cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exogenous peptides enter the endoplasmic reticulum of TAP-deficient cells and induce the maturation of nascent MHC class I molecules.

MHC class I molecules assemble within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in complexes that include beta2-microglobulin (beta(2)m), the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP)and several additional chaperones. Release of class I complexes from the ER is thought to require the binding of an appropriate endogenous peptide, predominantly delivered from the cytosol to the ER by TAP. It was recently demonstrated that exogenous synthetic peptide could 'directly' enter the ER of intact cells, independently of TAP function, and bind to the class I molecule H-2K(b).In TAP-deficient cells, we show that nascent K(b) or K(b)-L(d) chimeric molecules have a high trafficking background; 50-80% of these class I molecules are released from the ER independently of TAP function or the addition of exogenous peptide. The addition of exogenous K(b) cognate peptides enhanced the release of these class I molecules only slightly over the high background. The chimeric class I-b molecule, M3-L(d), differs from K(b)-L(d) only in its peptide binding domains, and M3-L(d) preferentially binds N-formylated peptides, which are rare in eukaryotic cells. Release of M3-L(d) from the ER in the absence of exogenous peptide was negligible. Addition of exogenous formylated peptides induced significant trafficking and surface expression of M3-L(d). These observations suggest that peptide binding is necessary for class I release from the ER even in TAP-deficient cells. These results demonstrate that exogenous peptide not only enters the ER of intact cells independently of TAP but also functionally induces class I antigen presentation.
MCMC Estimation of Multi-locus Genome Sharing and Multipoint Gene Location Scores

La detection efficace de liaisons et la cartographie genique suppose l'analyse simultanee de donnees provenant de membres de lignees etendues, cela pour plusieurs marqueurs genetiques. Un calcul de vraisemblance exact est souvent impossible, mais une methode de Monte-Carlo par chaines de Markov permet l'estimation de probabilites a posteriori conditionnelles: probabilite qu'une partie de genome soit commune a deux parents, sachant quels marqueurs genetiques les caracterisent. La methode permet aussi en principe d'estimer les courbes de score pour les differentes positions de liaisons, mais en pratique, un echantillonneur efficace est difficile a obtenir. Bien que l'echantillonneur de Gibbs pour la meiose complete donne de bons resultats dans certains cas, pour des lignees etendues et des marqueurs etroitement lies, de meilleures procedures d'echantillonnage sont necessaires. Toutefois, utiliser un echantillonneur de Gibbs comme proposition (distribution initiale) dans un algorithme de Metropolis-Hastings permet de prendre en compte les interferences genetiques dans l'analyse.
Feedback controller for a flexible structure using piezoceramic actuators

Piezoceramic actuators are used to design control laws for an LQR control of a slewing beam. Convergent functional gains are obtained and time responses of the closed loop system are presented. It is shown that the piezoceramic actuators significantly reduce the small amplitude high frequency oscilations in the closed loop response of the system.
Early Palliative Care in Advanced Lung Cancer: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND Early ambulatory palliative care (PC) is an emerging practice, and its key elements have not been defined. We conducted a qualitative analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial that demonstrated improved quality of life, mood, and survival in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who received early PC integrated with standard oncologic care vs standard oncologic care alone. Our objectives were to (1) identify key elements of early PC clinic visits, (2) explore the timing of key elements, and (3) compare the content of PC and oncologic visit notes at the critical time points of clinical deterioration and radiographic disease progression. METHODS We randomly selected 20 patients who received early PC and survived within 4 periods: less than 3 months (n = 5), 3 to 6 months (n = 5), 6 to 12 months (n = 5), and 12 to 24 months (n = 5). We performed content analysis on PC and oncologic visit notes from the electronic health records of these patients. RESULTS Addressing symptoms and coping were the most prevalent components of the PC clinic visits. Initial visits focused on building relationships and rapport with patients and their families and on illness understanding, including prognostic awareness. Discussions about resuscitation preferences and hospice predominantly occurred during later visits. Comparing PC and oncologic care visits around critical time points, both included discussions about symptoms and illness status; however, PC visits emphasized psychosocial elements, such as coping, whereas oncologic care visits focused on cancer treatment and management of medical complications. CONCLUSIONS Early PC clinic visits emphasize managing symptoms, strengthening coping, and cultivating illness understanding and prognostic awareness in a responsive and time-sensitive model. During critical clinical time points, PC and oncologic care visits have distinct features that suggest a key role for PC involvement and enable oncologists to focus on cancer treatment and managing medical complications.
Risk management in local communities

This article discusses the current state of risk-management practices in local communities in the United States and offers some alternatives to present policies, which are mainly implicit rather than explicit attempts to limit overall risks of death and injury due to technological and natural causes. The article is divided into three sections. The first discusses the concept of risk-management as presently used in local government. The second section results from a limited survey of local risk-managers. The third section offers some policy alternatives. While generalization is itself risky, all of our observations point toward the conclusion that local government officials have little understanding of, hence little concern for, the quantity of risk posed for citizens by various hazards. If it seems desirable to place risk-management decisions in the hands of local officials, then some capacity for risk quantification, hence comparison, must be developed. The bulk of the policy suggestions at the end of this article concerns possible means through which this capacity might be augmented.
Structure of aura and co-occurrence matrices for the Gibbs texture model

The aura matrix of an image indicates how much of each gray level is present in the neighborhood of each other gray level and generalizes the popular texture-analysis tool, the co-occurrence matrix. In this paper we show that interesting structure appears in both the aura and co-occurrence matrices for textures that are synthesized from Gibbs random-field models. We derive this structure by characterizing configurations of the distribution that are most likely to be synthesized when the Gibbs energy is minimized. This minimization is an important part of applications that use the Gibbs model within a Bayesian estimation framework for maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation. In particular, we show that the aura matrix will become tridiagonal for an attractive autobinomial field when suitable constraints exist on the histogram, neighborhood, and image sizes. Under the same constraints, but where the field is repulsive instead of attractive, the matrix will become antitridiagonal. The interpretation of this structure is especially significant for modeling textures with minimum-energy configurations: zeros in the matrix prohibit certain colors from occurring next to each other, thus prohibiting large classes of textures from being formed.
Motives associated to graphs

A report on recent results and outstanding problems concerning motives associated to graphs.
Quantum structural parameters for electron- and hole-carrying copper oxide superconductors.

We report a quantum structural (Villars-Phillips) parameter study of Nd-Ce-Cu-O electron superconductors with and without zinc doping. Parameters for electron- and hole-carrying superconductors of similar composition were compared and implications for the mechanism of superconductivity are discussed.
The Use of Stentrievers in Acute Ischemic Stroke: Performance Evaluation in a Patient-Specific Vascular Replica

Expedited revascularization through pharmacologic dissolution and/or mechanical thrombectomy is the principle goal of treatment of ischemic stroke [1]. Pharmacologic therapy consists of intravenous thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator and is limited by a narrow time window within which to administer the medication, resulting in less than 10% utilization in stroke patients. Mechanical thrombectomy provides another option for flow recanalization. Four thrombectomy devices are cleared by the FDA to restore blood flow in ischemic stroke patients, namely, the Merci retriever, the Penumbra aspiration system, the Solitaire FR revascularization device, and the Trevo device. While several completed and ongoing clinical trials have shown enhancement in the design of thrombectomy devices and increase in recanalization rate [2–4], the recanalization rate and, more importantly, the clinical outcome achieved with current thrombectomy devices still remain to be optimized.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Natural convection of water in a rectangular cavity including density inversion

Abstract Two-dimensional natural convection in water with density inversion is studied numerically in a rectangular cavity. The non-Boussinesq parabolic density-temperature relationship is incorporated in a finite element model. Numerical results are obtained for Rayleigh numbers up to 10 6 . The evolution of the temperature field and flow pattern show that density inversion and initial location of the maximum density surface within the liquid have a determining effect on convection character. The investigation of aspect ratio on flow character is also presented. It is found that interactive convection across the density inversion surface is dependent on aspect ratio and Rayleigh number.
Vertical Integration in the British Cotton Industry, 1825–1850: a Revision

The paper examines changes in the organization of the British cotton industry from 1825 to 1850 in its core region of Lancashire and northeast Cheshire, using new data to delineate patterns of integration, specialization, and the adoption of new technology. The industry is usually assumed to have progressed from a rather specialized structure in 1825 to a highly integrated structure in 1850; much of the literature is devoted to explaining this trend. No such trend occurred, however, and the explanations are incorrect. An alternative view, focusing on technical change and profitability in spinning and weaving, is outlined briefly. ONE cannot read the history of the nineteenth-century British cotton textile industry without learning of the sharp reversal of trend in industry structure in the 1850s: from the 1820s to 1850 the industry became more integrated, as progressively higher proportions of employment and output were concentrated in mills combining weaving with spinning; after 1850, the industry became more specialized, functionally and geographically, and by the 1880s the single-process sectors had more spinning or more weaving capacity than the integrated sector. 1 The trend after 1850 is indisputable. The trend before 1850 is a fiction, resulting from a misreading of the evidence by previous scholars, who then sought explanations for a phenomenon which, in essence, did not occur.2
Personalized normative feedback for depression symptoms: a qualitative pilot study of female undergraduates.

This pilot study explored students’ responses to feedback about their own and their peers’ depression symptoms. The study also examined how experiences with the normative feedback might vary according to academic exposure to depression-related topics. For 9 weeks, female undergraduates (N = 73) completed a weekly web-based version of the 8-item Patient Health Questionnaire, which gauges depression symptom levels. Next, they participated in semi-structured face-to-face interviews where they responded to the personalized normative feedback. The interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed. Students responded favorably to the feedback and without notable distress. The feedback increased students’ awareness of their own depression symptoms and those of their peers. Those with higher academic exposure to depression-related topics were more likely to have accurate perceptions of their peers’ depression symptoms and were less likely to be surprised by information in the feedback than students with less exposure. Personalized normative feedback for depression symptoms has potential as an effective tool for promoting more accurate views of personal and peer depression symptoms and reducing barriers to help-seeking. Students with less academic exposure to depression-related topics may benefit from increased knowledge of how to gauge their own depression symptoms and increased awareness of their peers’ symptoms. Further research is needed to more fully evaluate the effects of this feedback and to directly assess the effects of this feedback on help-seeking behaviors.
Statistical-Mechanical Theory of Transport in Fluids

A statistical-mechanical theory of transport processes in fluids of $g$ components is presented on the assumption that the macroscopic state of the system can be described by one velocity, one temperature, and $g$ mass-density fields. The formulation is based on the explicit recognition of the fact that there are two relaxation processes in fluids: one is the macroscopic process of attaining spatial uniformity and is represented by the hydrodynamical equations, whereas the other is the microscopic process of attaining internal thermal equilibrium in small mass elements of macroscopic size and determines the transport coefficients. For instance, in dilute gases the microscopic process is the relaxation process in momentum space. The coupling of the two processes is investigated to obtain the dissipative terms in the transport equations with the aid of the correlation function method outlined in a previous paper. The hydrodynamic equations, the equation of entropy balance, and the linear relations between the thermodynamic fluxes and affinities are thus derived with explicit expressions for the coefficients of viscosity, thermal conductivity, and diffusion, which are valid for liquids as well as for gases. The classical limits of these expressions, $\ensuremath{\hbar}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$, are somewhat different from those obtained by Green for classical mechanical systems.
A stereologic study of the plantar fat pad in young and aged rats.

Plantar fat pad (PFP) is a tissue structure that absorbs the initial impact of walking and running and ultimately bears body weight at standing. This study was designed to quantify the histomorphological changes of the PFP in aged rats. The most medial PFP was dissected from the hind feet of young rats (4 months old, n = 6) and aged rats (24 months old, n = 6). Histological structure and cellular senescence of PFP were analyzed stereologically and histomorphometrically. Immunohistochemistry of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) was also performed on PFP tissue sections. Compared with young rats, the thickness of epidermis, dermis and septa of the PFP were significantly reduced in the aged rats. The total volume of adipose tissue in the PFP of aged rats was only about 65% of that in the young rats. The microvascular density and the number of fat pad units (FPU), a cluster of adipocytes enclosed by elastin septa, in the PFP were unchanged in the aged rats. In the aged rats, the number of adipocytes per FPU was reduced but the number of simple adipocyte clusters, without surrounding septa, was increased. The shift of the types of adipocyte clusters in the aged PFP was accompanied by degradation of elastin fibers and increased expression of MMP9. In conclusion, the PFP, particularly the elastic septa, degenerates significantly in aged rats and this may contribute to the pathology of PFP-related diseases.
A note on fan's identity for symmetric bilinear forms

Abstract The identity recently discovered by Ky Fan is shown to be a combination of shorter identities expressing determinants that vanish.
Multidimensional HLLE Riemann solver: Application to Euler and magnetohydrodynamic flows

Abstract In this work we present a general strategy for constructing multidimensional HLLE Riemann solvers, with particular attention paid to detailing the two-dimensional HLLE Riemann solver. This is accomplished by introducing a constant resolved state between the states being considered, which introduces sufficient dissipation for systems of conservation laws. Closed form expressions for the resolved fluxes are also provided to facilitate numerical implementation. The Riemann solver is proved to be positively conservative for the density variable; the positivity of the pressure variable has been demonstrated for Euler flows when the divergence in the fluid velocities is suitably restricted so as to prevent the formation of cavitation in the flow. We also focus on the construction of multidimensionally upwinded electric fields for divergence-free magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) flows. A robust and efficient second order accurate numerical scheme for two and three-dimensional Euler and MHD flows is presented. The scheme is built on the current multidimensional Riemann solver and has been implemented in the author’s RIEMANN code. The number of zones updated per second by this scheme on a modern processor is shown to be cost-competitive with schemes that are based on a one-dimensional Riemann solver. However, the present scheme permits larger timesteps. Accuracy analysis for multidimensional Euler and MHD problems shows that the scheme meets its design accuracy. Several stringent test problems involving Euler and MHD flows are also presented and the scheme is shown to perform robustly on all of them.
Towards establishing and maintaining autonomous quadrotor formations

Autonomous aerial formations of multiple quadrotors can be used for payload manipulation and surveillance, and often require an external system for computation or control, in order to be decentralized. By having centrally controlled quadrotors, swarm applications can be realized without the limitations of an external system. In this paper, an algorithm is proposed to establish a swarm formation of centrally controlled quadrotors. First, a method of localization and motion planning is discussed for a single quadrotor. Next, the behavior of quadrotor swarm formations with centralized control is described. Lastly, the future direction of this research is explained.
The Rate of Interest Under Ideal Conditions

Implications of Ideal Conditions, 286. — Entrepreneurial behavior with a given rate of interest, 287. — Individual behavior with a given rate of interest, 290. — The identity between Saving and Investment, 292. — The determination of the rate of interest, 295. — Distinguishable components of the process of capital growth, 296. — The assumption of perfect certainty, 297.
Professional, Personal, and Popular Culture Perspectives on Addiction

This article presents three vantage points from which to observe the phenomenon of addiction—the professional models of social science; the lay models of popular culture; and the personal understandings of the author, a social scientist, dweller in popular culture, and recovering addict. Throughout the narrative, attempts are made both to humanize the comprehension of addiction and its very frequent companion, mental illness, and to challenge the reader to engage in emotional and moral discourse regarding the nature of this all-too-human and all-too-common malady.
Increasing the safety of children's vehicle travel: from effective risk communication to behavior change.

Introduction: When installed and used correctly, child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers. However, four out of five safety seats are unintentionally misused. Yet, parents fail to participate in safety-seat checks and other child seat interventions aimed at correcting misuse. Method: Such lack of participation is the focus of this article, which argues that most caregivers are naive to their own vulnerability for misusing their child's seat. Research on risk perception is discussed as a guide to understanding both the high misuse rate and the lack of participation in interventions designed to correct this public safety problem. Results and Impact: A comprehensive intervention plan that incorporates risk communication techniques for maximum parental participation is proposed that includes three essential components: (a) establishing community locations for parents to turn for safety seat advice, (b) making these locations well known to the public, and (c) increasing caregivers' perceptions of risk of misusing their children's seats.
l-glutamine and d-glucose uptake by developing endosperms of maize

Abstract Developing maize (Zea mays) kernels were incubated with l -[G-3H]glutamine and d -[U-14C]glucose to characterize mechanisms of amino acid and sugar uptake by the endosperm tissue. The results indicate that mechanisms Of l -glutamine uptake are different from those of d -glucose. In contrast to d -glucose uptake, l -glutamine uptake showed substrate-saturable kinetics and was inhibited by metabolic inhibitors and protein reagents. The pH optimum for l -glutamine uptake(pH 5.0–5.5) was lower than the optimum of d -glucose uptake (pH 7). EDTA (10mM) stimulated l -glutamine uptake but inhibited d -glucose uptake. The uptake of d -glucose is not a simple diffusion process. l -Glucose, a stereoisomer of d -glucose, was taken up by endosperms at a much slower rate than was d -glucose, indicating a high degree of specificity of the sugar uptake system. The involvement of basal endosperm transfer cells in transport of assimilates into developing maize endosperms is discussed.
The experiences of foster children and youth in special education.

AbstractBackground Although a large number of children in foster care in the United States are receiving special education services, little is known about their educational experiences.Method This exploratory study used focus group research to look more closely at the complexity of the problems and needs that this population experiences with the special education system.Results Five major procedural issues, relating to identification and placement in special education and provision of appropriate services, were identified.Conclusion There is an urgent need to address the complex problems that children in foster care experience with the special education system. Recommendations are presented for closer collaboration between the child welfare and school systems, and for the training of educators, social workers, court personnel, and caregivers in special education rights and services.
Selective colocalization of immunoreactivity for intracellular gonadal hormone receptors and tyrosine hydroxylase in the ventral tegmental area, substantia nigra, and retrorubral fields in the rat

Gonadal hormones influence brain functions, including motor and motivational behaviors, transmitter release, and receptor binding in midbrain dopamine systems. Much of this influence suggests genomic hormone action. To identify which midbrain cells may be targets of genomic influence, double label immunocytochemistry was used to map intracellular estrogen and androgen receptors and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), substantia nigra (SN), and retrorubral fields (RRF) in intact, adult rats. The distribution of estrogen and androgen receptor immunoreactivity was highly selective, similar in males and females, and largely nonoverlapping. Estrogen receptors were present within subpopulations of cells in the ventrolateral paranigral VTA and rostrolateral RRF; of these, only a few cells in the RRF were immunoreactive for TH. Cells immunoreactive for androgen receptors were numerous in the paranigral and parabrachial VTA, SN pars lateralis and dorsomedial pars compacta, and lateral RRF. Nearly every androgen receptor-bearing cell in the VTA and SN pars compacta, roughly half in the SN pars lateralis, and about one-third in the RRF were TH immunopositive. The localization of estrogen receptors approximates the distribution of subsets of cells labeled following neostriatal injections, whereas androgen receptors tend to occupy regions labeled by injections in cortical or limbic targets. These receptor-specific alignments with origins of nigrostriatal, mesolimbic, and mesocortical projections are consistent with identified estrogen influence over motor behaviors and androgen involvement in motivational functions and may hold clues for understanding hormone action in these and other functions and dysfunctions of midbrain dopamine systems. J. Comp. Neurol. 379:247–260, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
α-synuclein-independent histopathological and motor deficits in mice lacking the endolysosomal parkinsonism protein Atp13a2

Accumulating evidence from genetic and biochemical studies implicates dysfunction of the autophagic-lysosomal pathway as a key feature in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Most studies have focused on accumulation of neurotoxic α-synuclein secondary to defects in autophagy as the cause of neurodegeneration, but abnormalities of the autophagic-lysosomal system likely mediate toxicity through multiple mechanisms. To further explore how endolysosomal dysfunction causes PD-related neurodegeneration, we generated a murine model of Kufor–Rakeb syndrome (KRS), characterized by early-onset Parkinsonism with additional neurological features. KRS is caused by recessive loss-of-function mutations in the ATP13A2 gene encoding the endolysosomal ATPase ATP13A2. We show that loss of ATP13A2 causes a specific protein trafficking defect, and that Atp13a2 null mice develop age-related motor dysfunction that is preceded by neuropathological changes, including gliosis, accumulation of ubiquitinated protein aggregates, lipofuscinosis, and endolysosomal abnormalities. Contrary to predictions from in vitro data, in vivo mouse genetic studies demonstrate that these phenotypes are α-synuclein independent. Our findings indicate that endolysosomal dysfunction and abnormalities of α-synuclein homeostasis are not synonymous, even in the context of an endolysosomal genetic defect linked to Parkinsonism, and highlight the presence of α-synuclein-independent neurotoxicity consequent to endolysosomal dysfunction.
Universal liquid mixture model for vapor-liquid and liquid-liquid equilibria in hexane-butanol-water system over the temperature range 10 - 100 °C

This is an extended research of the paper (Islam et al., 2011) conducted to obtain a universal set of interaction parameters of the model NRTL over the temperature range 10 – 100 °C for hexane– butanol–water system; meaning for binary pairs hexane–butanol, butanol–water and hexane–water; and for ternary system hexane–butanol–water. Thorough investigations of data selections for all binary pairs (Vapor–Liquid Equilibrium (VLE), Liquid–Liquid Equilibrium (LLE)), infinite dilution activity coefficient (γ ∞ ), infinite dilution distribution coefficient (Dsw), excess enthalpy (H E ), and for ternary system (LLE of hexane–butanol–water) were carried out. Finally quadratic temperature dependent interaction parameters were estimated regressing all the mentioned data and in each case calculated results were compared with literature values. The comparisons showed an overall percentage of error within 15% for the mentioned phase equilibrium calculations.
A parallel protein surface reconstruction system

In this paper we propose a parallel system for protein surface reconstruction based on techniques of computational geometry. The advantage of our modelling system is the production of both superficial and volumetric description of proteins. This is very important in protein analysis from the functional point of view, because many binding sites are buried inside the macromolecule. However the amount of data to process, both in the volume modelling and in extraction phase, may be huge, in proportion to the selected resolution of the output. For this reason the parallel implementation of the system represents a fundamental aspect in reducing the processing time.
Understanding marketing development in the Czech Republic

The development of market oriented strategies and marketing programs in the Czech Republic has been hampered by a lackof understanding by managers of what these concepts mean. A study of “old state enterprises” clearly suggests that until dramatic changes are made in transforming organizations, it will be some time before these firms will develop appropriate marketing practices. One of the most critical roadblocks to change is the current managerial cadre. Their experiences under the socialist system form the way they approach marketing. Even those at the top level of organizations have a limited understanding about marketing. Given their age and position, we should not expect to see dramatic changes in the near future. Also, the slow movement toward economic transformation and the general turbulence in the Czech economy thwart movement toward marketing practices.
The role of tryptophan residues in the autoprocessing of prosubtilisin E.

Subtilisin E, a serine protease from Bacillus subtilis, requires an N-terminal propeptide for its correct folding. The propeptide is autocleaved and digested by the subtilisin domain upon proper folding. Here we investigated the individual roles of the three Trp residues within the subtilisin domain (Trp106, Trp113 and Trp241) on propeptide processing, enzymatic activity and stability of subtilisin. When the propeptide processing was examined by SDS-PAGE after refolding by rapid dilution, the mutation at either position Trp106 or Trp113 was found to significantly delay the propeptide processing, while the mutation at Trp241 had no effect. Far-UV circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the mutants revealed that the mutations at the three positions did not affect appreciably the α-helix content of subtilisin. Secondary structure thermal unfolding monitored by CD spectroscopy revealed that none of the tryptophan residues had any significant effect on the stability of mature subtilisin. The enzymatic activity measurements showed that only Trp106 plays a major role in the enzymatic activity of subtilisin E. These results demonstrate that both Trp106 and Trp113 play a specific role in propeptide processing and enzymatic activity, while Trp241 plays no considerable role on any of these activities.
The TAGteam DNA motif controls the timing of Drosophila pre-blastoderm transcription.

The Drosophila sex-determination switch gene Sex-lethal (Sxl) and the X-chromosome signal element genes (XSEs) that induce the female-specific expression of Sxl are transcribed extremely early in development when most of the genome of this organism is still silent. The DNA sequence CAGGTAG had been implicated in this pre-cellular blastoderm activation of sex-determination genes. A genome-wide computational search, reported here, suggested that CAGGTAG is not specific to early sex-determination genes, since it is over-represented upstream of most genes that are transcribed pre-cellular blastoderm, not just those involved in sex determination. The same search identified similarly over-represented, one-base-pair degenerate sequences as possible functional synonyms of CAGGTAG. We call these heptamers collectively, the TAGteam. Relevance of the TAGteam sequences to pre-cellular blastoderm transcription was established through analysis of TAGteam changes in Sxl, scute (an XSE), and the `ventral repression element9 of the pattern-formation gene zerknullt. Decreasing the number of TAGteam sites retarded the onset of pre-blastoderm transcription, whereas increasing their number correlated with an advanced onset. Titration of repressors was thought to be the rate-limiting step determining the onset of such early transcription, but this TAGteam dose effect shows that activators must also play an important role in the timing of pre-blastoderm gene expression.
On the road to a better travel collection: a guide through the maze of travel literature

Outlines briefly why travel books are so popular and states that libraries need to stock books from a number of series to meet the needs of their clientele. Provides brief descriptions of ten series, concentrating on those books aimed at travelers on low and moderate budgets. Lists also a number of books for travelers from groups with special needs or interests.
Construction and characterization of human rotavirus recombinant VP8* subunit parenteral vaccine candidates

Two currently licensed live oral rotavirus vaccines (Rotarix® and RotaTeq®) are highly efficacious against severe rotavirus diarrhea. However, the efficacy of such vaccines in selected low-income African and Asian countries is much lower than that in middle or high-income countries. Additionally, these two vaccines have recently been associated with rare case of intussusception in vaccinated infants. We developed a novel recombinant subunit parenteral rotavirus vaccine which may be more effective in low-income countries and also avert the potential problem of intussusception. Truncated recombinant VP8* (ΔVP8*) protein of human rotavirus strain Wa P[8], DS-1 P[4] or 1076 P[6] expressed in Escherichia coli was highly soluble and was generated in high yield. Guinea pigs hyperimmunized intramuscularly with each of the ΔVP8* proteins (i.e., P[8], P[4] or P[6]) developed high levels of homotypic as well as variable levels of heterotypic neutralizing antibodies. Moreover, the selected ΔVP8* proteins when administered to mice at a clinically relevant dosage, route and schedule, elicited high levels of serum anti-VP8* IgG and/or neutralizing antibodies. Our data indicated that the ΔVP8* proteins may be a plausible additional candidate as new parenteral rotavirus vaccines.
Phosphotyrosine-modified proteins are localized in Müller cells of the chick neural retina.

Abstract Phosphorylated protein substrates of tyrosine-specific protein kinases accumulate within areas of high density of neuronal and glial processes in the arian retina. To identify the cell type(s) containing elevated tyrosine kinase activity, phosphotyrosine-modified proteins were localized in the outer neural retina of the hatchling chick by immunoelectron microscopy using phosphotyrosine antibodies. In the outer retina, phosphotyrosine immunoreactivity was confined to the plasmalemma and cytoplasm of Muller cells. Prominent membrane labeling was associated with sites adjoining photoreceptor inner segments. cell bodies, and synaptic terminals. Immunoreactivity was not associated with pre- or post-synaptic membranes, synaptic ribbons, or synaptic vesicles. Immunoreactivity was also observed at sites of apposition between plasma membranes of adjacent Muller glial processes. Phosphotyrosine antibodies recognized nine principal proteins (106, 83, 68, 60, 52, 46, 44, 39, 38 kDa) in retinal extracts revealed by immunoblotting. The 60, 52, and 38 kDa phosphotyrosine-modified proteins were also prominent in extracts prepared from Muller glia-enriched cultures, but were absent or low in neuronal cultures; consistent with the higher immunolabeling of glia in retinal sections. Protein tyrosine kinases encoded by the fyn and yes proto-oncogenes were expressed in Muller glia-enriched cultures, and could contribute to the observed protein tyrosine phosphorylation. The localization of phosphotyrosine-modified proteins in the Muller glia leads us to suggest a possible role for protein tyrosine kinases in communication between Muller glia and neuronal cells.
Schwartz's Reagent

Schwartz's reagent product: Schwartz's Reagent Keywords: carbometallation; reduction, miscellaneous; assay methods, for Schwartz's Reagent; dichloromethane (methylene chloride); tetrahydrofuran; chlorobis(η5-cyclopentadienyl)hydridozirconium = Schwartz's Reagent; Schwartz's Reagent, in presence of methylene chloride; filtration, with cannula fitted with glass fiber filter; flasks, schlenk filtration apparatus
Chronic Daily Headache

Chronic daily headache relates to the daily or almost daily occurrence of headache in a nonparoxysmal pattern. In this review, I discuss the presentation, development, outcome, and treatment of chronic daily headache. In the context of the development of chronic daily headache, a headache continuum is presented along with its underlying pathophysiology. The treatment section covers rebound headache, analgesic and vasoconstrictor withdrawal, and the use of long-acting opioids in intractable patients. The review concludes with a discussion of hemicrania continua, an indomethacin-responsive headache syndrome.
Mothers with disabilities: in their own voice.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the personal experience of women with disabilities engaged in the occupation of mothering and their perceptions of their interpersonal environment, including interaction with family, professional caregivers, and the community. METHOD In this qualitative study, in-depth interviews were conducted with a diverse sample (n = 8) of mothers with disabilities or chronic illnesses to uncover the nature of their mothering experience. Data were analyzed for themes with the constant comparison approach of grounded theory. RESULTS The quality of the participants' experience varied with the degree of perceived similarity or dissimilarity with other mothers and acceptance of these differences. In addition, their perception of the supportive or nonsupportive nature of their interpersonal environment had an impact on their mothering experience. CONCLUSION The results suggest that mothers with disabilities tend to value the importance of performing maternal occupations according to a perceived culturally common way, although self-acceptance of their own unique differences in performing these occupations facilitates maternal engagement as well.
Comments on "Luenberger's canonical form revisited

The purpose of this note is to point out an error in the proof of the main result given in the above paper.
Recent Femtoscopy Results from NA49:. Evidence for Non-Gaussian Tail in 3-D Pion Emission Source at SPS

The NA49 experiment at CERN SPS has acquired a huge data set of Pb+Pb events over a broad range of energy and centrality during the last several years. This high statistics data set, coupled with a state-of-the-art analysis technique, allows for the first model-independent extraction and energy scan of 3D emission sources for pion pairs at SPS energies. These 3D pion emission sources provide new insights into the nature of a long-range source previously reported by PHENIX at RHIC. The new results indicate that the pion source exhibits significant non-Gaussian tails in the longitudinal direction at 40 and 158 AGeV and in the outward direction at 158 AGeV. The ratio of the spatial extent in the outward compared to the sideward directions indicates a finite non-zero duration for pion emission. The spatial extent in the longidutional direction suggests that pions decouple from the system at ~10 fm/c at 158 AGeV and at ~8 fm/c at 40 AGeV.
Data allocation in mobile computing: A project description

Users of mobile computers will soon have access to shared online databases via wireless networks. The authors are developing a system that dynamically allocates and deallocates copies of the data-items in these databases to mobile computers, for optimizing cost and performance. This dynamic allocation of data-items to mobile computers is guided by input from the users concerning the type of wireless network, overall system reliability and availability requirements, and the objective function to be optimized.
Rhythmical Oral-Motor Activity Recorded in an In Vitro Brainstem Preparation

The present study employed the neonatal rat isolated brainstem preparation to determine whether oral-motor rhythmical activity, a substrate for the complex behaviors of suckling and chewing, could be elicited in vitro by path application of excitatory amino acids (EAAs). Bath application of EAA agonists (kainate [KA], [+/-]-a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid [AMPA], N-methyl-D, L-aspartate [NMA]), in conjunction with the gamma-aminobutyric acid antagonist bicuculline, either failed to induce rhythmic activity (n = 17 preparations) or induced a low-amplitude, low-frequency burst discharge (< 1 Hz, n = 10 preparations) from the motor branches of the trigeminal nerves when the brainstem was contiguous from the spinomedullary junction to the superior colliculus. Burst activity was in most cases bilaterally synchronous. However, when a discrete coronal transection was made at the level of the facial colliculus, between the trigeminal and facial motor nuclei, the rhythmic bursts produced by the resultant 3- to 5-mm block of tissue following bath application of EAA agonists increased in amplitude and frequency (4-8 Hz, n = 35). Application of 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2, 3-dione (CNQX), a non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (non-NMDA) receptor antagonist, blocked the rhythm induced by non-NMDA receptor agonist (n = 4) but was less effective in suppressing NMA-induced rhythmicity. In contrast, D, L-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (APV) blocked by both NMA-induced (n = 5) and, in most cases, KA-induced (n = 5) rhythmicity, suggesting an essential role for NMA receptors in production of EAA-induced rhythmical oral-motor activity in the neonatal rat. The present data demonstrate that a narrow, bilaterally distributed region of brainstem surrounding the trigeminal motor nucleus contains sufficient neuronal circuitry for the production of oral-motor rhythmogenesis.
Recent Development in Chemical Depolymerization of Lignin: A Review

This article reviewed recent development of chemical depolymerization of lignins. There were five types of treatment discussed, including base-catalyzed, acid-catalyzed, metallic catalyzed, ionic liquids-assisted, and supercritical fluids-assisted lignin depolymerizations. The methods employed in this research were described, and the important results were marked. Generally, base-catalyzed and acid-catalyzed methods were straightforward, but the selectivity was low. The severe reaction conditions (high pressure, high temperature, and extreme pH) resulted in requirement of specially designed reactors, which led to high costs of facility and handling. Ionic liquids, and supercritical fluids-assisted lignin depolymerizations had high selectivity, but the high costs of ionic liquids recycling and supercritical fluid facility limited their applications on commercial scale biomass treatment. Metallic catalyzed depolymerization had great advantages because of its high selectivity to certain monomeric compounds and much milder reaction condition than base-catalyzed or acid-catalyzed depolymerizations. It would be a great contribution to lignin conversion if appropriate catalysts were synthesized.
Thin layer air drying of French fried potatoes

Summary A drying system was designed and constructed to investigate the thin layer air drying of French fried Russet Burbank potatoes. This system permitted the weight loss of the sample to be monitored accurately and continuously without removal of the sample from the drying chamber. Constant drying conditions over a practical range were maintained by continuous control using an on-line computer. The drying conditions investigated in this study included dry bulb temperature ranging from 43 to 93"C, relative humidity ranging from 10 to 60%, and air velocity ranging from 0.79 to 1.77 m/sec. A logarithmic model was used to describe the drying curve. The factors affecting drying rate are discussed. The dry bulb temperature had a dominant effect at low relative humidity, whereas at high relative humidity other factors also affected the drying rate. Relative humidity affected the drying rate significantly, while air velocity had the least effect on the drying rate. The drying rate constant in the logarithmic model was correlated with relative humidity, dry bulb temperature and airflow rate and a good fit was obtained.
Thin sections. I. A study of section thickness and physical distortion produced during microtomy.

Knowledge of the thickness of sections is important for proper interpretation of electron micrographs. Therefore, the thicknesses of sections of n-butyl methacrylate polymer were determined by ellipsometry, and correlated with the color shown in reflected light. The results are: gray, thinner than 60 mµ; silver, 60 to 90 mµ; gold, 90 to 150 mµ; purple, 150 to 190 mµ; blue, 190 to 240 mµ; green, 240 to 280 mµ; and yellow, 280 to 320 mµ. These results agree well with optical theory and with previous published data for thin films. Sections, after cutting, are 30 to 40 per cent shorter than the face of the block from which they were cut. Only a small improvement results from allowing the sections to remain in the collecting trough at room temperature. Heating above room temperature, however, reduces this shortening, with a corresponding improvement in dimensions and spatial relationships in the sections. When the thickness of the section is considered in interpreting electron micrographs instead of considering the section to be two-dimensional, a more accurate interpretation is possible. The consideration of electron micrographs as arising from projections of many profiles from throughout the whole thickness of the section explains the apparent lack of continuity often observed in serial sections. It is believed that serial sections are actually continuous, but that the change in size of structure through the thickness of one section and the consideration of only the largest profile shown in the micrograph can account for the lack of continuity previously observed.
Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome

Painful bladder syndrome or urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome is a chronic condition that presents with lower urinary tract symptoms that include dysuria, urgency, frequent urination, and chronic pelvic pain. Diagnoses included in the painful bladder syndrome are interstitial cystitis and prostatodynia. The history, physical examination, and laboratory evaluation of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms are important in ruling out other diagnoses. Treatment options that are US Food and Drug Administration approved and evidence based are limited; however, many symptom-based treatment options can reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.
Generalized Baum-Welch algorithm for discriminative training on large vocabulary continuous speech recognition system

We propose a new optimization algorithm called Generalized Baum Welch (GBW) algorithm for discriminative training on hidden Markov model (HMM). GBW is based on Lagrange relaxation on a transformed optimization problem. We show that both Baum-Welch (BW) algorithm for ML estimate ofHMMparameters, and the popular extended Baum-Welch (EBW) algorithm for discriminative training are special cases of GBW.We compare the performance of GBW and EBW for Farsi large vocabulary continuous speech recognition (LVCSR).
A general program for plotting three-dimensional antenna patterns

A set of subroutines is developed in this work which can be used to generate a three-dimensional graph of an antenna pattern. The graph is a projection of the surface representing the pattern. The threedimensional shape of the pattern is readily apparent from this type of graph. The set of subroutines provides several options and features which can be used to enhance the graph. The set of subroutines is available from the author.