cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Signature Sequence of Voltage-gated Potassium Channels Projects into the External Vestibule

A highly conserved motif, GYGD, contributes to the formation of the ion selectivity filter in voltage-gated K+ channels and is thought to interact with the scorpion toxin residue, Lys27. By probing the pore of the Kv1.3 channel with synthetic kaliotoxin-Lys27 mutants, each containing a non-natural lysine analog of a different length, and using mutant cycle analysis, we determined the spatial locations of Tyr400 and Asp402 in the GYGD motif, relative to His404 located at the base of the outer vestibule. Our data indicate that the terminal amines of the shorter Lys27 analogs lie close to His404 and to Asp402, while Lys27 itself interacts with Tyr400. Based on these data, we developed a molecular model of this region of the channel. The junction between the outer vestibule and the pore is defined by a ring (∼8-9-A diameter) formed from alternating Asp402 and His404 residues. Tyr400 lies 4-6 A deeper into the pore, and its interaction with kaliotoxin-Lys27 is in competition with K+ ions. Studies with dimeric Kv1.3 constructs suggest that two Tyr400 residues in the tetramer are sufficient to bind K+ ions. Thus, at least part of the K+ channel signature sequence extends into a shallow trough at the center of a wide external vestibule.
Kinetics of the CN+OCS reaction

The CN+OCS reaction was studied using flash photolysis/time-resolved infrared laser spectroscopy. The reaction is fast, with a rate constant of (9.75±0.5)×10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 at 296 K and 2.2 Torr pressure. Detection of CO products indicates that the CO+NCS product channel dominates this reaction, and that the CO is produced vibrationally cold, with >98% in the vibrational ground state.
A local communications network based on interconnected token-access rings: a tutorial

Local area networks are expected to provide the communications base for interconnecting computer equipment and terminals over the next decade. The primary objective of a local area network (LAN) is tpor ovide high-speed data transfer among a group of nodes consisting of data-processing terminals, controllers, or computers within the confines ofa building or campus environment. The network should be easily accessible, extremely reliable, and extendible in both function and physical size. The rapid advances in computing and communications technology over the last two decades have led to several different transmission schemes and media types that could be used in these networks. The star/ring wiring topology with token-access control has emerged as a technology that can meet all of these objectives. The requirements of small networks with just a few nodes, as well as those of very large networks with thousands of nodes, can be achieved through this one architecture. This paper is a tutorial of the fundamental aspects of the architecture, physical components, and operation of a token-ring LAN. Particular emphasis is placed on the fault detection and isolation capabilities that are possible, as well as the aspects that allow for mtwork expansion andgrowth. The role of the LAN relative to IBM's Systems Network Architecture (SNA) is also discussed.
Interpersonal Functioning in Obsessive–Compulsive Personality Disorder

The core symptoms of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) often lead to interpersonal difficulties. However, little research has explored interpersonal functioning in OCPD. This study examined interpersonal problems, interpersonal sensitivities, empathy, and systemizing, the drive to analyze and derive underlying rules for systems, in a sample of 25 OCPD individuals, 25 individuals with comorbid OCPD and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and 25 healthy controls. We found that OCPD individuals reported hostile-dominant interpersonal problems and sensitivities with warm-dominant behavior by others, whereas OCPD+OCD individuals reported submissive interpersonal problems and sensitivities with warm-submissive behavior by others. Individuals with OCPD, with and without OCD, reported less empathic perspective taking relative to healthy controls. Finally, we found that OCPD males reported a higher drive to analyze and derive rules for systems than OCPD females. Overall, results suggest that there are interpersonal deficits associated with OCPD and the clinical implications of these deficits are discussed.
Cycles of legitimacy and delegitimation across regimes in Argentina, 1900–2008

If we define a crisis of political legitimacy in a nation as one that occurs when sizeable portions of the politically relevant population challenge or deny the normative validity of claims to authority made by its existing leadership, then Argentina has experienced at least seven such legitimacy crises in the past hundred years. The causes of these crises include the actions of political leaders, political institutions that have proven inadequate to the demands made upon them, frustrated economic growth and an inability of groups to compromise on mutually acceptable solutions. Survey data since 1984 show that Argentinians have consistently had much less confidence in the basic institutions of their society than have citizens in the rest of Latin America and in the world as a whole. Moreover, confidence in most institutions dropped precipitously between 1984 and 2006. Although Argentinians show low interest in politics and trust family members far more than outsiders, most of them still find that democracy is the best form of government for their country. In the future, some of the best ways to enhance political legitimacy in Argentina include increasing the efficiency of political institutions, limiting corruption and – perhaps most important of all – assuring that economic prosperity is maintained and that hard work is rewarded.
Subdivisions of the dopamine-containing A8-A9-A10 complex identified by their differential mesostriatal innervation of striosomes and extrastriosomal matrix.

Abstract The mesostriatal projections from the dopamine-containing cell groups A8, A9 and A10 have been studied in the cat in relation to the histochemical compartments known to exist in the striatum. In order to do this, we made stereotaxic injections in the substantia nigra of either [3H]proline-[3H]leucine, [35S]methionine, wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase, or the two last tracers combined, and compared the location of anterograde labeling in the striatum to the locations of striosomes and extrastriosomal matrix identified by their low or high content, respectively, of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. A discrete innervation of dorsolateral striosomes by a caudal densocellular subdivision of the substantia nigra pars compacta was found. This densocellular zone of the pars compacta was readily identifiable in sections stained for tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity and corresponded to the uniquely acetylcholinesterase-poor zone detected in the substantia nigra pars compacta in serially adjacent sections stained for this enzyme. Selective anterograde labeling of the extrastriosomal matrix occurred in cases with injection sites centered in cell group A8. Tracer deposits in cell group A10 also elicited a preferential labeling of the extrastriosomal matrix, but this innervation was sparse compared to the prominent labeling of fibers in the ventral striatum. An almost exclusive innervation of caudal and ventral striosomes of the head of the caudate nucleus occurred after a deposit of tracer in the pars lateralis of the substantia nigra. Mixed labeling of striosomes and matrix occurred with injection sites centered in the rostral, cell-sparse part of the pars compacta of the substantia nigra. Clusters of tyrosine hydroxylaseimmunoreactive neurons within this zone, most likely representing finger-like extensions of the caudal densocellular zone of the pars compacta, might have accounted for part or most of the striosomal labeling in these cases. We conclude that different subdivisions of the A8-A9-A10 dopamine-containing cell complex of the cat's mesencephalon project preferentially to striosomes or to extrastriosomal matrix. On this basis we suggest that there may be different functional channels in the mesostriatal projection, including, from cell group A8, a channel providing dopaminergic modulation of sensorimotor processing in the striatal matrix, and, from the densocellular zone of the substantia nigra pars compacta, a channel leading to limbic-related mechanisms represented in the striosomal system.
Fine Structure of a Fine Machine

Bacteria can move in several ways, but probably the most common means of locomotion is by the rotary organelles called flagella. Flagella are evolutionarily ancient and may be the most widespread machines of propulsion in biology: genes for flagellar components are found in almost half of the more
A Standardized Plate Meter for Estimating Pasture Mass in On-Farm Research Trials

A plate meter for estimating pasture mass (PM) was constructed of 5.6-mm-thick acrylic plastic cut into a 46-cm square and fitted with a 3.8-cm center hole. (The acrylic is stable under varying humidity, readily available, inexpensive, and easy to work.) A meter stick through the center hole measures the plate height (PH) resting on the pasture canopy. The meter was tested on six rotationally grazed pastures (0.2-2,4 ha), measured before eight grazing events. Each pasture was double-sampled for PH and clipped PM at 10 to 30 locations. The calibration regression slope was 452 kg (ha cm) -1 , with a residual standard deviation (RSD) of 753 kg ha -1 and an r 2 of 0.52. The high RSD is typical of forage stands, which vary widely in forage bulk density. The relatively low r 2 was probably due to the uniform height of these rotationally grazed (as opposed to continuously grazed) pastures resulting in a small range in PH. The validation regression had a slope of 0.72 and a RSD of 808 for individual samples and a slope of 1.11 and RSD of 155 for means of 20 samples. The reduction in RSD with increasing sample size points to the need to take 15 to 30 measurements when calibrating the plate meter or sampling rotationally grazed pastures, to have an estimate within 10% of the mean PM. This simple plate meter provides as accurate a measure of PH and PM as the more sophisticated metal plate meters, is practical for carrying in the field, and in 1996 cost $12.
Comment on: Are behavioral asset-pricing models structural? $

According to Stanley Zin, financial economists on both sides of the behavioral finance debate have failed to ask the right questions. To Zin, the most important question we should ask about behavioral models is whether they make accurate predictions. Structural models at least have prediction as their goal, whether or not they achieve it. Implicit in this view is the notion that structural models somehow ‘‘explain what is going on’’, that they can offer insights into why economic phenomena occur. In most other fields of science, evaluating a structural model would not be a matter of debate. Because the goal of a structural model is prediction, the model would be evaluated directly using a controlled experiment. If in finance we could somehow change the parameters of our economy, or at least statistically detect such a change, we would also have a direct test of a structural model. The former is clearly impossible; the latter, Zin argues, is unreliable. The question of how to evaluate a structural model without experiments is clearly a difficult one. Instead of attempting an answer, Zin argues that two commonly used criteria are wrong. One of these criteria, that a model appear realistic, looks good at first glance. But, quoting Friedman and Lucas, Zin argues that we are not trying for
Fine timing synchronization using power delay profile for OFDM systems

Timing synchronization is more critical in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems than in single carrier systems. In this paper, a timing estimation scheme is derived from maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) using power delay profile. It is implemented using a delay locked loop (DLL) to achieve fine timing synchronization for OFDM systems. With this scheme, the mean-square error of symbol timing estimation is decreased by orders of magnitude when compared to the simple peak-finding scheme in multipath fading channels. This scheme also shows higher tracking accuracy for symbol timing drift caused by the sampling clock frequency offset.
Enabling smooth and scalable dynamic 3D visualization of discrete-event construction simulations

Visualizing simulated construction operations is an effective means of communicating the logic and the inner working of simulation models in a comprehensive and comprehendible manner. This can facilitate both model verification and validation and help establish credibility of simulation analyses. Due to the inherent working nature of discrete-event simulation systems, visualizing simulated operations in a smooth and continuous manner in 3D virtual worlds presents numerous interesting challenges. This paper describes research being conducted at Virginia Tech to enable smooth and scalable dynamic 3D visualization of discrete-event construction simulations.
The representation of harmonic structure in music: Hierarchies of stability as a function of context

Abstract The ability to appreciate most Western music presupposes cognitive structures capable of abstracting an underlying harmonic structure from a complex string of musical events. In this paper we provide a description of the listener's knowledge of hierarchies of harmonic stability. The organization of harmonic information may be summarized by six principles. Three of these principles—Key Membership, Intrakey Distance and Intrakey Asymmetry—govern harmonic organization independent of context. Three principles—Contextual Identity, Contextual Distance and Contextual Asymmetry—govern harmonic organization in the presence of a tonal context. Chords that are members of the same key are represented in a hierarchy of stability that is independent of context. Chords from different keys are represented in a hierarchy of stability that is dependent upon the prevailing context. Two different experimental tasks were used to provide convergent evidence for these principles: 1) multidimensional scaling of chords in the absence of any context or in the presence of different tonal contexts, and 2) recognition memory for chords in random and tonal contexts. It is suggested that harmonically stable chords function as cognitive reference points for the system as a whole. The importance of representations of hierarchies of harmonic stability is discussed with respect to generative accounts of musical competence.
Habitat Use by the Eastern Sand Darter, Ammocrypta pellucida , in Two Lake Champlain Tributaries

The Eastern Sand Darter ( Ammocrypta pellucida ) is endangered or threatened throughout much of its range, which includes the St. Lawrence-Lake Ontario drainage of southern Ontario and Quebec and several Vermont tributaries of Lake Champlain. The species is known for its tendency to burrow, and field observations have suggested that habitat use may depend on substrate particle size. To determine whether Eastern Sand Darter densities were correlated with substrate particle size, fish and substrates were sampled in 156 plots in two Vermont rivers during the summers of 2001 and 2002. The Eastern Sand Darter occurred mainly in areas in which substrate composition was over 45% fine to medium sand (0.24-0.54 mm); they were much less abundant in areas in which substrate composition exceeded 25% particles greater than 1.9 mm. Substrate preference was tested by allowing 49 fish kept in aquaria to choose among four different substrates. The fish showed a significant preference ( P < 0.005) for the finer substrate categories (0.24-0.54 mm, 0.55-1.0 mm), and mostly avoided the coarser substrates (1.0-1.9 mm, 2.0-4.1 mm). This suggests that the Eastern Sand Darter is selective regarding substrate composition, and therefore might be affected by fluctuations or changes in substrate composition within its habitat, such as those caused by changes in flow.
Some Diffuse Interstellar Bands Related to Interstellar C2 Molecules

We have investigated the correlations between the equivalent widths of 21 selected diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) and the corresponding interstellar column densities N(C2), N(CN), and N(CH), toward 53 stars with color excesses 0:11 � EðBV Þ� 1:99. The observational data were derived primarily from echelle spectra acquired at R ¼ 38; 000 as part of our extensive, continuing survey of the bands. All but six of the 53 final spectra show signal-to-noise ratios � 800 at 5780 A ˚ . The principal result presented here is that seven of the 21 bands prove to be examples of '' the C2 DIBs,'' a class of weak, narrow bands whose normalized equivalent widths W� (X)/W� (� 6196) are well correlated specifically with N(C2)/EðBV Þ via power laws. In contrast, the similarly normalized equivalent widths of the 14 other, well-known DIBs analyzed here are uncorrelated, or weakly anticorrelated, with N(C2)/EðBV Þ, to within the observational uncertainties. Thus, the polyatomic molecule(s) presumed to cause these seven C2 DIBs may bear a direct chemical relation to C2 that is not shared by the polyatomic molecules putatively responsible for the other 14 bands. The C2 DIBs also show positive correlations with N(CN)/EðBV Þ and N(CH)/EðBV Þ in our particular sample of light paths, although generally with shallower slopes in the case of N(CN) and with greater scatter in the case of N(CH). Eleven additional C2 DIBs are also identified but are not analyzed here. Among the 18 C2 DIBs identified, four apparently have not been previously detected. The � 4963 band is generally the strongest of the 18 C2 DIBs, while the � 4734 band shows the most sensitive correlation with N(C2). Subject headings: ISM: lines and bands — ISM: molecules
Verbal behaviors of supervisors and speech clinicians during microcounseling

Verbal behaviors of supervisors and clinicians during 56 three‐minute samples of supervisory conferences were analyzed by a ten‐category interactional scale. Seven supervisors in replicated conferences with 14 clinicians talked more than the clinicians and used direct style of supervision. Supervisory competency correlated with nondirective and directive styles, verbal reinforcement, and warmth of interactions.
Identifying the inertial cavitation threshold and skull effects in a vessel phantom using focused ultrasound and microbubbles

Focused ultrasound (FUS) in combination with microbubbles has been shown capable of delivering large molecules to the brain parenchyma through opening of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). However, the mechanism behind the opening remains unknown. To investigate the pressure threshold for inertial cavitation of preformed microbubbles during sonication, passive cavitation detection in conjunction with B-mode imaging was used. A cerebral vessel was simulated by generating a cylindrical hole of 610 microm in diameter inside a polyacrylamide gel and saturating its volume with microbubbles. Definity microbubbles (Mean diameter range: 1.1-3.3 microm, Lantheus Medical Imaging, N. Billerica, MA, USA) were injected prior to sonication (frequency: 1.525 MHz; pulse length: 100 cycles; PRF: 10 Hz; sonication duration: 2 s) through an excised mouse skull. The acoustic emissions due to the cavitation response were passively detected using a cylindrically focused hydrophone, confocal with the FUS transducer and a linear-array transducer with the field of view perpendicular to the FUS beam. The broadband spectral response acquired at the passive cavitation detector (PCD) and the B-mode images identified the occurrence and location of the inertial cavitation, respectively. Findings indicated that the peak-rarefactional pressure threshold was approximately equal to 0.45 MPa, with or without the skull present. Mouse skulls did not affect the threshold of inertial cavitation but resulted in a lower inertial cavitation dose. The broadband response could be captured through the murine skull, so the same PCD set-up can be used in future in vivo applications.
Design of ICRF antennas for TFTR

Two 4-MW ICRF (ion cyclotron range of frequencies) antennas have been designed for the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR). The antennas will be installed adjacent to the two existing antennas, bringing the maximum ICRF heating capacity to 12.5 MW. The design goals were to increase the loading to the plasma, to reduce the tendency for arcing, and to simplify the fabrication and assembly of the device. The antenna, consisting of an RF cavity with slots at the front end (facing the plasma), utilizes a center-mounted spline drive mechanism for positioning the device with respect to the plasma edge and for resisting the forces generated during disruptions. The Faraday shields are unique for each launcher, though they share common design elements. Both launchers use solid Inconel rods that are bent to a radius matching the plasma and tilted six degrees in order to be parallel with the combined poloidal and toroidal fields of the tokamak. The 'Bay K' launcher uses a single row shield while the 'Bay N' launcher incorporates a double row shield. Faraday shield protection and the center-grounded current straps are also discussed. >
The Inscrutable Intentions of Great Powers

Can great powers reach confident conclusions about the intentions of their peers? Many scholars argue that they can. One set of arguments holds that states can deduce others’ current intentions from certain domestic characteristics such as their foreign policy goals, ideology, or regime type. Another focuses on behavior and maintains that states can infer current intentions by examining their counterparts’ arms policies, membership in international institutions, or past actions in the security realm. A final set of arguments explains why intentions are unlikely to change and thus why current designs are good predictors of future plans. On careful review, these optimistic claims are unpersuasive. Great powers cannot confidently assess the current intentions of others based on the latter's domestic characteristics or behavior, and they are even less sure when it comes to estimating their peers’ future intentions. These findings have important implications for theory and policy. Theoretically, they strengthe...
Public Confession and Forgiveness

ABSTRACT In this article, we report investigations of four role-playing experiments and one laboratory manipulation that examine the effects of confession on forgiveness and other related judgments. The basic paradigm in the simulation studies was to reveal that a political figure or student in a class confessed either following or not following an accusation, or denied personal responsibility for the act. Among the variables manipulated were the attributions for the wrongdoing and the spontaneity of the confession. The dependent variables in one or more investigations included the perceived personal character of the trangressor, attributions of responsibility for the act, affective reactions of sympathy and anger, forgiveness, and behavioral judgments such as sanctioning and voting likelihood. In the laboratory manipulation study, a mixed-motive game setting was used in which a confederate confessed to having prior knowledge that resulted in his winning the game. We then examined whether this admission influenced subsequent cooperation and competition, as well as the other players' perceptions of the confederate's personality and character. Confession was found to have strong beneficial effects, particularly when given without a prior accusation and in ambiguous causal situations.
Relationally Bare/Bear: Bodies of Loss and Love

This article is an autoethnographic account of the intricacies surrounding relational dissolution. In tracing moments of a four-year relationship, the author critically and reflexively examines his identity as a gay Bear, acknowledging how his culturally stigmatized hairy and husky body challenged his ability to love. Emphasizing the demanding and unending negotiations of body image, the narratives herein reveal how losing weight allowed the author to re-story the potential of his body, marking a shift in sexual desire for himself and other men. While this article paints a relationship’s end, it also captures a beginning—of what it means to seek a communicatively, emotionally, and physically fulfilling intimacy.
Matrix-Geometric Methods for the General Stochastic Epidemic

This paper outlines a matrix-geometric formulation of the general stochastic epidemic for the case of a generalized infection mechanism. The forward Kolmogorov equations of the system are derived, and the Laplace transforms of the state probabilities obtained recursively. These lead to the probabilities of survivors of the epidemic. The stochastic threshold theorem for the generalized case is stated.
Targeted mutational analysis of the RyR2-encoded cardiac ryanodine receptor in sudden unexplained death: A molecular autopsy of 49 medical examiner/coroner's cases

OBJECTIVE To perform a molecular autopsy of the RyR2 -encoded cardiac ryanodine receptor/calcium release channel in medical examiner/coroner's cases of sudden unexplained death (SUD). METHODS From September 1998 to March 2004, 49 cases of SUD were referred by medical examiners/coroners to the Sudden Death Genomics Laboratory at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, for a cardiac channel molecular autopsy. Mutational analysis of 18 exons of RyR2 implicated previously in the pathogenesis of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) was performed on genomic DNA using polymerase chain reaction, denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography, and direct DNA sequencing. RESULTS This cohort of 49 cases of SUD included 30 males, 13 with a family history of syncope, cardiac arrest, or sudden cardiac death (mean ± SD age at death, 14.2±10.9 years). Six distinct RyR2 missense mutations (3 novel) were discovered in 7 cases (14%, 6 males, mean ± SD age at death, 13.6±11.2 years) of SUD. The activities at the time of SUD were exertion (3), emotion (1), and unknown (3). The mutations, R420W, S2246L, N4097S, E4146K, T4158P, and R4497C, involved nonconservative amino acid substitutions in highly conserved residues across species and were not seen in 400 reference alleles. CONCLUSIONS This study represents the first molecular autopsy of RyR2 in medical examiner-referred cases of SUD. A targeted analysis of only 18 of the 105 protein-encoding exons of the cardiac ryanodine receptor/calcium release channel revealed potential CPVT1-causing RyR2 mutations in 1 of every 7 cases of SUD. These findings suggest that postmortem genetic testing of RyR2 should be considered as a part of the comprehensive med-icolegal autopsy investigation of a SUD case and that this potentially heritable and often elusive arrhythmia syndrome be scrutinized carefully in family members of those who experience SUD.
Cellular dynamics of corneal wound re-epithelialization in the rat. III. Mitotic activity

The number and distribution of mitotic epithelial cells in the ocular surface during homeostasis and in response to abrasion of the mammalian cornea were determined. Normal rats and those receiving a 3 mm diameter centrally located epithelial defect, received an intraperitoneal injection of colchicine 6 h prior to sacrifice. Mitosis in the basal epithelium during homeostasis was comparable in magnitude across the ocular surface epithelium, with the exception of a few mitotic figures in the midline. Thirty percent of the mitotic figures were in the basal layer (layer 1), and 70% were in layer 2; the cells in layer 2 were often noted to retain connection to the basal lamina by cytoplasmic stalks. Mitosis was rarely noted in the regenerating epithelium. However, summation of M phase cells in both the basal and suprabasal epithelium adjacent to the wound showed increases of 3- and 5-fold at 30 and 36 h after abrasion, respectively, from levels at homeostasis and the time of injury. In striking contrast to homeostatic epithelium, 80% of the mitotic cells were located in layer 1 of the corneal epithelium, with normal distribution observed by 72 h. Mitosis in the limbus and conjunctiva was increased 3-fold at 30 h and 24 h, respectively, from values at homeostasis and the time of debridement. These results, using rigorous statistical analysis and precise topographic assessment, showed that mitosis is not impeded - but rather often accelerated - following denuding of the corneal epithelium and that the spatial distribution of mitotic cells is correlated with wounding. The data revealed that re-epithelialization of the corneal epithelium is not dependent on mitosis in the regenerating epithelium, but rather in the adjacent unwounded epithelium of the cornea, with most cells being located in the basal layer until re-epithelialization is completed. Mitotic cells in the limbus and conjunctiva may be related to replenishment of ocular surface epithelial cells used in the repair process rather than directly supplying the abraded surface.
An automated collision-avoidance motion planner among moving objects or machines

An automated motion planner is proposed for coordinating collision-free motions among dynamic moving objects or machines in a 3D space. Based on the concept of modified path-velocity decomposition, an algorithm is proposed for evaluating the performance of different motion strategies. As a result, the motion planner coordinates collision-free motions for multiple uncontrollable/controllable objects moving in a shared environment. A dynamic object can also be a multibody object such as a robot. The applicability of the proposed approach is demonstrated through two examples. The results show that multiple controllable and uncontrollable machines can work together in an industrial environment by efficiently avoiding collisions. >
Delayed anovulatory syndrome induced by estradiol in female C57BL/6J mice: age-like neuroendocrine, but not ovarian, impairments.

These studies describe induction of a delayed anovulatory syndrome (DAS) by estradiol (E2) in female C57BL/6J mice. Six days after birth, female mice were injected s.c. with 0.1 micrograms estradiol benzoate or oil. Over 90% of the oil-injected controls exhibited estrous cycles from 2 to 9 mo of age. In contrast, 60% of the E2-injected mice exhibited estrous cycles at 2 mo of age but were acyclic by 9 mo; these mice were considered to have exhibited a DAS, and had longer cycles than controls. At 12 mo, ovarian impairments were assessed by examining 1) ovulation after s.c. injection of 5 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and 2) estrous cycles after grafting into young (3-mo-old) hosts. Simultaneously, neuroendocrine impairments were assessed by examining 1) the surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) induced by E2 implants after ovariectomy, and 2) estrous cycles after receiving ovarian grafts from 3-mo-old mice. Ovaries from DAS and control mice ovulated equally in response to hCG. Ovaries from DAS mice grafted into young ovariectomized hosts supported 30% more cycles, of shorter period, compared with ovaries from control donors. However, the E2-induced LH surge was 50% smaller in DAS mice than in controls. Ovariectomized DAS hosts with ovarian grafts from young mice supported 70% fewer estrous cycles, of longer period, compared with ovariectomized control hosts with young grafts. We conclude that the E2-induced DAS in female mice is not due to ovarian impairments, but seems to result from neuroendocrine impairments.
Bacterial Endophthalmitis Following Cataract Surgery

Cataracts are the most common cause of blindness in the world and cataract surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures performed. During surgery the opacified crystalline lens is removed and replaced with a lens implant. Bacterial infection of the internal eye (bacterial endophthalmitis) following cataract surgery appears to have increased since the 1990s. The infection is the result of inoculation of the patient’s bacterial flora into the eye during surgery. Under normal circumstances a small inoculum of bacteria can be cleared from the eye without clinical infection. In this chapter, we discuss many factors that can predispose a patient to developing a clinical endophthalmitis, including those related to the lens implant and host response. There is evidence to suggest that the intraocular lens may provide a niche where bacteria are protected from the host mechanisms that normally clear bacteria from the eye.
Consensus Control Under Communication Delay in a Three-Robot System: Design and Experiments

A consensus-control protocol is designed and implemented here on a three-robot system arranged on a horizontal platform, in which a camera system is used to track robot positions, and a personal computer broadcasts commands to the robots based on this protocol via a Bluetooth connection, where such commands are affected by time delays. The design involves some salient features of this protocol based on a graph-based approach, an input–output linearization scheme, and addressing uncertainties in the control problem. By implementing this design on experiments, we show that consensus of the robots can be successfully achieved, and their speed of reaching consensus can be systematically improved. Experimental results also strongly agree with those obtained from nonlinear simulations.
Fixed-Point Problems for Disk-Like Continua

(1976). Fixed-Point Problems for Disk-Like Continua. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 83, No. 6, pp. 471-473.
NBCe1 expression is required for normal renal ammonia metabolism.

The mechanisms regulating proximal tubule ammonia metabolism are incompletely understood. The present study addressed the role of the proximal tubule basolateral electrogenic Na+-coupled bicarbonat...
On Two Models of Political Cognition

This article summarizes various political conceptions that are representative in history. The author maintains that different political conceptions reflect understanding of the political essence of social relations. Two extreme answers to the same question are discussed. They are: does the essence of politics arise from relationship between different social groups or relationship between individuals and the group? The author then produces a political concept that transcends the two extremes on the basis of summarizing basic political categories of modern politics .
Adenomatoid tumors of the uterus and adnexa; report of eleven cases.

Abstract Eleven examples of a special benign tumor of the female internal genitals have been presented. The general characteristics of adenomatoid tumors have been noted. Pertinent gross and microscopic descriptions with representative examples of morphology are submitted. A discussion of the two major possible origins, though inconclusive, is given. It is hoped that others will be stimulated to study and report their observations as to the probable mode of origin of adenomatoid growths.
Developmental expression of mRNAs encoding platelet proteins in rat megakaryocytes.

The committed bone marrow megakaryocyte (MK) progenitor undergoes a series of highly regulated stages of development resulting in a large multi-nucleated platelet-producing cell. We studied the developmental expression of the mRNA for two alpha granule proteins, fibronectin (FN) and fibrinogen gamma chain (gamma-FIB), and a cytoskeletal protein, actin, in MKs from marrow of Sprague-Dawley rats. By the method of in situ RNA:RNA hybridization, we showed that mRNAs for the alpha granule proteins were expressed most abundantly in a population of 15-microns diameter promegakaryocytes and in cells as small as 10 microns whose identity as immature MKs was inferred by positive staining for platelet- and MK-specific markers. gamma-FIB and FN mRNAs were present in reduced abundance in a small proportion of intermediate MKs; however, little or no expression was seen in mature platelet-producing MKs. In contrast, high levels of actin mRNA were expressed predominantly in mature, multi- nucleated MKs, and less abundantly in the immature forms. These results suggest that FN and gamma-FIB are transcribed early in MK development to permit translation and packaging of the protein into alpha granules, after which transcription ceases. On the other hand, transcription of actin occurs continuously throughout development, with highest levels in mature platelet-producing MKs, in which actin is needed for shape changes and intracellular movement of organelles. Our data suggest that in situ RNA:RNA hybridization for platelet-specific markers will provide additional criteria by which to establish MK lineage in immature marrow progenitors.
Molecular reaction modelling of the thermal pathways and kinetics of heavy hydrocarbon systems

This paper presents a Monte Carlo reaction methodology for simulating the kinetics of complex hydrocarbon mixtures. In this approach, a large ensemble of molecular components which are representative of the feedstock is constructed. Each of these components is reacted concurrently based on a stochastic kinetic formalism. The result is the temporal following of molecular intermediates and products. Molecular properties are determined as well. This information is also fashioned into average global information such as solubility and boiling point lumped fractions which is then compared with experimental measurements
Resistance fluctuations in small samples: be careful when playing with Ohm’s law.

The discovery of random fluctuations [1,2] in the resistance of metal samples has wrought a small revolution in the understanding of electronic transport in samples with weak disorder (commonly known as metals). The fluctuations arise from quantum mechanical interference among the various trajectories that the electrons “follow” as they migrate from one end of the sample to the other. Obviously then the electrons must retain the coherence of their wavefunctions from one end to the other. By carefully summing up all the possible trajectories and interferences among them, Al’tshuler [3] and Lee et al. [4] have calculated the ensemble averaged variance of the conductance of wires of length L φ to be ((∆G)2) ≡ (G 2) -(G)2 ≡ (e 2/h)2. From an ensemble of classically identical samples (the theorists assume that the samples are carved from some mythical film where, on any scale larger than the mean free path length, the resistivity is utterly homogeneous, and the angular brackets refer to the average over this ensemble), one would find that the conductance fluctuates among the members by an amount characterized by a distribution of width ≃ e 2/h. Owing to a random Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect, the conductance of a particular sample fluctuates by the same amount as a function of magnetic field [5], and the result of the sensitivity of the conductance to the impurity potential, it also fluctuates by ≃ e 2/h as a function of the Fermi energy [4] or when minute rearrangements occur in the impurity configuration [6]. In principle, this “universal” feature of the conductance of metal wires can be used as a measure of the phase coherence of the carriers and as a exquisitely sensitive probe of changes in the impurity potential [6].
The p-Laplace Equation

We give basic definitions and properties of the p-Laplace equation in the Heisenberg group. We establish existence and uniqueness results for the associated Dirichlet problem via variational methods and present some useful estimates. At the end we present the Hilbert–Haar existence theory for the variational functional associated to the p-Laplace equation which allows to prove that solutions to the non degenerate equation are Lipschitz continuous in domains satisfying a strict convexity condition.
Integrative representations and analyses of vaccine-induced intended protective immunity and unintended adverse events using ontology-based and theory-guided approaches.

While effective preventive vaccines induce intended protective immunity, they also induce unintended adverse events (AEs). Generally speaking, compared to killed, inactivated vaccines and protein vaccines, live attenuated vaccines induce more protective immune responses. However, live attenuated vaccines are also associated with more AEs and even more serious AEs. For example, while live attenuated smallpox vaccines were critical to the eradication of smallpox, approximately 20–30% of smallpox vaccine recipients also experienced with various AEs that range in prevalence and severity [1]. Inter-individual variations in cytokine and AE response after smallpox vaccinations are in part due to genetic variation. For another example, the attenuated oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) efficiently induces intestinal immunity and durable humoral immunity. However, OPV has the disadvantage of genetic instability, contributing to rare and sporadic cases of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis and the emergence of genetically divergent vaccine-derived polioviruses [2]. These AEs are worsened in patients with primary immunodeficiencies. These results suggest that the intended protective immune responses and unintended adverse events are correlated and deserve being studied simultaneously.
A General Approach to the Synthesis of M@Au/Ag (M = Au, Pd, and Pt) Nanorattles with Ultrathin Shells Less Than 2.5 nm Thick

This article reports a general approach to the facile synthesis of M@Au/Ag (M = Au, Pd, and Pt) nanorattles. The synthesis involves three major steps: (i) formation of M@Ag nanocubes via seed-mediated growth, (ii) conformal deposition of ultrathin Au shells on the M@Ag nanocubes by reducing HAuCl4 with ascorbic acid under an alkaline condition, and (iii) formation of M@Au/Ag nanorattles through a galvanic replacement reaction between the Ag shells and aqueous HAuCl4. The deposition of an ultrathin Au shell prior to the galvanic replacement reaction is crucial to a successful synthesis as this shell can enhance the mechanical strength of the resultant nanorattles by preventing the Au/Ag alloy shell from fragmentation during the galvanic replacement process. The localized surface plasmon resonance peak of the nanorattles is determined by the thickness of the Au/Ag alloy shell. For Au@Au/Ag nanorattles with an edge length of 15 nm, they could be tuned to have near-infrared absorption and excellent photothermal conversion capability for their use as transducers in the effective destruction of cancer cells through laser irradiation.
Expeditious Lead Optimization of Isoxazole-Containing Influenza A Virus M2-S31N Inhibitors Using the Suzuki–Miyaura Cross-Coupling Reaction

The existence of multidrug-resistant influenza viruses, coupled with the continuously antigenic shift and antigenic drift of influenza viruses, necessitates the development of the next-generation of influenza antivirals. As the AM2-S31N mutant persists in more than 95% of current circulating influenza A viruses, targeting the AM2-S31N proton channel appears to be a logical and valid approach to combating drug resistance. Starting from compound 1, an isoxazole compound with potent AM2-S31N channel blockage and antiviral activity, in this study we report an expeditious synthetic strategy that allows us to promptly explore the structure–activity relationships of isoxazole-containing AM2-S31N inhibitors. Propelled by the convenient synthesis, the lead optimization effort yielded a number of potent antivirals with submicromolar efficacy against several human clinical isolates of influenza A viruses, including both oseltamivir-sensitive and -resistant strains.
The Activating KIR Genes 2DS1 and 2DS2 Regulate NK Alloreactivity In Vitro.

The role of Natural Killer (NK) cells in host protection against viral infection and malignant transformation has been well described. NK cells may also lead to a reduction in post-transplant relapse and improved survival in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). It has been hypothesized that the genotype for the inhibiting killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) of the hematopoietic stem cell donor in combination with the HLA class I genotype of the recipient could control NK alloreactivity leading to a reduction in post-transplant complications. The KIR gene family encodes however both activating and inhibiting receptors. Here we test the hypothesis that activating KIRs with ligand specificity for HLA class I may contribute to alloreactivity, and potentially could be a genetic factor of significance in allogeneic HSCT. We tested this hypothesis in studies of two pairs of inhibiting and activating KIRs with highly homologous codon sequences in the extracellular domain, namely KIR2DL2/3-KIR2DS2 and KIR2DL1-KIR2DS1. Both the inhibitory 2DL1 and activating 2DS1 have ligand specificity for HLA-Cw group 2, and 2DL2 and 2DL3, have ligand specificity for HLA-Cw group 1, while the activating 2DS2 does not bind in vitro to C1 group. Using an EBV-transformed B-lymphoblastoid cell line (EBV-BLCL) target cell panel homozygous for HLA Class I alleles, we found that NK cells from donors with KIR haplotypes lacking KIR2DS1 or 2DS2 were not cytotoxic to allogeneic EBV-BLCL, independent of the target HLA class I genotype. Polyclonal NK cells obtained from KIR2DS1 positive and C1 group positive donors mediated NK cytotoxicity against C2 positive targets. In contrast, NK cells from KIR2DS1 positive, C2 group homozygous donors displayed minimal cytotoxicity against the C2 group targets (p
Total Quality Management: The Deming-Food Processing Connection

Abstract Quality management with a consumer orientation has become a key issue in the food industry. Although Total Quality Management has been discussed, little work has been done on how this concept could be formally introduced to the area of food processing. This paper integrates Deming's approach to Total Quality Management with food processing.
Affecting Campus Climate: Fine and Performing-Arts Community Outcomes

Scott and Siegel discuss the relationship between collaborative community–campus projects and positive campus climate change. Wagner College has promoted change in both local communities and their campus by developing project-based learning activities stemming from community-identified needs. Two case studies highlight positive change in campus climate. One study is based on a visual arts “learning community” mural project; through this project participants learned how civic professionalism, visual art, and diversity contribute to building strong communities. The second study is based on a community theater workshop where participants learned about histories, theories, and ethics of community-based/grassroots theater and used this knowledge in creating performances. Both projects resulted in tangible products (murals and performance art) as well as community climate change.
Toward the Development of a Christian Psychology: Personality:

This is the fourth in a series of articles placing various areas of psychology in a Christian perspective. First, the major approaches to personality are considered. The psychoanalytic and behavior...
Emerging views of the nucleus as a cellular mechanosensor

The ability of cells to respond to mechanical forces is critical for numerous biological processes. Emerging evidence indicates that external mechanical forces trigger changes in nuclear envelope structure and composition, chromatin organization and gene expression. However, it remains unclear if these processes originate in the nucleus or are downstream of cytoplasmic signals. Here we discuss recent findings that support a direct role of the nucleus in cellular mechanosensing and highlight novel tools to study nuclear mechanotransduction.