 1985; Haffner, Stern, Mitchell, Hazuda, & Patterson, 1990, Bergstorm, Newell-Morris, Leonetti, Shuman, Wahl, & Fujimoto, 1990; Lundgran, Bengtsson, Blohme, Lapidus, & Sjostrom, 1989). The mechanism of the increased risk of overall adiposity and an adverse body fat distribution is increased insulin resistance and the resultant hyperinsulinemia (Kissebah, Vydelingum, Murray, Evans, Jartz, Kalkhoff, & Adams, 1982, Krotkiewski, Bjorntorp, Sjostrom, & Smith, 1983). Relatively few studies have been large enough to examine whether the effect of obesity and body fat distribution are additive in their effect on diabetes. Since the effect of an adverse body fat distribution may be greater than the effect of overall adiposity on insulin resistance (Ibid), we postulated that obese individuals with a favorable body fat distribution might be relatively spared from the risk of diabetes in the 8-year follow-up of the San Antonio Heart Study.
Androgens in Penile Development, Penile Erection, and Erectile Dysfunction

Simply stated, androgens are essential for normal penile development. However, the exact molecular mechanisms by which androgens affect the formation of the penis remain largely unknown. In this chapter, we will review the embryology of the penis and our current, but limited, understanding of the role of androgens in the development of the penis.
Three Other R's: Recognition, Reward and Resentment

OVERVIEW:Is your research productivity slipping? Are new, creative ideas missing? Is your staff less than enthusiastic about your latest management plan? If so, it could be that your recognition and reward systems are out of touch with what you are trying to achieve. All organizations are faced with the “Three Other Rs.” How management deals with them will ultimately decide an organization's future. It is important to properly select the recipients, and properly select and present the recognition and/or reward. Inattention to any one of these aspects will negate the whole process. Even worse, lack of appropriate recognition and rewards can result in scientist or engineer resentment due to perceived unfair treatment. Proper attention to recognition and rewards can lead to a vibrant, high quality, productive organization with high morale.