cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Persistent virulence associations in sexual populations of Puccinia coronata

From 1992 to 1999, 18 sets of aecial or uredinial isolates of Puccinia coronata were collected from two sites in Minnesota for analysis of virulence associations. In addition, one set of aecial isolates was collected in Ontario and one in New York. Also, aecial isolates and uredinial isolates collected from scattered locations in Minnesota in 1994 and again in 1995 were bulked for comparison with populations from discrete sites. Isolates were tested for virulence on 26 single-Pc gene oat lines. Virulences to 14 pairs of differential lines were found to be significantly (P < 0·05) associated in linkage disequilibrium in at least six of the 24 site × year populations. The significant virulence associations were found among both uredinial and aecial isolates. Linkage disequilibria normally dissipate with repeated generations of sexual reproduction. Finding the same virulence associations repeatedly over years and locations for sexual populations of P. coronata indicates that certain pairs of virulence genes (or avirulence genes) contribute to increased fitness when they occur together, even in the absence of the corresponding resistance genes in the host. Mean virulence complexity did not differ significantly between a site with no known Pc genes in the host population and a site with low frequencies of Pc genes, suggesting little or no selection pressure against unnecessary virulence per se. Means and standard deviations of virulence complexity were similar for aecial and uredinial isolates within sites, which suggests that selection did not strongly favour either heterozygotes or intermediate virulence complexity during uredinial generations.
Can iron be teratogenic

Several kinds of evidence indicate that elevated iron during the 3-8 week embryonic (organogenesis) period of human gestation may be teratogenic. (1) In the embryonic period, the natural maternal absorption of food iron is 30% below the estimated daily iron loss. (2) As compared with maternal serum, embryonic fetal coelomic fluid contains only one-fourth as much iron but nearly six times the quantity of the iron withholding protein, ferritin. (3) In the embryonic period, intraplacental oxygen pressure is 2-3 times lower than in the subsequent fetal growth period. (4) Iron is a strong inducer of emesis which peaks in the embryonic period. (5) In a murine gestation model, iron was neurotoxic at a sharp peak of 8-9 days. Thus it would be prudent, in human pregnancy, to delay any needed iron supplementation until the embryonic period has been completed.
Thermal quenching mechanisms in II-VI semiconductor nanocrystals

The mechanisms of temperature-dependent nonradiative processes, often referred to as thermal quenching, are studied in CdSe, CdSe/ZnSe, and CdTe nanoparticles. These particles exhibit reversible thermal quenching, the extent of which is strongly dependent on the composition of the surface and nature of the surface ligands. Thermal quenching has dynamic (affecting the luminescence lifetimes) and static (affecting the fraction of particles that are bright versus dark) components. The temperature dependence of quantum yields and time-resolved luminescence decays as well as room temperature transient absorption spectroscopy are used to elucidate the thermal quenching mechanisms. Dynamic thermal quenching is due to thermally activated trapping dynamics that occur on the same time scale as the radiative lifetime. This paper focuses on static thermal quenching and several different mechanisms are considered. It is concluded that the dominant mechanism involves thermal promotion of valence band electrons to empty...
Slow Folding of a Three-Helix Protein via a Compact Intermediate†

The KIX domain of CREB binding protein (CBP) forms a small three-helix bundle which folds autonomously. Previous equilibrium unfolding experiments led to the suggestion that folding may not be strictly two-state. To investigate the folding mechanism in more detail, the folding kinetics of KIX have been studied by urea jump fluorescence-detected stopped-flow experiments. Clear evidence for an intermediate is obtained from the plot of the natural log of the observed rate constant versus denaturant concentration, the chevron plot, and from analysis of the initial fluorescence amplitudes of the stopped-flow experiments. The chevron plot exhibits a change in shape, rollover, at low denaturant concentrations, characteristic of the formation of an intermediate. The kinetic data can be fit to a three-state model involving a compact intermediate. An on-pathway model predicts that the position of the intermediate lies close to the native state. The folding rate in the absence of denaturant is 260 s(-)(1) at pH 7.5 and 25 degrees C. This is significantly slower than the rates of other helical proteins similar in size. The slow folding may be due to the necessity of forming a buried polar interaction in the native state. The potential functional significance of the folding intermediate is discussed.
The Hispanic Horizon in Yucatan: A model of Franciscan missionization

Following the military campaigns of conquest in sixteenth-century Yucatan, the Order of Friars Minor Observant assumed the task of controlling, by culture conversion, the indigenous Yucatec Maya. The fundamental vehicle for this program of social engineering was the built environment of the mission, composed of the chapel, atrium, and friary, and the associated village. Archaeological remains of mission sites are horizon markers for the earliest phases of permanent Hispanic presence on the peninsula, ca. 1545–1572. Mission villages specify locations where the friars reorganized pre-Hispanic Maya settlements according to Spanish sociopolitical norms. Increasing complexity in mission-chapel architecture marks the stages of this reorganization. In this article, I discuss the historical origin of the friars' policies and the context of their implementation in Yucatan; model the spatial, temporal, architectural, and behavioral variables the Franciscans employed to extend and maintain Hispanic hegemony; provide comparative data from seventeenth-century New Mexico and La Florida; and outline a general theory of Franciscan activity in the New World.
The Pearl Necklace: Toward an Archaeology of Brazilian Transition Discourse

In his book-length publication in English, Roberto Reis re-evaluates the Brazilian literary canon, stressing the authoritarian undercurrent in much of that country's cultural discussion and rejecting the idea that literature has been a force for positive social change. Reis analyzes 8 works of fiction written during what he calls the "transition period" between 1850 and 1950 when Brazil advanced from an agrarian society to an urban society. His map of the country's modernization reveals the role of intellectuals - often co-opted in construction of a strong, central state - and the aversion toward history that he says characterizes much of Brazilian social formation. Even Brazil's leftist literature parallels the history written by the dominant groups, he argues, and it perpetuates the unjust, closed, and elitist structure of the State. He sums up the concerns of the book by asserting, "History must be taken as a problem". Organized around the mataphor of a pearl necklace, each chapter (or bead on the strand) addresses a specific feature of the authoritarian question. The writers discussed - those ignored by contemporary Brazilian criticism as well as those canonized - include Jose de Alencar, Humberto de Campos, Jose Lins do Rego, Graciliano Ramos, Galeao Coutinho, and Carlos Drummond de Andrade. Machado de Assis and Erico Verissimo are the two discussed here "whose literary practice", as Randal Johnson observes in his Foreword, "fractures the monolithic solidity of discursive certainty", linking them to "later writers such as Oswald de Andrade, Joao Guimaraes Rosa, and Clarice Lispector".
Parc-ing p53 in the Cytoplasm

Nikolaev et al. (this issue of Cell) report the identification of a parkin-like protein, Parc, and its role in anchoring the tumor suppressor protein p53 in the cytoplasm reveals yet another level of control of p53 function. Regulation of the subcellular localization of p53 by Parc may serve as a novel target in treatment of certain types of tumors.
The relationship of lipoprotein(a), C-reactive protein and homocysteine with metabolic syndrome in South Asians

Abstract Introduction Elevated serum lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), C-reactive protein (CRP), and homocysteine are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Metabolic syndrome is yet another known risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the relationship between metabolic syndrome and these three prevalent CVD biomarkers in South Asians is not known. We describe the relationships between the metabolic syndrome and Lp(a), CRP, and homocysteine in South Asians. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 1000 South Asian participants in a CVD risk reduction program in the San Francisco Bay Area. Metabolic syndrome was defined by the International Diabetes Federation definition. Results Metabolic syndrome was present in 25.3% ( n = 253) of the cohort. A significantly higher proportion of participants with metabolic syndrome had elevated CRP ( p p p = 0.16). We identified a trend between increasing CRP ( p p p Conclusions We describe a positive association between homocysteine and metabolic syndrome in South Asians and confirm prior studies of other racial groups showing a positive relationship between CRP and metabolic syndrome. To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify the negative relationship between Lp(a) and metabolic syndrome in South Asian men.
Private Pensions Plans: Internet Sources for Keeping Current with Developments and Research

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that 51% of American workers receive some type of pension from their employers. Yet surveys have shown that recent changes in government regulation and employee benefit practices have left workers and employers at a loss. This article evaluates Web sites that provide business librarians with information to keep up to date with changes in private pension systems. Business librarians will find the research and data provided on the sites useful for a broad range of library patrons including workers, retirees, business professionals, students, and the media. Clearly, as 71 million baby boomers head to retirement over the next two decades, private pensions will persist as a crucial issue for all Americans.
Wigner symmetry in the limit of large scattering lengths

We note that, in the limit where the $\mathrm{NN}$ $^{1}S_{0}$ and $^{3}S_{1}$ scattering lengths, ${a}^{{(}^{1}{S}_{0})}$ and ${a}^{{(}^{3}{S}_{1})}$, go to infinity, the leading terms in the effective field theory for strong $\mathrm{NN}$ interactions are invariant under Wigner's SU(4) spin-isospin symmetry. This explains why the leading effects of radiation pions on the $S$-wave $\mathrm{NN}$ scattering amplitudes vanish as ${a}^{{(}^{1}{S}_{0})}$ and ${a}^{{(}^{3}{S}_{1})}$ go to infinity. The implications of Wigner symmetry for $\mathrm{NN}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{NN}$ axion and $\ensuremath{\gamma}d\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{np}$ are also considered.
Localization of the mitochondrial uncoupling protein family in the rat inner ear

Uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are a proton transporter family located in the mitochondrial inner membrane. The molecular expression and activity of UCPs in brown adipose tissue and skeletal muscle are regulated by factors as diverse as chronic overeating and cold exposure, suggesting roles in energy expenditure and heat production. Although UCP2, UCP4 and brain mitochondrial carrier protein-1 (BMCP-1, i.e. UCP5) mRNAs are expressed in the central nervous system, their central function is unknown. This study presents the first evidence on localization and quantitative expression of UCPs in the rat inner ear by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Real-time PCR studies revealed that UCP2 mRNA was expressed in the vestibular and spiral ganglia more abundantly than any other UCP. Neocortex, by contrast, contained UCP2 and UCP4 equally. Notably, UCP3 and UCP4 mRNAs were expressed in inner ear ganglia, but brain UCP3 mRNA expression level was undetectable by simple PCR. Immunohistochemical studies confirmed that both UCP2- and UCP3-like immunoreactivities were detected in vestibular and spiral ganglion cells and co-localized with a mitochondrial marker, MitoFluorGreen. According to previous reports, UCP2 and UCP3 are thermogenic in yeast and brain UCP2 has been suggested to modulate pre- and post-synaptic events by axonal thermogenesis. It has also been reported recently that UCP2 and UCP3 responses to superoxide application may be an antioxidant protective mechanism. Therefore, it is suggested that mitochondrial UCPs (UCP2, UCP3, UCP4) may play both a protective role against oxidative damage and a thermal signaling role in the eighth nerve.
Role of reductase and aromatase in sex determination in the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta), a turtle with temperature-dependent sex determination.

In many turtles the temperature during the middle of incubation determines the gonadal sex of the hatchling. In the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta), an incubation temperature of 26 degrees C results in all male offspring, whereas an incubation temperature of 31 degrees C results in all female offspring; at temperatures intermediate to these (e.g. 29, 29.2, 29.4 degrees C) a mixed sex ratio is obtained. Administration of exogenous oestrogens will overcome the effects of an all-male producing incubation temperature to cause female sex determination, whereas administration of exogenous dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or testosterone to eggs incubating at an all-female temperature will have no discernible effect. Administration of DHT will cause male sex determination only if administered at intermediate incubation temperatures whereas administration of testosterone to eggs incubating at all male-producing and male-biased intermediate temperatures results in a significant number of female offspring, an effect presumably due to aromatization of testosterone to oestradiol (OE2). Since testosterone serves as the precursor to both DHT and OE2, being metabolized by reductase and aromatase respectively, three experiments were conducted to determine whether various putative reductase and aromatase inhibitors would overcome the effect of incubation temperature. First, while administration of testosterone to eggs incubating at all male-producing and male-biased intermediate temperatures produced females in a dose- and temperature-dependent manner, significant numbers of intersex individuals resulted from high dosage testosterone treatment to eggs incubating at a female-biased intermediate temperature. The reductase inhibitors 4MA and MK906 were capable of producing female offspring if administered at intermediate temperatures, but not in a dose-dependent fashion. Administration of the aromatase inhibitors CGS16949A and CGS20267 resulted in male offspring at both female-biased intermediate and at all female-producing temperatures in a dose-dependent fashion. Second, similar findings were obtained with combined doses of testosterone and reductase or aromatase inhibitors. Combined treatment of eggs at male-biased intermediate incubation temperatures with testosterone and reductase inhibitor resulted in female hatchlings, whereas combined treatment of testosterone and aromatase inhibitor at both female-biased intermediate and at all female-producing temperatures resulted in male hatchlings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Activation Energy of the Reaction between Hexacyanoferrate(III) and Thiosulfate Ions Catalyzed by Platinum Nanoparticles

A temperature-dependent study was carried out for the platinum-nanoparticle-catalyzed electron-transfer reaction between hexacyanoferrate(III) and thiosulfate ions in the temperature range of 20−70 °C. The Pt nanoparticles are dominantly truncated octahedral in shape and have an average particle size of 7.0 ± 0.8 nm. The catalyzed reaction is compared with the uncatalyzed reaction in the same temperature range. The activation energy of the reaction is found to be 38.3 ± 2.0 kJ/mol for the uncatalyzed reaction and 17.6 ± 0.9 kJ/mol for the catalyzed reaction in the lower temperature range (20−50 °C). In the higher temperature range (50−70 °C), the rate remains nearly constant. This behavior is attributed to the cancellation of two effects: the temperature dependence of the catalytic reaction and the decrease in the catalyst surface area due to the increase of nanoparticle aggregation.
Social decision schemes and two‐person bargaining

This experiment deals with an explanation of two-person group systems, or dyads, bargaining in a bilateral monopoly situation in terms of a special case of a general group decision theory proposed by J. H. Davis (1973). Dyads completed one symmetric and one asymmetric bargaining task. The model of bargaining behavior fitted the dyads' decisions for price but not for quantity. There were some differences noted in the difficulty of the two types of bargaining tasks.
Formation of a σ-cyclobutyl-platinum bond by the intramolecular activation of a cyclobutylphosphine. Synthesis and structure of

When the hydrobromide adduct of di-t-butylcyclobutylmethylphosphine, P(t-Bu)2(CH2CHCH2CH2CH2) · Hbr is combined with K[PtCl3(C2H4)] and LiBr in ethanol and heated at reflux for 5 h, the σ-cyclobutyl complex forms. The complex also forms from in boiling ethanol. The structure of was deduced from spectroscopic and analytical data and confirmed by X-ray analysis of a single crystal. The complex crystallizes in the tetragonal system in space group C124ν-I41cd (a = b = 19.658(7) A, c - 15.805(6) A, A = 113 K) with 8 molecules per unit cell. The final agreement index for R(F2) is 0.075 for the 2403 unique data (including F02 < 0). Bond lengths in the five-membered chelate ring PtPC(3)C(10)C(11) are PtP 2.198(4), PC(3) 1.875(18). C(3)C(10) 1.53(2), C(10)C(11) 1.57(2), C(11)Pt 2.079(17) A. The remaining cyclobutyl bond distances are C(11)C(12) 1.56(2), C(12)C(13) 1.51(3), C(10)C(13) 1.53(3) A. The PtBr bond distances are 2.510(2) and 2.612(2) A for bromine cis- and trans- to atom C(11), respectively.
On the transitivity property

Abstract In this short note general transitivity properties of fuzzy binary relations are discussed. It is shown that under some weak conditions any fuzzy binary relation can be regarded as a transitive one with respect to a properly chosen t-norm. A representation theorem for such relations is formulated.
The Meaning of Sea Kayaking for Persons With Spinal Cord Injuries

Objectives Research has described benefits of physical, athletic, and avocational activity on improving self-esteem, quality of life, and locus of control in persons with disabilities. The objective of this study was to identify meaningful components of the experience of sea kayaking as described by persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Method Three subjects with SCI who had participated in recreational kayaking were interviewed. Qualitative research methods included strategies from Guba's model for rigor in qualitative research, Spradley's interviewing guidelines, and Good's method of semantic network analysis. Three interviews of approximately 45 min in length were conducted with each subject. Initial interviews began with a single question: "Tell me about sea kayaking." Subsequent questions contained only concepts and terms used in the subjects' responses. Results The subjects valued the novelty, challenge, safety, sociability, and natural environment aspects of sea kayaking. Perceptions of the self as able in the eyes of others and the need for support in pursuit of outdoor leisure activities were themes that figured prominently in the subjects' discourse. Conclusion Subjects' comments indicate that meaningful time use and the construction of an identity after injury are linked. This link has also been suggested in the rehabilitation literature. This information suggests the use of therapeutic intervention that supports a person's adjustment to an irreversible SCI.
Perturbative roughness corrections to electromagnetic Casimir energies

Perturbative corrections to the Casimir free energy due to macroscopic roughness of dielectric interfaces are obtained in the framework of an effective low-energy field theory. It describes the interaction of electromagnetic fields with materials whose plasma frequency ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{p}$ determines the low-energy scale. The na\"{\i}ve perturbative expansion of the single-interface scattering matrix in the variance of the profile is sensitive to short-wavelength components of the roughness correlation function. We introduce generalized counterterms that subtract and correct these high-momentum contributions to the loop expansion. To leading order, the counterterms are determined by the phenomenological plasmon model. The latter is found to be consistent with the low-energy description. The proximity force approximation is recovered in the limit of long correlation length and gives the upper limit for the roughness correction to the Casimir force. The renormalized low-energy theory is insensitive to the high-momentum behavior of the roughness correlation function. Predictions at zero temperature of the improved theory are compared with those of the unrenormalized model and with experiment. The Casimir interaction of interfaces with low levels of roughness is found to be well reproduced by that of flat parallel plates with the measured reflection coefficients at a distance that is slightly less than the mean separation of the rough surfaces.
Effect of temperature on fatigue performance of hot mix asphalt tested under model mobile load simulator

In this study, the effect of temperature on the fatigue performance of hot mix asphalt (HMA) has been investigated with the use of the scaled accelerated loading equipment Model Mobile Load Simulator. Several HMA test slabs instrumented with strain gauges and thermocouples were subjected to running wheel load under controlled environmental condition. Transverse and longitudinal strain and temperature data were acquired with the data acquisition system. The analysis of strain data indicated that the longitudinal strain was dependent on the temperature and the rate of change of temperature with time. A model has been developed to predict the resilient strain under moving load at different temperatures. Models relating fatigue life of HMA with temperature have been presented. It has been concluded that the accurate prediction of fatigue performance of HMA under wheel load should include the effect of temperature and loading. Testing pavement slabs compacted with roller compactor provides results which can id...
Pickup velocities under higher pressure conditions

Abstract The pickup velocities of five different materials having varying average particle sizes, shapes and densities were determined using both air and carbon dioxide up to a pressure of 307 kPa. Under these increased gas density conditions, lower pickup velocities were obtained requiring less energy to move these solids under the higher pressure conditions. Higher pressure systems, however, are more expensive than atmospheric units to construct and operate. The reduced velocities of conveying diminish the attrition of the material and erosion of the piping. A new correlation for pickup velocities developed by Cabrejos and Klinzing proved effective in predicting the experimentally obtained values.
Peabody's agreement response set measure: reply to Samelson.

On the basis of a partial reanalysis of the data in Peabody's 1961 study of Agreement Response Set, Samelson (1964) has concluded that Peabody's double agreement score measures item rather than subject characteristics. This paper argues that the data which the reanalysis presents are not only consistent with Peabody's interpretation, but predictable from it. Data from another source are presented to show that double agreement scores do measure subject characteristics.
An Examination of the Relations among Tax Preferences, Implicit Taxes, and Market Power in a Noncompetitive Market

We examine whether market power within a noncompetitive industry is related to a firm's ability to retain the benefits received from statutory tax preferences. Using both a market‐based measure and an accounting‐based measure proposed by Dunbar and Sansing (2002), we estimate tax preferences for a sample of 60 defense contractors for the three years preceding (1984–1986) and immediately following (1988–1990) the passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 (TRA86). We confirm that defense contractors enjoyed positive tax preferences in 1984–1986, which decreased significantly with the passage of TRA86. We find a negative and significant relation between changes in tax preferences and changes in pre‐tax returns, which is consistent with implicit tax theory and supported by prior empirical work. We also find that this relation is significantly less negative for firms ranked among the Top 100 defense contractors than for unranked contractors. We conclude that market power is positively related to a firm's ability t...
The determinants of foreign partner's equity ownership in Southeast Asian joint ventures

Abstract Using a sample of 375 equity joint venture agreements between 2 partners in 6 Southeast Asian countries, we document the active role of Asian companies in driving the flow of joint venture activity in this region and provide a comparative analysis of joint ventures in transitional and non-transitional Southeast Asian countries. Specifically, we analyze the relationship between the foreign partner's equity ownership and partner uncertainty, the types of joint venture activities, and the frequency of transactions between the joint venture partners. In addition, we show that the relationship between the foreign partner's equity ownership and partner uncertainty, as proxied by cultural dissimilarity, depends on the types of joint venture activities. In the case of Vietnam, a transitional economy, the evidence suggests that, in the presence of a weak legal and regulatory system, foreign firms are entering the country on a smaller scale and are more prone to informal, relational contracting as a substitute for legal enforcement.
Synthesis and cetane improver performance of fatty acid glycol nitrates

Triglycerides are renewable chemical feedstocks available from a variety of resources, including vegetable oils, tall oils and beef or pork fat. Chemical synthesis methods, reaction conversions and performances of a series of organic acid glycol nitrates were investigated to evaluate the viability of converting triglycerides into nitrates for use as cetane improvers. Organic acid glycol nitrates were synthesized from five acids ranging from C6 to C18 to determine the impact of the acid's carbon number and degree of saturation on performance as a cetane improver. Chemical synthesis included acid catalyzed esterification of organic acids with ethylene glycol followed by nitration of the terminal alcohol group to form fatty acid glycol nitrates. Fatty acid glycol nitrates with carbon numbers between 8 and 14 exhibited the best performance — a balance between high carbon numbers and high nitrate group concentration. All the nitrates provided good cetane improving capabilities.
Catalytic Signal Amplification Using a Heck Reaction. An Example in the Fluorescence Sensing of Cu(II)

Catalytic signal enhancement using an organometallic reaction is demonstrated. The reactivity of a Heck cross-coupling reaction that creates a fluorophore is modulated by the addition of a polyazacyclam inhibitor. The inhibitor will complex with Cu(II), which restores the activity of the Pd(II). The addition of Cu(II) therefore leads to the generation of fluorescence, thereby creating a very sensitive assay for Cu(II). The rate of the Heck reaction is followed by monitoring emission as a function of time. The rate is proportional to the Cu(II) concentration and correlates to the affinity of the inhibitor to various metals. This strategy represents a general technique that can be exploited with other catalytic organometallic reactions.
Observation of Macroscopic Stability Limits in a Tandem Mirror

A limit to the ratio of central-cell to plug $\ensuremath{\beta}$ of 1.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.0 is measured in the Phaedrus tandem mirror for central-cell $\ensuremath{\beta}'\mathrm{s}$ of 2% to 5%. This is consistent with the limiting ratio of 2.0 predicted for interchange stability, and is the first experimental test of the effect on the interchange limit from varying the plasma pressure along a magnetic field line in a tandem-mirror configuration.
Characterization of mucin isolated from rat tracheal transplants.

Abstract Subcutaneous rat tracheal grafts yield several milligrams of secretions from which a homogeneous mucin fraction was isolated and purified. Histological evidence demonstrated that a normal mucociliary epithelium and mucous secretion were maintained for the 4–6 weeks of the experiment. The collected secretions were initially characterized by column chromatography on Sepharose CL-6B which separated the excluded high molecular weight mucins (unpurified mucin fraction) from most of the serum-type glycoproteins and proteins, including albumin. A reductive alkylation treatment of the unpurified mucin fraction followed by Sepharose CL-4B chromatography removed contaminating protein and most of the mannose-containing material from the mucin fraction. The void volume material from this column produced a single high molecular weight band upon sodium dodecyl sulfate agarose/acrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified mucin fraction contained 16.5% protein and primarily galactose, N -acetylglucosamine, N -acetylgalactosamine, and sialic acid. This fraction also underwent β-elimination in the presence of alkaline borohydride, demonstrating the presence of O-glycosidic linkages.
Modification of cervical dystonia by selective sensory stimulation

Abstract Cervical dystonia is often refractory to all forms of therapy. Many patients, however, are able to transiently abolish their spasms following a specific gesture that presumably enhances sensory input. Such observations prompted us to develop a protocol to determine if various forms of sensory stimulation could modify the motor control patterns in cervical dystonia. Surface EMG recordings of multiple neck and trunk muscles were obtained in 11 consecutive cervical dystonia patients. Baseline patterns of voluntary and involuntary muscle activation were established during a series of motor and non-motor tasks. The tasks were repeated during the application of vibratory or electrical stimulation to select muscle groups or to cutaneous and mixed nerves. Analysis of the results was made on the basis of paper and computer recordings of the data. Sensory stimulation decreased involuntary muscle activity and reduced spasms in 5 subjects. However, objective or subjective improvement usually occured only after specific stimuli were applied to specific anatomical sites. In these cases, the protocol identified the site at which a specific sensory stimulus could be applied to control the dystonia. we conclude that selective sensory stimulation can beneficially modify cervical dystonia in some patients. Such findings warrant further investigation of the use of sensory stimulation for control of cervical dystonia.
Evidence Based Practice: A Nursing Research Assignment:

Teaching a graduate-level nursing research course can be quite challenging, especially one that is offered online and asynchronously. One of the assignments required of master of science in nursing (MSN) students is to develop a paper that examines a clinical problem that might be improved by using research knowledge. Students are then required to review the studies in this problem area, summarize what is known and not known regarding this problem, and summarize the gaps in the literature. They then are to write a critique supporting or refuting this practice. This assignment has proven to be both challenging and rewarding for the MSN students. They often comment that they had no idea that the research was or was not available to support (or refute) their clinical practice. The lack of research in these clinical problem areas has led some students to conduct research in these areas.
Phase field theory of proper displacive phase transformations: Structural anisotropy and directional flexibility, a vector model, and the transformation kinetics

A phase field theory of proper displacive transformations is developed to address the microstructure evolution and its response to applied fields in decomposing and martensitic systems. The theory is based on the explicit equation for the non-equilibrium free energy function of the transformation strain obtained by a consistent separation of the total strain into transformation and elastic strains. The transformation strain is considered to be a relaxing long-range order parameter evolving in accordance with the system energetics rather than as a fixed material constant used in the conventional Eshelby theory of coherent inclusions. The elastic strain is defined as a coherency strain recovering the crystal lattice compatibility. The obtained free energy function of the transformation strain leads to the concepts of structural anisotropy and directional flexibility of low symmetry phases. The formulated vector model of displacive transformation makes apparent a similarity between proper displacive transformation and ferromagnetic/ferroelectric transformation and, in particular, a similarity between the structural anisotropy and magnetic/polar anisotropy of ferromagnetic/ferroelectric materials. It even predicts the feasibility of a glass-like structural state with unlimited directional flexibility of the transformation strain that is conceptually similar to a ferromagnetic glass. The thermodynamics of the equilibrium between low symmetry phases and the thermodynamic conditions leading to the formation of adaptive states are formulated.
Internal forces during object manipulation

Internal force is a set of contact forces that does not disturb object equilibrium. The elements of the internal force vector cancel each other and, hence, do not contribute to the resultant (manipulation) force acting on the object. The mathematical independence of the internal and manipulation forces allows for their independent (decoupled) control realized in robotic manipulators. To examine whether in humans internal force is coupled with the manipulation force and what grasping strategy the performers utilize, the subjects (n=6) were instructed to make cyclic arm movements with a customized handle. Six combinations of handle orientation and movement direction were tested. These involved: parallel manipulations (1) VV task (vertical orientation and vertical movement) and (2) HH task (horizontal orientation and horizontal movement); orthogonal manipulations (3) VH task (vertical orientation and horizontal movement) and (4) HV task (horizontal orientation and vertical movement); and diagonal manipulations (5) DV task (diagonal orientation and vertical movement) and (6) DH task (diagonal orientation and horizontal movement). Handle weight (from 3.8 to 13.8 N), and movement frequency (from 1 to 3 Hz) were systematically changed. The analysis was performed at the thumb-virtual finger level (VF, an imaginary finger that produces a wrench equal to the sum of wrenches produced by all the fingers). At this level, the forces of interest could be reduced to the internal force and internal moment. During the parallel manipulations, the internal (grip) force was coupled with the manipulation force (producing object acceleration) and the thumb-VF forces increased or decreased in phase: the thumb and VF worked in synchrony to grasp the object more strongly or more weakly. During the orthogonal manipulations, the thumb-VF forces changed out of phase: the plots of the internal force vs. object acceleration resembled an inverted letter V. The HV task was the only task where the relative phase (coupling) between the normal forces of the thumb and VF depended on oscillation frequency. During the diagonal manipulations, the coupling was different in the DV and DH tasks. A novel observation of substantial internal moments is described: the moments produced by the normal finger forces were counterbalanced by the moments produced by the tangential forces such that the resultant moments were close to zero. Implications of the findings for the notion of grasping synergies are discussed.
Simple Multilinear Algebras, Rectangular Matrices and Lie Algebras

Abstract The paper investigates simple multilinear algebras, known as comtrans algebras, that are determined by Lie algebras and by pairs of matrices. The two classes of algebras obtained in this way separate, except for the vector triple product algebra.
How the Arming Participating Moieties can Broaden the Scope of Chemoselective Oligosaccharide Synthesis by Allowing the Inverse Armed-Disarmed Approach

A new method for stereocontrolled glycosylation and chemoselective oligosaccharide synthesis has been developed. It has been determined that complete 1,2-trans selectivity can be achieved with the use of a 2-O-picolyl moiety, a novel neighboring group that is capable of efficient participation via a six-membered intermediate. The application of the picolyl concept to glycosidations of thioimidoyl, thioglycosyl, and trichloroacetimidoyl glycosyl donors is demonstrated. The picolyl moiety also retains the glycosyl donor in the armed state, as opposed to conventional acyl participating moieties. We name this new approach the "inverse armed-disarmed" strategy, because it allows for the chemoselective introduction of a 1,2-trans glycosidic linkage prior to other linkages. In the context of the oligosaccharide synthesis, the strategy provides trans-trans and trans-cis patterned oligosaccharides as opposed to classic Fraser-Reid's armed-disarmed approach leading to cis-trans and cis-cis linkages.
Motility, heat, and lactate production in ejaculated bovine sperm

Abstract Effects of various inhibitors on motility, heat, and lactate production of ejaculated bovine sperm were determined in the presence of antimycin A and rotenone. erythro -9-[3-(2-Hydroxynonyl)]adenine (EHNA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP-360) stopped motility and reduced heat or lactate production by 30–50%. Carbodiimides resulted in loss of motility and a reduction of metabolism by 60–75%. Quercetin treatment, which enhanced rather than inhibited motility, depressed heat and lactate production by 50–60%. Since mechanical immobilization reduced heat production by only 30%, the question arises as to what other cellular processes are major contributors to the energy budget. Inhibitors of ion flux had little-to-no effect on heat or lactate production, suggesting that neither mitochondrial nor Na + K + ATPases were major ATP-requiring processes. Calcium flux at the plasma membrane also was minimal and previous reports eliminated glycolytic substrate cycling as major consuming processes for ATP. Although quercetin inhibited lactate production in intact cells, no effect of quercetin on cell-free glycolysis and the ATPase activities of isolated dynein was detected. Quercetin did, however, inhibit ATPase activity of plasma membrane, suggesting that this unidentified ATPase may contribute to the formation of ADP and P i required for lactate production by the intact cell. We propose (a) that the bioenergetic costs of motility are divided between regulatory events and dynein-microtubule interaction (dynein ATPase), (b) that some of the membrane-related processes may be “inefficient,” and (c) that quercetin may render these steps more “efficient,” in a manner analogous to its action on the Na + K + pump of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells.
Dynamics of Spontaneous Spreading with Evaporation for thin Solvent Films

We have investigated the spreading behavior of solvent droplets on a bulk water support using solvents with different vapor pressures and spreading coefficients. Instead of seeding the surface with tracer particles, as is usually done to track moving fronts, we employ laser shadowgraphy to visualize the entire surface of the spreading film including the leading edge. For non-volatile systems it has previously been shown that the leading edge advances in time as t 3 / 4 . We find that volatile systems with positive initial spreading coefficients exhibit two spreading fronts, both of which demonstrate power law growth but with exponents closer to 1/2. Surprisingly, differences in the liquid vapor pressure or the spreading coefficient seem only to effect the speed of advance but not the value of the exponent. We are presently investigating the behavior of the subsurface flow to determine the mechanism leading to the smaller spreading exponent.
The impediments to technology transfer from the higher education sector. The education and training requirements for their removal

Abstract The history of efforts to encourage technology transfer from universities in the U.S.A. are reviewed. The damaging effect which government policy of claiming the intellectual property rights of all inventions which had been fully or partly funded by state finance is described. The Patent and Trademark Law Amendment Act (PL96-517) of 1980 reversed this policy, allowing universities to retain the rights of their inventions. This has given a major impetus to technology transfer. Other impediments to transfer of technology, such as university or company policies, the not-invented-here attitude of companies and the ‘ivory tower’ aloofness of some universities are discussed and the importance of negotiation of adequate protection of intellectual property rights in drawing up contracts between university and industry is emphasized.
“Applications of radiation processing in biomedical engineering — A review of the preparation and properties of novel biomaterials”

Abstract A review is presented of the applications of ionizing radiation processing for the preparation of novel biomaterials. Such materials may be used as parts of the whole of artificial organs, soft and hard tissue substitutes, and diagnostic or therapeutic instruments and devices.
Exact sizing of battery capacity for photovoltaic systems

Abstract In this paper, we study battery sizing for grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems. In our setting, PV generated electricity is used to supply the demand from loads: on one hand, if there is surplus PV generation, it is stored in a battery (as long as the battery is not fully charged), which has a fixed maximum charging/discharging rate; on the other hand, if the PV generation and battery discharging cannot meet the demand, electricity is purchased from the grid. Our objective is to choose an appropriate battery size while minimizing the electricity purchase cost from the grid. More specifically, we want to find a unique critical value (denoted as E max c ) of the battery size such that the cost of electricity purchase remains the same if the battery size is larger than or equal to E max c , and the cost is strictly larger otherwise. We propose an upper bound on E max c , and show that the upper bound is achievable for certain scenarios. For the case with ideal PV generation and constant loads, we characterize the exact value of E max c , and also show how the storage size changes as the constant load changes; these results are validated via simulations.
Seeing the unexpected: how sex differences in stress responses may provide a new perspective on the manifestation of psychiatric disorders.

In this report, the authors propose that underlying sex differences in the biobehavioral response to stress may contribute to the variance in prevalence of some psychiatric disorders based on sex. The authors begin with a discussion of stress physiology and review a new theory on sex differences in stress responses (ie, the “tend-and-befriend” response), which may provide a recent framework for considering sex differences in the manifestation of some psychiatric illnesses. The authors then move to a discussion of major depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as examples of how sex differences in stress responses may influence the behavioral symptoms of psychiatric disorders that are more often diagnosed in one sex compared with another. The authors conclude with a brief discussion of the implications of this new perspective on treatment approaches and encourage further inquiry into the importance of sex-based differences in the behavioral manifestation of some psychiatric illnesses.
Dostoevsky's Disciples: Man And Sheep In Political Theory

DOUBTLESS HISTORIANS of political thought of a future age will devise a rubric with which to characterize the academic thinking of the mid-twentieth century. But until such worthies appear on the scene, I think that one will find fairly widespread agreement if one denominates the prevailing mode of thought as a species of "liberalism." By this is meant a political theory or philosophy which has as its centerpiece the individual. It does not entail economic liberalism of the Manchester School variety; liberals may endorse state intervention in the economic sphere. (Indeed, they may even be democratic socialists.) Nor does it imply partisan liberalism of the slightly-left-of-center sort; many of those who espouse liberal tenets are eminently conservative in their orientation towards practical politics. Further, it does not necessarily require approval of majoritarian democracy; for liberalism is older than democracy and is more concerned with individual rights than it is with popular rule. Hence the received theo-rists in our academies are writers such as A. D. Lindsay, R. M. MacIver, George Sabine, Carl Becker, John Dewey, Roland Pennock, Ernest Barker, andfor the more adventuresome -Harold Laski, Frederick Hayek, Erich Fromm, and David Riesman. It is authors such as these who are currently being used to lay down a theoretical basis for understanding the society in which we live. Nevertheless, academic political thought is notoriously guilty of lagging behind the thinking and behavior of the real political world.' This is most assuredly the case at the present time. It would be no
Noise analysis and optimization of power constrained integrated inductive degradation LNAs

When the matching inductors of low noise amplifiers (LNAs) are moved from off chip to on chip, their noise contribution cannot be neglected. This paper investigates the noise performance of an integrated source inductive degradation LNA, analyzes the noise contribution of its input matching inductors, and proposes a noise optimization method for the input matching network design of a power constrained LNA. The result was verified with a 2GHz LNA design in CMOS 0.18µm technology. When the current is constrained to a maximum of 3mA, the LNA achieves a noise figure of 3dB and an input return loss of −40dB.
Phosphate Cycling on the Basic Protein of Plodia interpunctella Granulosis Virus

The presence of infected cell-specific phosphoproteins was investigated in Plodia interpunctella granulosis virus (PiGV)-infected fat body using [32P]orthophosphoric acid labeling. One infected cell-specific phosphoprotein had a mobility similar to that of the basic protein (VP12) of PiGV. Further analysis, using immunoblotting and acid-urea gel analysis of infected fat body, confirmed that this phosphoprotein was VP12. However we did not detect phosphorylated VP12 in 32P-labeled nucleocapsids. Phosphoamino acid analysis of 32P-labeled VP12 revealed that phosphoserine was present in the basic protein. Since VP12 is phosphorylated in the infected cell, but not in the nucleocapsid, it appears that dephosphorylation of VP12 is a critical event in the life cycle of the virus. We therefore assayed virus nucleocapsids and infected fat body for the presence of phosphatase activity. Phosphatase activity was not detected in the virus, but the infected fat body had more activity than uninfected fat body. A model for nucleocapsid assembly and uncoating is presented which takes into account the phosphorylation state of VP12, the role of Zn2+ in the nucleocapsid, and the role of the capsid-associated kinase.