cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An extended tyrosine-targeting motif for endocytosis and recycling of the dense-core vesicle membrane protein phogrin.

Integral membrane proteins of neuroendocine dense-core vesicles (DCV) appear to undergo multiple rounds of exocytosis; however, their trafficking and site of incorporation into nascent DCVs is unclear. Previous studies with phogrin (IA-2β) identified sorting signals in the luminal domain that is cleaved post-translationally; we now describe an independent DCV targeting motif in the cytosolic domain that may function at the level of endocytosis and recycling. Pulse-chase radiolabeling and cell surface biotinylation experiments in the pituitary corticotroph cell line AtT20 showed that the mature 60/65 kDa form that resides in the DCV is generated by limited proteolysis in a post-trans Golgi network compartment with similar kinetics to the formation of the principal cargo, ACTH. Phogrin is exposed on the cell surface in response to stimuli and progressively internalized to a perinuclear compartment that overlaps with recycling endosomes marked by transferrin. Chimeric molecules of phogrin transmembrane and cytosolic sequences with the interleukin-2 receptor α chain (Tac) were sorted to DCVs through the action of an extended tyrosine-based motif Y654QELCRQRMA located in a 27aa sequence adjacent to the membrane-spanning domain. A 36aa domain terminating in this sequence conferred DCV localization to Tac in the absence of any other cytosolic or luminal phogrin components. The endocytosis and DCV targeting of phogrin Y654 > A mutants correlated with the impaired binding of the phogrin cytosolic tail to the µ-subunit of the AP2 adaptor complex in vitro.
Massively Parallel Implementations of Adaptively Subdividing Fractal Generating Algorithms with Parameter Extensions

Fractal approximations are used to generate data to mimic natural objects for realistic image synthesis. While many algorithms for generating fractal data for this purpose exist, the adaptive subdivision methods are in widespread use because of their computational efficiency. This paper discusses the adaptation of the triangular and rectangular subdivision algorithms originally described in [1] to massively parallel SIMD architectures. In addition, the algorithms are enhanced to permit more control over the characteristics of the surfaces.
Retrospective analysis of transurethral ureteroscopy minimally-invasive treatment of 12 cases of ureteral postoperative stenosis in children

Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy of the minimally-invasive treatment of ureteral postoperative stenosis with self-made electrotome, ureteroscope hard expansion and ureteral stents indwelled. Methods : A retrospective analysis of 12 cases with ureteral postoperative strictures (10 in the upper, 1 in the middle, 1 in the lower ureters, 10 cases of male, female 2 cases, average 2.1 years) from June 2012 to April 2014 was made, the length from 0.2cm to 1.5 cm, with an average of 0.5 cm. Renal function were moderately impaired in 6 cases, severely impaired in 6 cases, underwent the therapy of ureteral stenosis with self-made micro-probe electrotome and ureteroscope hard expansion, postoperatively, one 4.7 or 6F ureteral stents were remained indwelling for 6～8 weeks. Results : 12 cases completed the operation smoothly, the operative duration was 35～65 minutes (average 46 minutes). No severe complications were accompanied. Postoperative hospital stays for 7～9 days, an average of 8.3 days. with a median follow-up 8 months (ranging form 1～20 months), success was achieved in 10 of the 12 children, 2 cases were unsuccessful so as to undergo pyeloureteroplasty on open surgery once again because of the long ureteral narrow（the length over 1.2cm）and recovered eventually. Conclusion : Minimally-invasive ureteroscopy combined with self-made electrotome ureteroscope hard expansion and ureteral stents indwelled is one of the effective methods for treatment of ureteral postoperative stenosis which worth further promotion clinical application, the operation effect is exact, little pain and quick recovery, it can be used to short period ( 1.2cm ) that requires to open surgery.
Plasma lidocaine concentrations are higher in twin compared to singleton newborns following epidural anesthesia for Cesarean delivery

Purpose: This study compares plasma lidocaine concentrations in 16-sets of twin neonates to 16-singleton neonates all of whom were delivered by Cesarean section under lumbar epidural anesthesia (LEA). Methods: Lidocaine 1.5% with epinephrine 5 µg·mL –1 was used for activation of LEA. Upon delivery plasma lidocaine concentrations were measured from the maternal vein (MV), neonatal umbilical vein (UV) and umbilical artery (UA) using TDx fluorescence polarization immunoassay. Results: MV lidocaine concentrations were similar in both twin and singleton mothers. Both mean lidocaine UV and UA levels were 35% higher in twin A (first-delivered) compared to the singleton neonate, (P < 0.01, t test). Similarly, twin B mean UV and UA lidocaine levels were 35% and 53% higher than the singleton value (P < 0.01). Mean UV and UA lidocaine fetal/maternal ratios in both twins were at least 18% higher than the singleton value (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Even though there were no differences in neonatal outcome, a potential does exist for high plasma lidocaine concentrations in twin fetuses, suggesting that the total maternal dose of lidocaine must be regulated carefully.
Applying Coordination Mechanisms for Dependency Relationships Under Various Environments

Coordination is a key functionality in multi-agent systems, and mechanisms for achieving coordinated behaviors have been well-studied. One important observation has been that different mechanisms have correspondingly different performance characteristics, and that these can change dramatically in different environments (i.e., no one mechanism is best for all domains). A more recent observation is that one can describe possible mechanisms in a domain-independent way, as simple or complex responses to certain dependency relationships between the activities of different agents. Thus agent programmers can separate encoding agent domain actions from the solution to particular coordination problems that may arise. This paper explores the specification of a large range of coordination mechanisms, for the common hard “enablement” (or “happens-before”) relationship between tasks at different agents. It also explores the impact of task environment characteristics on the choice/performance of these mechanisms. Essentially, a coordination mechanism can be described as a set of protocols (possibly unique to the mechanism), and as an associated automatic re-writing of the specification of the domain-dependent task (expressed as an augmented HTN). The idea about the separation of general knowledge and domain-dependent knowledge is explained. A general method to address the relationships between application domains and agent coordination is introduced. This paper also presents a concrete implementation of this idea in the DECAF agent architecture and an initial exploration of the separation of domain action from meta-level coordination actions for eight simple coordination mechanisms.
Type III secretion by Salmonella typhimurium does not require contact with a eukaryotic host

The type III secretion system encoded by pathogenicity island I in Salmonella typhimurium delivers proteins to the external milieu and into the eukaryotic host cell. The principal factor in induction of the secretion system was found to be a change in the pH of the culture medium from acidic to mildly alkaline. The synthesis of components of the secretion machinery and the production and secretion of substrates occur simultaneously and do not require contact with a eukaryotic host cell. This argues against the concept that type III secretion in S. typhimurium is a process in which the delivery of a presynthesized pool of substrates is triggered by contact with a eukaryotic host cell.
Failure of Sprague-Dawley rats to transfer taste-aversions or preferences by odor-marking the spout.

In most laboratories investigating feeding behavior, a bottle of test solution is not used more than once due to the possibility that rats will mark the spout with an odor, so that if the bottle is presented again to other rats, they will respond to the odor-marking. An attempt was made to demonstrate odor-marking and the results were strikingly negative. This agrees with earlier unpublished work by Marvin Nachman.
Oxidation‐reduction chemistry and aqueous ammonium oxidation in the estimation of nitrate by the cadmium reduction method

Abstract Experimental and thermodynamic evidence is presented to show that nitrate‐N can be reduced beyond nitrite‐N in a cadmium reductor. The studies are made in a batch system and include the effect of sample to reductor ratio. Data presented show that aqueous ammonium‐N can be oxidized to nitrite‐N at a rate of about 0.0.‐0.04 percent per day in the presence of air and cadmium‐copper or cadmium‐mercury complex. The rate of this oxidation, unaffected by absence of light, is reduced to the order of 0.001 percent per day or less in a nitrogen atmosphere and cadmium‐mercury complex. Hence a requirement for air is suggested for the oxidation reaction.
The South American catfish genus Auchenipterus Valenciennes, 1840 (Ostariophysi: Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae): monophyly and relationships, with a revisionary study

Abstract The Neotropical catfishes of the genus Auchenipterus Valenciennes (1840) are reviewed. The genus is hypothesized to be a monophyletic assemblage on the basis of the shared presence of grooves in the ventral surface of the head that accommodate adducted mental barbels. A possible second synapomorphy, the presence of papillae on the dorsal and medial surface of the ossified maxillary barbel of mature males, is tentatively advanced pending discovery of adult males of three species. Contrary to previous hypotheses which considered Auchenipterus to consist of a maximum of five species, we recognize 11 species, including two previously undescribed forms, A. britskii and A. menezesiAuchenipterus is broadly distributed through the Rio Orinoco, Rio Amazonas, and Rio de La Plata basins, and the coastal drainages of the Guianas, with one species in the Rio Pindare-Mirim and Rio Parnaiba basins of northeastern Brazil. Auchenipterus nuchalis, previously thought to be broadly distributed across the range of the genus, is found to rather have a restricted distribution in the eastern portions of the Amazon basin, the lower portions of the Rio Tocantins, and lower courses of some rivers in Suriname and French Guiana. Citations of A. nuchalis from elsewhere in the range of the genus are of other species. Euanemus Muller & Troschel (1842) and Ceratocheilus Miranda Ribeiro (1918) are considered synonyms of Auchenipterus. Euanemus colymbetes Muller & Troschel (1842) is considered a synonym of Auchenipterus dentatus Valenciennes (1840), and A. paysanduanus Devincenzi (1933) is placed into the synonymy of A. nigripinnis Boulenger (1895). A neotype is designated for Hypopthalmus nuchalis Spix & Agassiz (1829). Lectotypes are designated for Euanemus colymbetes and Auchenipterus nigripinnis.
Results of the Damus-Stansel-Kaye Procedure for Transposition of the Great Arteries and for Double-Outlet Right Ventricle with Subpulmonary Ventricular Septal Defect

Abstract From 1975 through 1982, the Damus-Stansel-Kaye procedure was performed on 20 patients with complete transposition of the great arteries (TGA) and on 4 with double-outlet right ventricle (DORV) and subpulmonary ventricular septal defect (VSD). The patients ranged from 6 days to 20 years old (median age, 13 months). Associated anomalies included atrial septal defect (24 patients), VSD (14), and others (25). Thirteen patients had had palliative operations previously. Of the 14 hospital deaths (58%), 13 occurred among the 17 patients with one or more risk factors: age less than 18 months, weight less than 10 kg, and left ventricular peak systolic pressure less than 75% of systemic pressure. Follow-up ranged from 12 to 87 months (mean, 51 months). One patient died of cardiac failure two years postoperatively, and 2 required conduit replacement at 40 and 50 months because of stenosis. All 9 survivors are free from major symptoms. The Damus-Stansel-Kaye repair is most suitable for patients with TGA or DORV with subpulmonary VSD who are older than 18 months, weigh more than 10 kg, and have a "prepared left ventricle," and whose coronary artery anatomy precludes transplantation.
Glenohumeral joint cartilage contact in the healthy adult during scapular plane elevation depression with external humeral rotation

The shoulder (glenohumeral) joint has the greatest range of motion of all human joints; as a result, it is particularly vulnerable to dislocation and injury. The ability to non-invasively quantify in-vivo articular cartilage contact patterns of joints has been and remains a difficult biomechanics problem. As a result, little is known about normal in-vivo glenohumeral joint contact patterns or the consequences that surgery has on altering them. In addition, the effect of quantifying glenohumeral joint contact patterns by means of proximity mapping, both with and without cartilage data, is unknown. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to (1) describe a technique for quantifying in-vivo glenohumeral joint contact patterns during dynamic shoulder motion, (2) quantify normal glenohumeral joint contact patterns in the young healthy adult during scapular plane elevation depression with external humeral rotation, and (3) compare glenohumeral joint contact patterns determined both with and without articular cartilage data. Our results show that the inclusion of articular cartilage data when quantifying in-vivo glenohumeral joint contact patterns has significant effects on the anterior-posterior contact centroid location, the superior-inferior contact centroid range of travel, and the total contact path length. As a result, our technique offers an advantage over glenohumeral joint contact pattern measurement techniques that neglect articular cartilage data. Likewise, this technique may be more sensitive than traditional 6-Degree-of-Freedom (6-DOF) joint kinematics for the assessment of overall glenohumeral joint health. Lastly, for the shoulder motion tested, we found that glenohumeral joint contact was located on the anterior-inferior glenoid surface.
s-Electron Ferromagnetism in Gold and Silver Nanoclusters

Ferromagnetic (FM) ordering in transition-metal systems (solids, surface layers, nanoparticles) arises from partially filled d shells. Thus, recent observations of FM Au nanoclusters was unexpected, and an explanation has remained elusive. Here we report first-principles density-functional spin-polarized calculations for Au and Ag nanoclusters. We find that the highest-occupied level is highly degenerate and partially filled by s electrons with spins aligned according to Hund's rule. The nanoclusters behave like “superatoms”, with the spin-aligned electrons being itinerant on the outer shell of atoms.
Auxiliaries for High-Voltage D-C. Multiple Unit Cars

The selection and application of auxiliary electrical devices on a high-voltage multiple unit car is of almost as much importance as the application of the main traction apparatus and requires careful consideration. This paper contains a description of the engineering features as worked out for electrified suburban lines operating on 1500-volt and 3000-volt systems. The control circuits have become very generally standardized at 32-volts, which is also well adapted for interior illumination and headlights. A motor driven generator supplies 3-to 5-kw. power per unit for control lights and battery charging. Such devices as heaters and motor-generator sets, requiring a considerable amount of electrical power, are necessarily constructed to operate at trolley potential. On the 1500-volt system, the compressor can be operated directly from the line potential while on the 8000-volt systems, a double commutator motor driving the generator supplies a 1500-volt source of power for the compressor.
Removal of Excess Nitrogen in a Hatchery Water Supply

(1948). Removal of Excess Nitrogen in a Hatchery Water Supply. The Progressive Fish-Culturist: Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 88-90.
Supporting placement and data consistency strategies using hybrid clouds

In this paper, we investigate cloud platform support that provides distributed applications with automatic service placement across different cloud computing systems (hybrid clouds), and that enables application developers to investigate the impact of using different cloud-based data consistency models with their applications. By pursuing its implementation at the cloud runtime layer (platform), we are able to provide hybrid cloud support without requiring application modification or significant developer expertise. We investigate the efficacy of such portabililty for different application domains (web services and computationally-intensive HPC applications, via Monte Carlo simulations). We examine different hybrid cloud placement strategies based on cost, performance, and common use cases. We evaluate the performance of such placement strategies as well as different data consistency policies.
Evidence for an earliest Oligocene abrupt cooling in the surface waters of the Southern Ocean

Quantitative analysis of upper Eocene-upper Oligocene calcareous nannofossil assemblages from five Ocean Drilling Program sites in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean sectors of the Southern Ocean reveals an abrupt increase in cool-water taxa at the top of magnetic Subchron C13R ca. 35.9 Ma, coincident with an enrichment of ∼1‰δ 18 O in the planktonic foraminifers at these sites. The synchrony of the abrupt increase in cool-water taxa in the Southern Ocean renders this event a useful biostratigraphic datum at southern high latitudes. This earliest Oligocene cool-water taxa increase was the sharpest and largest during the late Eocene-late Oligocene interval and indicates a drop in surface-water temperature of more than 3 °C in the Southern Ocean. This suggests that the earliest Oligocene δ 18 O shift represents primarily a temperature signal; a small portion (∼0.2‰) is attributable to a global ice-volume increase.
From ethnocultural pride to promoting the Texas Czech vernacular: current maintenance efforts and unexplored possibilities

Texas Czech is a product of over a century and a half of contact between Moravian Czech and English in Texas. While Texans of this descent have largely maintained a sense of distinctive ethnic identity and have creatively re-authenticated their ancestors’ traditions into a unique Texas Czech culture, their language is now on the verge of disappearing. Having a healthy counterpart in Europe, Texas Czech may not appear to face as dire a fate as endangered Indigenous languages do. However, when this variety dies, so will a distinct blend of the nineteenth-century Moravian dialects, literary Czech and English spoken in Texas, which bears little resemblance to modern European Czech. This paper analyzes, through the lens of a participant observer trained as an applied linguist, the insiders’ views expressed in attitudinal questionnaires on the importance of the heritage language ability to ethnic self-identification and to maintaining their ethnic culture. It then explores the apparent detachment between one's ...
Stark conjectures for CM elliptic curves over number fields

We present an elliptic curve analog of the Stark conjecture for the value of the L-function at s=0. Although implied by the general Beilinson conjectures, the approach here is very concrete. Several cases are proved.
The Effect of Ethanol on Sphincter of Oddi Motilityin Vitro

Abstract Antioxidant enzymes are present in nerves supplying the sphincter of Oddi and regulate its motor function. Oxygen free radicals (O 2 •− ) produce hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) by the action of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Hydroxyl radical (OH • ), an important mediator of H 2 O 2 toxicity, oxidizes ETOH. Thus, the aim of our study was determine the effects of ETOH on sphincter of Oddi motility. The sphincter of Oddi was removed from opossums and force transducers recorded tension in its transverse axis. Alcohol (ETOH) was added to the tissue bath in concentrations from 0.1 to 0.4%. OH • was generated by the addition of 0.01% H 2 O 2 . Nitric oxide production was inhibited by the addition of 0.3 m M N ω -nitro- l -arginine ( l -NNA). H 2 O 2 increased the frequency of sphincter of Oddi contractions. Concentrations of ETOH >0.3% decreased contractile frequency; however, 0.2% ETOH alone had no affect on the basal frequency of contraction but inhibited the increase in contractile frequency caused by H 2 O 2 . l -NNA also increased the contractile frequency; however, this effect was not inhibited by ETOH. We conclude that ETOH attenuates the effect of H 2 O 2 on sphincter of Oddi motility.
The Endocannabinoid System: Mechanisms Behind Metabolic Homeostasis and Imbalance

Scientific interest in the endocannabinoid (EC) system developed as a result of the known effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, including an increased desire to consume food. Further investigation has led to the belief that the EC system plays a role in accumulation of intra-abdominal fat and worsening of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. The EC system has been identified as a neuromodulatory system that is normally inactive but can be overstimulated to cause and exacerbate numerous metabolic pathologies. EC agonists and receptors have been identified in the brain, liver, and peripheral adipose tissue, and the EC system is known to affect metabolism in these areas and others through neuromodulatory signals. Meal size, body weight, and numerous metabolic factors such as triglyceride and cholesterol levels, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance can be affected via the EC system. Further research into the EC system is warranted to elucidate its role in metabolic homeostasis.
A COMPARATIVE CATABOLISM STUDY OF ISOLEUCINE BY INSECT AND MAMMALIAN TISSUES

The metabolism of [U-14C]isoleucine was examined in different tissues of five species of lepidopteran and four species of non-lepidopteran insects. Slices of fat body, epidermis, Malpighian tubule, gut, and muscle were incubated in a culture medium containing [U-14C]isoleucine; the medium was analyzed by ion-exclusion LC to quantify labeled metabolites. Tissues of lepidopteran insects secrete high levels of metabolites including 2-keto-4-methylvalerate, 2-methylbutyrate, propionate, and acetate. Tissues of non-lepidopteran insects secrete low amounts of these acids. Analysis of isoleucine transaminase activity in selected tissues of non-lepidopteran insects indicated that those tested contain significant activity. These results demonstrate that tissues of lepidopteran insects have a unique ability to secrete short chain acids, derived from isoleucine, into the medium. The secretion of propionate correlates with the ability to synthesize ethyl-branched juvenile hormones and indicates the presence of an efficient transport system for short chain acids. We also monitored the secretion of acidic metabolites of isoleucine by different tissues of the rat. Muscle was most active in secreting keto acid whereas heart secreted high levels of 2-methylbutyrate. Negligible quantities of metabolites of isoleucine were secreted by the liver.
Mind as Action

Abstract by James V. Wertsch, Oxford University Press, 1998. £22.95 (xii +203 pages) ISBN 0 19 511753 0
Warm Upper-Level Downdrafts Associated with a Squall Line

Abstract Thermodynamic retrieval analysis applied to a composite of dual-Doppler radar data obtained in the 10–11 June 1985 PRE-STORM (Preliminary Regional Experiment for STORM-Central) squall line and a model simulation of a similar squall line show that the upper-level downdrafts located ahead of and behind the main convective updraft zone were generally positively buoyant. As a result, the upper-level downdrafts contributed negatively to the system heat flux.
Onion growth and yield are influenced by transplant tray cell size and age

Abstract Transplant tray cell size (volume) and age of containerized onion (Allium cepa L. cv. `Texas Grano 1015Y') transplants were evaluated for effects on survival, root and shoot growth, yield, and size. Transplant ages of 5, 7, 9, and 11 weeks and cell volume of 6.5 and 20.0 cm3 were used in Florida, and 6, 8, 10 and 12 wk, and 4.0 and 7.1 cm3 were used in Texas. Total yield in Florida was unaffected by transplant age in two planting seasons, but larger size bulb yield increased with increasing transplant age from 5 to 9 wk in 6.5 cm3 cells, and for 11-wk compared to ≤9-wk transplants in 20.0 cm3 in one season. Seed stem initiation was greatest in bulbs from 11-wk transplants in 20 cm3 cells. Survival in Texas was reduced for 6-wk compared to ≥8-wk containerized transplants. At planting, root number increased linearly with transplant age. Transplant cell volume in Texas did not affect root number, plant height or leaf number, but shoot dry weight was greater for seedlings grown in 7.1 cm3 cells compared to 4.0 cm3 cells. Total, jumbo and large size transplant yields in Texas were higher for 10 and 12-week transplants in 7.1 cm3 cells and 8, 10 and 12-week in 4.0 cm3 cells than yields in younger transplants. Total yields were unaffected by transplant cell volume but seedlings in 4.0 cm3 cells had a 16% decrease of jumbo size compared to those grown in 7.1 cm3 cells. Larger cell sizes are appropriate for 10–12-week transplants. The use of 8–10-week containerized transplants grown in small cell volume may be viable for onion stand establishment. Younger transplants may produce more large bulb yields if grown in larger cells, but they also have greater risk of reduced survival.
Density functional theory calculations of vibrational circular dichroism in transition metal complexes: Identification of solution conformations and mode of chloride ion association for (+)-tris(ethylenediaminato)cobalt(III)

Density functional theory calculations of the vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra of a transition metal complex, (+)-tris(ethylenediaminato)cobalt(III) as a free ion and with associated chloride ions, are reported. By comparison with experimental data obtained in our laboratory in 1986 (Young et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1986, 108, 7255) and new measurements, this study identifies, for the first time, the geometry and absolute configuration of the association complex as Λ-δδδ-Co(en)3Cl2+, in which two chloride ions each associate with three NH bonds along the C3-axis of a D3-symmetry complex. The DFT calculations, carried out with both the LanL2DZ and 6-31G(d)[C, H, N]/Stuttgart ECP [Co] basis sets, predict the energy order of ethylenediamine ring conformations as λλλ < λλδ < λδδ < δδδ for the free (gas phase) Λ-Co(en)33+ ion, an order opposite to that deduced from solution studies. The VCD studies identify the δ-conformation as the most prevalent in solution for halide and sulfate counterions, sugge...
Inflation and the real rate of interest

Abstract To test the published statement that ‘the rate of interest that people expect to receive from saving and investment is always positive’, a survey was conducted of 450 New York savings bank depositors, asking them the rate of interest that they were earning on their savings and the rate of inflation that they expected in the next twelve months. The results show that the great majority of respondents seem well informed concerning both inflation rates and the rates of interest that banks are paying. Eighty-seven percent expected either a zero or negative real rate of interest on their money. A few conjectures are added as to why this might be so.
Evaluation of Microbolometer-Based Thermography for Gossamer Space Structures

In August 2003, NASA's In-Space Propulsion Program contracted with our team to develop a prototype on-board Optical Diagnostics System (ODS) for solar sail flight tests. The ODS is intended to monitor sail deployment as well as structural and thermal behavior, and to validate computational models for use in designing future solar sail missions. This paper focuses on the thermography aspects of the ODS. A thermal model was developed to predict local sail temperature variations as a function of sail tilt to the sun, billow depth, and spectral optical properties of front and back sail surfaces. Temperature variations as small as 0.5 C can induce significant thermal strains that compare in magnitude to mechanical strains. These thermally induced strains may result in changes in shape and dynamics. The model also gave insight into the range and sensitivity required for in-flight thermal measurements and supported the development of an ABAQUS-coupled thermo-structural model. The paper also discusses three kinds of tests conducted to 1) determine the optical properties of candidate materials; 2) evaluate uncooled microbolometer-type infrared imagers; and 3) operate a prototype imager with the ODS baseline configuration. (Uncooled bolometers are less sensitive than cooled ones, but may be necessary because of restrictive ODS mass and power limits.) The team measured the spectral properties of several coated polymer samples at various angles of incidence. Two commercially available uncooled microbolometer imagers were compared, and it was found that reliable temperature measurements are feasible for both coated and uncoated sides of typical sail membrane materials.
Toward highly-available WSNs for assisted living

In response to the consistent increase of elder people living in their apartments, and the need for innovative non-obtrusive tools to connect elders to their caregivers, we started an initiative with the Institute of Gerontology at Wayne State University to explore the application of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) for the monitoring of elder people and the communication of potential emergency conditions to their remote caregivers. Motivated by the fact that sensor nodes are resource-constrained and error-prone on one hand, and mission urgency on the other hand, we argue that high availability is a vital requirement that viable WSNs for assisted living have to acquire. We propose the use of classical reliability theory techniques to tackle this issue in a systematic way. We develop analytical models of the WSN availability in terms of the availability of the underlying sensor nodes. These models help in planning for the required number of nodes and the way these nodes are scheduled ON and OFF Our preliminary results show that using node scheduling almost doubles the expected WSN total uptime.
The Wind-ISM Interaction of α Tauri*

Ultraviolet spectra ofTau (K5 III) obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) show many emission lines affectedbybroad absorptionfrom thestrongwindof thisred giant star. For the Mgii handklines there isalsoa narrow absorptionfeature in the midst of the windabsorptionthathas beeninterpreted as being fromTau's windYinterstellar medium (ISM) interaction region (i.e., its ''astrosphere''). We try to reproduce this absorption using hydrodynamic models of theTau astrosphere, which show that stellar wind material heated, compressed, and decelerated at the wind's termination shock (TS) can produce significant absorption at about the right velocity. By experimenting with different model input parameters, we findthatthe parameter that the absorptionismostsensitive to isthe ISM pressure, which determines the location of and therefore the density at the TS. However, the models underestimate both the amountofdecelerationatthe TSand the amountof absorptionfor realistic input parameters. We demonstrate thatthese problems can in principle be resolved by modeling the TS as a radiative shock. However, a cooling timescale short enough to affect the postshock flow is only attainable ifTau's wind speed is increased from the 27Y30 km s � 1 values derivedfromfitstowindabsorptiontoatleast35kms � 1 . The modelsalsoseemto require averyhighISM pressure of P/k � 30;000 cm � 3 K toinducedensitiesattheTShighenoughtoyieldsufficient radiativecooling.Thispressureis at least a factor of 2 higher than other estimates of ISM thermal pressure within the Local Bubble. Subject headingg circumstellar matter — stars: individual (� Tauri) — stars: winds, outflows — ultraviolet: stars
Assessment of psychiatric outcome. I. Cross section analysis.

Abstract Cross Section Analysis is a flexible method of depicting the outcome of a patient's illness from chronological series data such as post-treatment measurements. Patient status is assessed by display of outcome in terms of ‘cross point values’ at fixed ‘cross points’ in time from a pre-determined origin. The method involved interpolates or extrapolates cross point values when observations are not available at cross point times, by utilizing information from the measurements actually obtained. The necessary procedures and computations are described with illustrations from case data. The cross section method has important practical and theoretical advantages.
Purification and characterization of NCAD90, a Soluble endogenous form of N‐cadherin, which is generated by proteolysis during retinal development and retains adhesive and neurite‐promoting function

The cadherins are calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecules which regulate cell-cell interactions during morphogenesis. During development, cadherin expression is subject to dynamic patterns of regulation. We have previously demonstrated that expression of N-cadherin, the predominant cadherin of neural tissues, is sharply down-regulated during development of the retina and brain during later stages of histogenesis (Lagunowich and Grunwald, Dev Biol 135:158-171, 1989; Lagunowich et al., J Neurosci Res 32:202-208, 1992), and that this down-regulation is due to multiple factors, including decreased mRNA levels and turnover apparently mediated by endogenous metalloproteolytic activity (Roark et al., Development 114:973-984, 1992). In the present study, we describe metabolic studies which provide direct biochemical evidence for turnover of 130-kDa N-cadherin in embryonic retina tissues, yielding a soluble 90-kDa N-terminal fragment. We demonstrate that this form of N-cadherin, which we refer to as NCAD90, accumulates in vivo during development. We further demonstrate that purified NCAD90, obtained from embryonic vitreous humor, retains biological function and promotes cell adhesion and neurite growth in a dose-dependent fashion among chick embryo neural retina cells when present in a substrate-bound form. The morphology of retinal cells and neurites grown on a substrate of NCAD90 differs strikingly from that seen on a laminin substrate, in a manner similar to that described for intact 130-kDa N-cadherin. We conclude that proteolysis of N-cadherin at the cell surface during embryonic retinal histogenesis is an endogenous mechanism for regulating N-cadherin expression which generates a novel and functional form of the protein. The results further indicate that an intact cytoplasmic domain is not essential for all cadherin functions.
Estrogen receptor isoform‐specific regulation of endogenous gene expression in human osteoblastic cell lines expressing either ERα or ERβ

Estrogen (17beta-estradiol, E2) plays pivotal roles in the function and maintenance of the skeleton, including the bone-forming osteoblasts (OBs). The functions of E2 are largely mediated through two distinct estrogen receptor isoforms, ERalpha and ERbeta, both of which are expressed in OBs. The level of each isoform dominates at early or late stages of OB differentiation. To date, only a limited comparison between the transcriptional targets of ERalpha and ERbeta on endogenous gene expression has been reported. We have developed new stable cell lines, which contain doxycycline (Dox)-inducible ERalpha and ERbeta, in the U2OS human osteosarcoma to determine the global transcriptional profile of ERalpha- and ERbeta-regulation of endogenous gene expression. The U2OS-ERalpha and U2OS-ERbeta cell lines were treated with Dox and either vehicle control or E2 for 24 h. Gene expression analysis was performed using a microarray containing approximately 6,800 full-length genes. We detected 63 genes that were regulated solely by ERalpha and 59 genes that were only regulated solely by ERbeta. Of the ERalpha-regulated genes, 81% were upregulated and 19% were inhibited. Similarly 76% of the ERbeta-regulated genes were upregulated whereas 24% were inhibited by E2. Surprisingly, only 17 genes were induced by both ERalpha and ERbeta. Real-time PCR was employed to confirm the expression of a selected number of genes. The regulation of a number of known E2-responsive genes in human OBs, as well as many interesting novel genes, is shown. The distinct patterns of E2-dependent gene regulation in the U2OS cells by ERalpha and ERbeta shown here suggest that during OB differentiation, when either isoform dominates, a unique pattern of gene responses will occur, partially due to the differentiation state and the ER isoform present.
Colloquium: Quantum networks with trapped ions

Quantum computation and communication exploit the quantum properties of superposition and entanglement in order to perform tasks that may be impossible using classical means. In this Colloquium recent experimental and theoretical progress in the generation of entangled quantum networks based on the use of optical photons as carriers of information between fixed trapped atomic ion quantum memories are reviewed. Taken together, these quantum platforms offer a promising vision for the realization of a large-scale quantum network that could impact the future of communication and computation.
Effect of Image Enhancement on the Search and Detection Task in the Urban Terrain

This research investigated the effects of using medical imaging enhancement techniques to increase the detectability of targets in the urban terrain. Targets in the urban environment present human observers different challenges than targets located in the traditional, open field, search environment. In the traditional environment, targets typically were military vehicles in a natural background. In the urban environment, targets were humans against a man-made background. The U.S. Army Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) and the U. S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) explored three image processing techniques: contrast enhancement, edge enhancement, and a multiscale edge domain process referred to as "mountain-view". For the mountain-view presentation, high-contrast edges were enhanced. Human perception experiments were conducted with non-enhanced real imagery collected from an Urban Operations training center. These human perception experiments establish a baseline response. Processing the imagery using the previously mentioned techniques then allowed human perception experiments to be conducted. The performance parameters used for comparison were probability of detection, and time required to detect a target. This research provided a methodology of evaluating and quantifying human performance differences in target acquisition based on image processing techniques in the urban environment.
Voluntary Environmental Investment and Responsive Regulation

Instances of corporate voluntary environmental investments have been rising in recent years. Motivations for such activities include corporate image building, regulatory preemption, and production cost savings. While some of these investments arise from industry attempts to set environmental standards where none currently exist, many investments seem to be aimed at reducing the costs of complying with existing regulations. Using a simple game-theoretic model, we investigate firm motivations for, and welfare consequences of, these types of voluntary investments by focusing on the role regulatory enforcement might play. We find that such investments unambiguously increase when an enforcement regulator acts as a Stackelberg follower (a regulatory structure we refer to as responsive regulation) in setting its monitoring and enforcement strategy. These additional investments may be socially undesirable, necessitating a restructuring of non-compliance penalties.
Hematologic disorders and ischemic stroke

Hematologic disorders that induce a thrombotic tendency contribute to overall ischemic stroke risk and may directly cause cerebral ischemia in patients without other risk factors. These disorders include platelet dysfunction, prothrombotic coagulopathies, defective fibrinolysis, abnormal red blood cell-vessel wall interactions, and antiphospholipid antibody syndromes. Multiple mechanisms promoting ischemia may underlie specific hematologic abnormalities. Improved markers for activation of platelets, coagulation and fibrinolysis are now being used to correlate prothrombotic mechanisms with ischemic pathology and, thus, to make therapeutic approaches more precise. Nevertheless, finding the ideal balance between preventing cerebral ischemia and incurring hemorrhagic toxicity remains difficult.
The morphology of GABA-immunoreactive neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb of rats.

Abstract GABA-immunoreactive (IR) neurons were observed in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) of adult female rats. Many somata and dendritic trees of periglomerular-located cells were GABA-IR and the size of their somata was variable. Numerous somata and dendrates in the granule cell layer were IR. These results suggest that a large number of the interneurons in the AOB are GABA-IR.
Opioid receptor subtypes that mediate a microwave‐induced decrease in central cholinergic activity in the rat

We performed experiments to investigate subtypes of opioid receptors in the brain involved in the effect of acute (45 min) pulsed microwave exposure (2,450-MHz, 2-microseconds pulses, 500 pps, average power density 1 mW/cm2, peak-power density, 1 W/cm2, average whole body SAR 0.6 W/kg) on cholinergic activity in the rat brain. Rats were pretreated by microinjection of specific antagonists of mu, delta, and kappa opioid-receptors into the lateral cerebroventricle before exposure to microwaves. The data showed that all three subtypes of opioid receptors are involved in the microwave-induced decrease in cholinergic activity in the hippocampus. However, the microwave-induced decrease in cholinergic activity in the frontal cortex was not significantly affected by any of the drug treatments, confirming our previous conclusion that the effect of microwaves on the frontal cortex is not mediated by endogenous opioids.
Stability of Inviscid Shear Flow over Flexible Membranes

A minimum of four terms in the solution form was necessary to predict accurately the divergence velocities as a function of the length-to-radius ratio ?/a. Divergence velocities varied widely before approaching a limit as the number of terms in the assumed solution was increased. This was particularly true for ?/a> 10 and for higher-order modes (/?>3). A study of the effect of the thickness-to-radius ratio on critical divergence velocities showed that higher-order circumferential modes are associated with shorter and/or thinner shells. The lowest critical divergence velocity, for long shells (£/tf>40), is associated with the beam-type mode (n=\). Critical divergence velocity as a function of lamina orientation, for a given circumferential mode, is shown in Fig. 3 for £/#=10 and hi a = 0.01. The present analysis was repeated for the isotropic case and compared with the results given in Ref. 7. Good agreement was noted. Conclusions Natural frequencies of fiber-reinfor ced shells decrease with increasing fluid velocity, as do isotropic shells, until static divergence occurs. Natural frequency is a function of the length-to-radius ratio, the radius-to-thickness ratio, the circumferential mode number, and the orientation of the lamina. Beam-type theory was found to be suitable for long shells, but in any other case shell theory must be used. Qualitatively, the behavior of anisotropic shells appears to be much the same as that of isotropic shells. However, it is reasonable to expect that certain lamina stacking sequences will result in considerably different numerical values of divergence velocity as a function of lamina orientation.
Banking and Industrialization in Austria-Hungary: The Role of Banks in the Industrialization of the Czech Crownlands, 1873-1914

List of tables and charts Preface Abbreviations Introduction 1. Industrial development in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy 1873-1914 2. Industrialization in the Czech lands 3. Evolution of the financial structure 4. The relationship of banks to industry: the Viennese Great Banks 5. The relationship of banks to industry: the Czech banks 6. Sources of industrial credit 7. The role of the banks Appendixes Notes Bibliography Index.
Late Pleistocene history of the North Pacific: Evidence from a quantitative study of radiolaria in core V21-173

Objective quantitative estimates of paleo-oceanographic conditions in the North Pacific can be made by analyses of radiolarian assemblages. With appropriate computation, transfer functions developed in a study of surface sediments can be used to estimate oceanographic conditions in cores containing late Pleistocene radiolarian faunas. Analysis of core V21-173 indicates that conditions as warm as the Holocene were rare during the past 800,000 yr, and that the region experienced marked near-surface temperature drops correlative with Caribbean and continental records for the past 250,000 yr. A major world-wide warm event at about 400,000 yr is also indicated.
Advanced inelastic analysis of solids by the boundary element method

Abstract Two boundary element solution algorithms are used for solving a range of elastoplastic and thermoplastic problems. The first algorithm is the conventional iterative procedure in which the unknown boundary solution and the initial stress (or strain) rates are found together in an incremental iterative fashion. The second algorithm is a new variable stiffness type approach in which the incremental boundary solution is obtained in a direct (non-iterative) manner. This new approach is presented in a general manner for axisymmetric, two- and three-dimensional analyses. The formulation is implemented in a general purpose, multi-region system that utilizes quadratic isoparametric shape functions to model the geometry and field variables of the body and can admit up to 15 substructured regions of different material properties.
Local effects of electrical and mechanical stimulation on the recovery properties of the canine ventricle

Abstract The effects of electrical stimulation on local recovery properties of the canine ventricle were studied. Ventricular excitability was examined by an analysis of unipolar or bipolar strength-interval curves, and the effective refractory period was derived from the steep portion of the curve. Conduction times of all propagated responses to testing stimuli were recorded. When ventricular driving and testing sites were the same, effective refractory periods were significantly shorter (probability [p] Thus, shortening of the effective refractory period and prolonged conduction in the vicinity of the driving electrode are a function of stimulus intensity, distance from the driving site and time. These local alterations in the recovery properties of the ventricle provide conditions that may be favorable for the induction of reentrant arrhythmias.
Formation and stability of helical poly(N epsilon,N epsilon,N epsilon-trimethyl-L-lysine) in sodium perchlorate solution.

Poly(trimethyl-L-lysine), [Lys(Me3)]n, is converted from random coil to α-helix at about 1/30 of the NaClO4 concentration required by poly(L-lysine), (Lys)n. NaClO4 generates turbidity in [Lys(Me)3]n at concentrations above that required for helix formation, and decreases turbidity above lM NaClO4. The turbidity runs parallel to enhanced, and then decreased, fluorescence of a dansyl label. Helix formation per se does not induce enhanced fluorescence. Increasing NaClO4 concentration increases Tm linearly with log[NaClO4] for both (Lys)n and [Lys(Me3)]n until the denaturing effect of high NaClO4 sets in. Increasing NaClO4 also increases the breadth of the transition. Heating helical [Lys(Me3)]n or (Lys)n does not produce a CD spectrum resembling that of “random-coil” (Lys)n, except for [Lys(Me3)]n at relatively low NaClO4 concentration.