cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential Fluorescence Quenching of Fluorescent Nucleic Acid Base Analogues by Native Nucleic Acid Monophosphates

Fluorescent nucleic acid base analogues (FBAs) are used widely as probes of DNA and RNA structure and dynamics. Of increasing utility are the pteridone adenosine analogues (6MAP, DMAP) and pteridine guanosine analogues (3MI, 6MI). These FBAs (collectively referred to as PTERs) are useful, in part, because their fluorescence quantum yields, Φf, are modulated by base stacking with native bases (NBs), making them sensitive reporters of DNA structure. The quenching mechanism has been hypothesized to be photoinduced electron transfer following selective excitation of the FBA, but hard evidence for this has been lacking. The degree of quenching shows some dependence on the neighboring bases, but there has been no real determination as to whether FBA*:NB complexes satisfy the basic thermodynamic requirement for spontaneous PET: a negative free energy for the electron transfer reaction. Indeed, quenching may result from entirely different mechanisms. To address these questions, Stern−Volmer (S−V) experiments were...
Teaching Computational Complexity: Resources to Treasure

This article describes and discusses textbooks, monographs, and collections that are excellent resources from which to teach courses on computational complexity theory.
Alternative Approach to Improving Survival of Patients With Out-of-Hospital Primary Cardiac Arrest

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a common cause of death. In spite of recurring updates of guidelines, the survival of patients with OHCA was essentially unchanged from the mid 1970s to the mid 2000s, averaging 7.6% for all OHCA and 17.7% for OHCA due to ventricular fibrillation. In the past, changes in one's approach to resuscitation had to await the semi-decennial publications of guidelines. Following approved guidelines (at times based on consensus), survival rates of patients with OHCA were extremely variable, with only a few areas having good results. An alternative approach to improving survival is to use continuous quality improvement (CQI), a process often used to address public health problems. Continuous quality improvement advocates that one obtain baseline data and, if not optimal, make changes and continuously re-evaluate the results. Using CQI, we instituted cardiocerebral resuscitation as an alternative approach and found significant improvement in survival of patients with OHCA. The changes we made to the therapy of patients with primary OHCA, called cardiocerebral resuscitation, were based primarily on extensive experimental laboratory data. Using cardiocerebral resuscitation as a model for CQI, neurologically intact survival of patients with OHCA in ventricular fibrillation improved in 2 rural counties in Wisconsin, from 15% to 39%, and in 60 emergency medical systems in Arizona, to 38%. By advocating chest compression only CPR for bystanders of patients with primary OHCA and encouraging the use of cardiocerebral resuscitation by emergency medical systems, survival of patients with primary cardiac arrest in Arizona increased over a 5-year period from 17.7% to 33.7%. We recommend that all emergency medical systems determine their baseline survival rates of patients with OHCA and a shockable rhythm, and consider implementing the CQI approach if the community does not have a neurologically intact survival rate of at least 30%.
Chelodesmid studies. XIII. A synopsis of the Brasilian tribe Strongylomorphini

Abstract The new diplopod tribe Strongylomorphini (fam. Chelodesmidae) is proposed for the two Brasilian genera Strongylomorpha and Brasilodesmus, characterized by the distal torsion of the solenomerite and form of the apical end of the prefemoral process, of the male gonopod. Strongylomorpha has been of uncertain status since 1897, but study of its type species shows the name to be a senior synonym of Erythrodesmus Silvestri, 1902, Neocamptomorpha Schubart, 1954, and Camptomorphoides Schubart 1962. Drawings of the gonopods are given for several old species, made from Iectotype specimens, and a list of the names considered referable to Strongylomorpha. The new species Brasilodesmus austrocrucis is described from Santa Catarina, Brasil.
Biological significance of serum albumin binding parameters determined in vitro for clofibrate-related hypolipemic drugs: use of 2-(4'-hydroxybenzeneazo)benzoic acid to mirror L-thyroxine binding to and displacement from serum albumins.

Clofibrate [ethyl 2-(p-chlorophenoxy)-2-methylpropionate] has been shown to be an effective lipid-lowering drug in man and to exert its action by multiple modes. To explore further the possibility that albumin binding parameters determined in vitro are predictive of hypolipemic activity determined in vivo, the binding of several cyclic and acyclic analogs of the corresponding carboxylic acid of clofibrate to bovine, rat, and human serum albumins was studied. This report compares the differential hypolipemic effects of the esters of these analogs with data derived from studies involving their ability to undergo hydrolysis by serum esterases in vitro, as well as with the pKa’s, log P values, and albumin binding parameters of their respective free acids. The latter study involved the use of 2-(4'-hydroxybenzeneazo)benzoic acid as an optical probe which mirrors thyroxine binding in vitro as well as the use of the free acids alone and their ability to displace radiolabeled thyroxine. These investigations indicate that albumin binding parameters probably are important for drug transport in vivo but that hypolipemic activity is related to mechanisms other than thyroxine displacement.
A generative framework to investigate the underlying patterns in human activities

We propose a novel generative learning framework for activity categorization. In order obtain statistical insight into the underlying patterns of motions in activities, we propose a supervised dynamic, hierarchical Bayesian model which connects low-level visual features in videos with poses, motion patterns and classes of activity. Our proposed generative model harnesses both the temporal ordering power of dynamic Bayesian networks such as Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) and the automatic clustering power of hierarchical Bayesian models such as the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) model. We demonstrate the strength of this model by profiling different activities in scenes of varying complexities, by clustering visual events into poses which in turn are clustered into motion patterns. The model also correlates these motion patterns over time in order to define the signatures for classes of activities. We test our model on several publicly available datasets and achieve high accuracy rates.
Transient and steady state solution of N-dimensional coupled networks and development of equivalent Pi and T matrix networks with distributed parameters

This paper proposes a new computer based method for transient and steady state solution of n-dimensional coupled transmission line networks or communication circuits with distributed parameters. In this method, a novel approach has been developed for formulating and computing the n-dimensional generalized ABCD parameter matrices, as well as for developing and solving the equivalent n-dimensional coupled T and Pi networks with distributed parameters. The proposed method uses Cayley-Hamilton's theorem to compute the hyperbolic N-dimensional generalized ABCD parameter matrices with finite terms which are fundamental to the solution and development of the equivalent N-dimensional T and Pi matrix networks. The square root function of the complex matrix [W] is also computed with finite terms. As a result, truncation of matrices is eliminated, and an improved closed from solution is achieved. The method is straight forward, computationally efficient, and neither it involves the use of eigenvector based modal transformations necessary for diagonalization of parameter matrices nor it requires the evaluation of infinite series of hyperbolic functions with n-dimensional matrices as their arguments, and is extremely useful in the steady state and transient analysis of n-dimensional, unbalanced, coupled systems with distributed parameters. The method is extremely useful in the fault analysis of n-dimensional unbalanced coupled systems with distributed parameters. To date no such method is reported in the literature.
Effects of Microscale Water Level Fluctuations and Altered Ultraviolet Radiation on Periphytic Microbiota.

Microscale fluctuations in water level (1–20 mm) are common on a diurnal basis in shallow (<5–10 cm) wetlands, coupled to evapotranspiration losses during the daytime in excess of groundwater resupply. These depth variations alter the intensity of UV irradiance reaching attached periphytic algal and bacterial microbial communities. Effects of alterations of UV irradiance by micro-changes in water level on periphytic microbiota were examined experimentally. Attached microbial communities, grown on glass fiber filters in situ in a natural wetland, were exposed experimentally to near-natural levels of UV irradiance of differing spectral quality. UV intensity was altered by varying the distance of the communities from the light source, changes in UV-attenuating natural dissolved organic matter (DOM), and small changes in water level (2 or 4 mm). Algal productivity and photosynthetic oxygen production were significantly reduced by small enhancements of UV-B radiation, by decreased water levels of only 2 mm, and by reductions in concentrations of DOM. UV-B had only small short-term effects on chlorophyll a, although small increases in water depth and DOM concentration reduced pigment damage. Experimental removal of UV-B during in situ growth indicated that algae could adapt to UV radiation during growth in natural environments. Microbial oxygen consumption and bacterial productivity and biomass were also lowered significantly by UV-B exposure, and damage decreased with small (2 mm) increases in water depth or in DOM concentration. Selective inhibitors of algal photosynthesis and production of released extracellular organic substrates caused a concomitant reduction in bacterial productivity and a significant increase in magnitude of UV-B damage to bacterial biomass. These effects suggested that metabolic interactions between the periphytic autotrophs and heterotrophs altered community responses to UV-B radiation. Microscale water level reductions, common on a diurnal basis in shallow wetlands, and associated increased UV intensity can result in rapid alterations in periphytic metabolism.
Experimental Simulations and Heat Transfer Parameter Measurements of Film Condensation on a Rotating Flat Plate.

Abstract A rotating flat-plate condensation experiment has been developed to investigate the heat transfer characteristics of a rotating flat-plate radiator. The condensing surface is cooled to simulate the rejection of heat to a cold surface. The working fluid is superheated steam. The results obtained include relationships between the overall heat transfer coefficient and the temperature difference between the working fluid and a cold environment, both placed in dimensionless groups, and plate angular rotational speeds. This empirical relationship is useful for choosing the optimum rotational speed for a rotating flat-plate radiator given a desired heat rejection load. This study also provides the basis for designing new heat rejection systems using centrifugal forces and condensation phenomena in both space and ground applications.
Biological Control Potential of Apanteles aristoteliae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on Populations of Argyrotaenia citrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in California Apple Orchards

Abstract This study examined the potential role of native parasitoids in suppressing pest populations of Argyrotaenia citrana (Fernald) in coastal California apple orchards. An initial survey of larval and pupal parasitoids of A. citrana found that the most common parasitoids of A. citrana were the braconid Apanteles aristoteliae Viereck and the ichneumonid Exochus nigripalpis subobscurus Walsh that together parasitized 33% of the A. citrana larvae collected. To identify which parasitoid species caused most host mortality, parasitoid-induced mortality was examined more closely using sentinel A. citrana larvae. Small batches of both newly hatched and older (third and fourth instars) larvae were released and recaptured to collect emerging parasitoids. The results suggested that most parasitoid-induced mortality occurred in young larvae attacked by A. aristoteliae. To determine whether A. aristoteliae would be likely to suppress A. citrana populations in apples, further release–recapture experiments were con...
Uredinales of New Guinea III.

On Amnomum (Hornstedia) sp., Kajabit Mission, Aug. 16, 1939 (10583), Dec. 8, 1939 (10861). On Zingiberaceae (probably Almomum), Wareo, Dec. 26, 1935 (1370), Jan. 3, 1936 (1479), Jan. 10, 1936 (1609), Jan. 12, 1936 (1662). In 1934 Mains (Ann. Myc. 32: 256-258) concluded that the genus Schroeteriaster was closely related to Uromyces. Descriptions of the telia of S. Elettariae indicate that the species is a Phakopsora.
You've Won, Now What? The Influence of Legal Change on Gay and Lesbian Mobilization, 1974–1999

Research on movement outcomes primarily examines the conditions under which social movements influence the law. Less attention has been given to the influence that legal change might have on the movement's subsequent development. Does the achievement of legal goals help the movement mobilize or does the movement experience decline once change occurs? Using unique measures of gay and lesbian mobilization, I investigate the influence of legal change on the number of gay and lesbian movement organizations in each state from 1974 to 1999. Results demonstrate that the impact of legal change is contingent on the type of reform achieved and the cultural context surrounding the decision.
Control of Parasitophorous Vacuole Expansion by LYST/Beige Restricts the Intracellular Growth of Leishmania amazonensis

The intracellular protozoan Leishmania replicates in parasitophorous vacuoles (PV) that share many features with late endosomes/lysosomes. L. amazonensis PVs expand markedly during infections, but the impact of PV size on parasite intracellular survival is still unknown. Here we show that host cells infected with L. amazonensis upregulate transcription of LYST/Beige, which was previously shown to regulate lysosome size. Mutations in LYST/Beige caused further PV expansion and enhanced L. amazonensis replication. In contrast, LYST/Beige overexpression led to small PVs that did not sustain parasite growth. Treatment of LYST/Beige over-expressing cells with vacuolin-1 reversed this phenotype, expanding PVs and promoting parasite growth. The opposite was seen with E-64d, which reduced PV size in LYST-Beige mutant cells and inhibited L. amazonensis replication. Enlarged PVs appear to protect parasites from oxidative damage, since inhibition of nitric oxide synthase had no effect on L. amazonensis viability within large PVs, but enhanced their growth within LYST/Beige-induced small PVs. Thus, the upregulation of LYST/Beige in infected cells functions as a host innate response to limit parasite growth, by reducing PV volume and inhibiting intracellular survival.
A study of building quality into an existing information system

Are the students we are graduating from Computer Science ready for the challenges they will face in industry? Will they be able to work effectively with co-workers to solve problems? Do they have good communication skills to work efficiently in a team environment? These are some of the issues that demand our attention as instructors of Computer Science. Yet, most of our students are given "toy" problems to solve. They rarely have the opportunity to analyze and design a solution from problem specification through its implementation. Further, many students do not have the proper social and written skills to succeed in the real world. Two courses offered in the 2006-2007 academic year provided an opportunity for students to face the issues mentioned. In Fall of 2006, students worked with a real client and implemented a system from problem specification through implementation. In Spring of 2007, students followed a rapid testing strategy to re-engineer quality into the existing system.
The depth of the deepest historical earthquakes

We useP andS times listed in the International Seismological Summary to relocate 23 historical earthquakes (1927–1963) reported as occurring at or below 670 km. In all cases, our relocated hypocenters are shallower than the starting depths; furthermore, all events converge to 691 km or less, with a precision estimated at ±10 km. This study upholds the results of Stark and Frohlich, who had usedpP−P times of post-WWSSN earthquakes to constrain reliable hypocentral depths to no greater than 684 km. In particular, we reject Rothe's claim that a 1963 event in the vicinity of New Guinea occurred at a depth of more than 780 km.
Automated selection of compounds with physicochemical properties to maximize bioavailability and druglikeness

Adequate bioavailability is one of the essential properties for an orally administered drug. Lipinski and others have formulated simplified rules in which compounds that satisfy selected physiochemical properties, for example, molecular weight (MW) ≤ 500 or the logarithm of the octanol-water partition coefficient, log P(o/w) < 5, are anticipated to likely have pharmacokinetic properties appropriate for oral administration. However, these schemes do not simultaneously consider the combination of the physiochemical properties, complicating their application in a more automated fashion. To overcome this, we present a novel method to select compounds with a combination of physicochemical properties that maximize bioavailability and druglikeness based on compounds in the World Drug Index database. In the study four properties, MW, log P(o/w), number of hydrogen bond donors, and number of hydrogen acceptors, were combined into a 4-dimensional (4D) histogram, from which a scoring function was defined on the basis of a 4D dependent multivariate Gaussian model. The resulting equation allows for assigning compounds a bioavailability score, termed 4D-BA, such that chemicals with higher 4D-BA scores are more likely to have oral druglike characteristics. The descriptor is validated by applying the function to drugs previously categorized in the Biopharmaceutics Classification System, and examples of application of the descriptor are given in the context of previously published studies targeting heme oxygenase and SHP2 phosphatase. The approach is anticipated to be useful in early lead identification studies in combination with clustering methods to maximize chemical and structural diversity when selecting compounds for biological assays from large database screens. It may also be applied to prioritize synthetically feasible chemical modifications during lead compound optimization.
Smoothing of Crank-Nicolson scheme for the two-dimensional diffusion with an integral condition

The Parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs) with nonlocal boundary conditions model various physical phenomena, e.g. chemical diffusion, thermoelasticity, heat conduction process, control theory and medicine science. This paper deals with the smoothing of the Crank-Nicolson numerical scheme for two-dimensional parabolic PDEs with nonlocal boundary conditions. We use the numerical scheme based on Pade approximations of the matrix exponential. The graphs of numerical results demonstrate the successful smoothing of the Crank-Nicolson numerical scheme.
The generation of mechanically mixed layers (MMLs) during sliding contact and the effects of lubricant thereon

Abstract In unlubricated and boundary lubricated sliding, materials touch only at a restricted number (typically n ≈10) of isolated, typically microscopically small ‘contact spots’ that occupy but a small fraction of the macroscopic interfacial area. It is here that the load is supported by the local hardness of the softer of the two materials, and that friction and wear are generated. The intermittent local shear strains at the contact spots in the course of sliding, and eventually through their statistical movements of the entire top layers of wear tracks, are very large. This behavior has been simulated, both for dry sliding and lubrication, by means of stacked foils of pure copper and silver sheared under high superimposed pressure in a Bridgman-anvil apparatus. Strain hardening curves were obtained and the samples, now equivalent to material at wear tracks and specifically ‘mechanically mixed layers’ (MMLs), were examined microscopically by means of a variety of techniques. From the workhardening curves the coefficient of friction as well as the hardness of the MMLs was inferred. The experiment is complicated by a strong shear strain anisotropy, in fact comparable to that found at actual contact spots, namely rising from near zero strain at the anvil-sample interfaces and at the axial center of the samples to a maximum at the mid-plane and the circumference. Microscopic analysis by means of focused ion beam microscopy (FIBM) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) revealed that in the course of sliding, MMLs are formed through the proliferation of ‘tongues’ where local folding of the material occurs. An unexpected and potentially highly important discovery was the bodily migration of volume elements of one of the metals through the other, e.g. of lumps of silver through copper and vice versa, without leaving a trace. This phenomenon was enhanced through oil lubrication.
Characterization of immune type interferon (IFNγ)-induced cytoplasmic protein kinase activity in mouse L cells

Abstract Mouse immune interferon (IFNγ) induced double-stranded RNA-independent protein kinase activity in the cytoplasmic fraction of mouse L cells as measured against a histone substrate. Chromatographic purification separated the activity into three distinct kinases of molecular weights of approximately 100K (kinase I), 70K (kinase II), and 70K (kinase III). Partially purified IFNγ was as effective as crude in inducing protein kinase activity. Induction was blocked by treatment of IFNγ with specific anti-IFNγ antibody or by treatment of the L cells with actinomycin D. Kinase II activity was different from that of kinases I and III in that it showed Ca-dependence in the absence of Mg 2+ , was inhibited in activity by the SH binding agent N-ethylmaleimide, and could use the cellular enzymes RNase A and hexokinase as substrates. The described protein kinases could play an important role in mediation of IFNγ effects, particularly where phosphorylated enzyme substrates were shown to have altered activity.
Case Study: Accidental Clonidine Patch Overdose in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Patients

Abstract The safety and efficacy of the clonidine patch are contingent on the integrity of the transdermal system and the condition of the dermal surface to which it is applied. This article presents the first 2 case reports in the literature of unintentional overdose in pediatric patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder treated with transdermal clonidine. Appropriate precautions and patient education can help limit toxicity from the clonidine patch in children and adolescents. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 1999, 38(1):95–98.
Dendritic Cells Exposed to Herpes Simplex Virus In Vivo Do Not Produce IFN-α after Rechallenge with Virus In Vitro and Exhibit Decreased T Cell Alloreactivity

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (DC) are known to produce large amounts of IFN-α when stimulated with virus in vivo and in vitro. Immunohistological staining of spleens from mice taken at different times after HSV infection revealed an early infiltration of plasmacytoid DC whereas both the myeloid DC and lymphoid-related DC had different kinetics. Upon rechallenge with virus in vitro, total splenic DCs from viral-infected mice were unable to produce IFN-α when compared with DC from mice that received an initial in vivo injection with PBS. Furthermore, DC from mice that were infected with increasing doses of HSV expressed high levels of accessory and activation molecules compared with control mice. However, when cultured in vitro together with allogeneic T cells, DC from mice that had been exposed to the highest viral titers in vivo induced the lowest levels of T cell proliferation. DC exposed to PBS in vivo promoted a Th1 response upon coculture with CD4+ T cells whereas T cells cultured with DC exposed to increasing viral titers in vivo resulted in a gradually decreased Th1 response. The data suggest HSV induces DC maturation and at higher titers, exhaustion, diminishing T cell proliferation, and IFN-γ secretion.
Spatial structure of a turbulent boundary layer with irregular surface roughness

Particle image velocimetry experiments were performed to study the impact of realistic roughness on the spatial structure of wall turbulence at moderate Reynolds number. This roughness was replicated from an actual turbine blade damaged by deposition of foreign materials and its features are quite distinct from most roughness characterizations previously considered as it is highly irregular and embodies a broad range of topographical scales. The spatial structure of flow over this rough surface near the outer edge of the roughness sublayer is contrasted with that of smooth-wall flow to identify any structural modifications due to roughness. Hairpin vortex packets are observed in the outer layer of the rough-wall flow and are found to contribute heavily to the Reynolds shear stress, consistent with smooth-wall flow. While similar qualitative consistency is observed in comparisons of smooth- and rough-wall two-point correlations, some quantitative differences are also apparent. In particular, a reduction in the streamwise extent of two-point correlations of streamwise velocity is noted which could be indicative of a roughness-induced modification of outer-layer vortex organization. Proper orthogonal decomposition analysis reveals the streamwise coherence of the larger scales to be most sensitive to roughness while the spatial characteristics of the smaller scales appear relatively insensitive to such effects.
Modulation of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis by pattern recognition receptors in mice: the role of toll-like receptors 2 and 4.

Toll-like receptors (TLR) recognize pathogen-derived molecules and induce downstream activation of inflammatory pathways. Fatty liver has been shown to result in increased sensitivity to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a TLR4 ligand. In this study, we investigated the roles of TLR2 and TLR4 in liver damage and on cytokine induction in a methionine-choline deficient (MCD) diet-induced model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. We found that mice with nonalcoholic fatty liver had increased liver injury and inflammatory cytokine induction after challenge with a TLR4 but not with a TLR2 ligand. TLR2 deficient mice were not protected against the development of steatohepatitis after MCD diet feeding. On the contrary, TLR2 -/- mice had significantly higher levels of serum ALT and greater TNF-a levels after LPS challenge suggesting increased liver injury. This was associated with reduced production of IL-6, a cytokine with hepatoprotective effects in fatty liver. Increased liver injury in the MCD diet-fed TLR2 -/- mice was associated with reduced baseline and LPS-induced NF-kB and PPRE binding compared to MCS controls. These results demonstrate that TLR2 deficiency results in increased liver injury in association with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and may suggest a protective role for TLR2-mediated signals in liver injury.
CHANGES IN THE CUTANEOUS LYMPHATICS OF HUMAN BEINGS AND IN THE LYMPH FLOW UNDER NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

Vital dyes injected intradermally enter lymphatic capillaries directly, rendering them visible, and appear later in the draining lymphatic trunks as colored streamers. The method enables one to perceive the state of the lymphatic channels and the rate of lymph flow within them. It yields consistent results when tested under physiological conditions known to increase or decrease lymph flow. In the horizontally placed normal limb at rest there is slight lymph flow. In a normal leg or arm hanging downward lymph flow ceases although fluid in the limb increases. When a previously dependent arm is raised above the head, or when the foot of a seated subject is propped on a table, lymph flow in the raised limb becomes active. It ceases in the skin of an arm subjected to partial obstruction of the veins by pressure from without, but very active lymph flow appears during the reactive hyperemia which follows upon the release of venous obstruction. It is still greater following release of total circulatory obstruction, and seems to be the same whether or not the limb has previously been engorged with blood. In the ischemic patches which appear in the skin of a limb during total circulatory obstruction (Bier's spots) the lymphatic capillaries are definitely and considerably constricted, whereas they are slightly dilated in the purple, congested regions of the skin round about. On release of obstruction there occurs a strikingly rapid, equal lymphatic drainage from both regions. The significance of all the findings is discussed. When dye is injected intradermally and the skin sucked, much of the foreign material is driven into the lymphatics draining the injected area.
Transition between extended and localized states in a one-dimensional incommensurate optical lattice

The quantum transport properties of a system are intimately related to the underlying symmetries of the Hamiltonian. In a perfectly periodic system all the eigenfunctions are extended Bloch waves @1#, while for a random potential in a quasi-one-dimensional system all the eigenfunctions are localized @2#. These properties can be experimentally studied through the dispersion of an initially localized wave packet; in the former case it grows ballistically, while in the latter the dispersion remains constant. In between these two extreme cases lie incommensurate and quasiperiodic systems. In these, the spectrum can range from having all extended states to all localized states or even to mixed behavior, as the parameters describing the system ~incommensurability, potential amplitude, etc.! are varied. For instance, in the Fibonacci lattice @3# all states are critical ~neither localized nor extended!, leading to anomalous dispersion. Another known example is the Harper model @4#, which models electrons in a two-dimensional lattice in the presence of a transverse magnetic field. The eigenfunctions for this model undergo a transition from localized to extended behavior as the amplitude of the potential of the lattice is decreased. These quantum properties could be related to the quite anomalous transport properties of quasicrystals @5#. These materials show large resistivity and a decreasing temperature dependence; this behavior is enhanced in cleaner samples, thus showing that impurities improve the transport instead of degrading it. A study of transport in a defect-free incommensurate system can then shed some light on the physics underlying quasicrystals.
Latino Parents' Insight on Optimal Sleep for Their Preschool-Age Child: Does Context Matter?

Abstract Objective Insufficient sleep is a risk factor for pediatric obesity. Latino children are among those groups in which both short sleep duration and obesity are prevalent. Therefore, this study sought to explore Latino parents' views about ideal sleep duration and sleep-related practices for their preschool-age children in an urban setting. Methods Between October 2013 and January 2014, Latino parents of 2- to 5-year-old children were interviewed at 3 pediatric clinics (San Francisco, Calif). Using a semistructured interview guide, parents were asked to describe bedtime routines and sleep practices of their preschool-age children, including behavioral, parental, social, and contextual factors that may affect children's sleep. Interviews were conducted in Spanish and English. Parents also completed a brief survey on demographic information. Interviews were analyzed on the basis of a priori and emergent themes. Results Latino parents (n = 18) were mostly female, with a mean age of 31 years; most were foreign born; and more than half had a monthly household income of $2000 or less. The following themes emerged: parents' ideas about optimal sleep duration for their preschool-age child, consistent bedtime routines, room sharing and bed sharing, parent work and child school schedules that affect children's sleep, and crowded housing and neighborhood noise that disrupt children's sleep. Conclusions These findings increase our understanding of the factors related to achieving optimal sleep duration among Latino children living in urban and often crowded housing. Findings could be used to inform future research on how to increase parental knowledge of healthy sleep practices and adequate sleep among Latino parents of young children.
Sparse Inverse Covariance Matrix Estimation Using Quadratic Approximation

The l1 regularized Gaussian maximum likelihood estimator has been shown to have strong statistical guarantees in recovering a sparse inverse covariance matrix, or alternatively the underlying graph structure of a Gaussian Markov Random Field, from very limited samples. We propose a novel algorithm for solving the resulting optimization problem which is a regularized log-determinant program. In contrast to other state-of-the-art methods that largely use first order gradient information, our algorithm is based on Newton's method and employs a quadratic approximation, but with some modifications that leverage the structure of the sparse Gaussian MLE problem. We show that our method is superlinearly convergent, and also present experimental results using synthetic and real application data that demonstrate the considerable improvements in performance of our method when compared to other state-of-the-art methods.
Dual HER2 Targeting Impedes Growth of HER2 Gene–Amplified Uterine Serous Carcinoma Xenografts

Purpose: Uterine serous carcinoma (USC) is an aggressive subtype of endometrial cancer that commonly harbors HER2 gene amplification. We investigated the effectiveness of HER2 inhibition using lapatinib and trastuzumab in vitro and in xenografts derived from USC cell lines and USC patient derived xenografts (PDXs). Experimental Design: Immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization were performed to assess HER2 expression in 42 primary USC specimens. ARK1, ARK2 and SPEC2 cell lines were treated with trastuzumab or lapatinib. Cohorts of mice harboring xenografts derived from ARK2 and SPEC2 cell lines and EnCa1 and EnCa2 primary human USC samples were treated with either vehicle, trastuzumab, lapatinib or the combination of trastuzumab and lapatinib. Acute and chronic post treatment tumor samples were assessed for downstream signaling alterations and examined for apoptosis and proliferation. Results: HER2 gene amplification (24%) correlated significantly with HER2 protein over-expression (55%). All models were impervious to single agent trastuzumab treatment. Lapatinib decreased in vitro proliferation of all cell lines and in vivo growth of HER2 amplified xenografts (ARK2, EnCa1). In addition, dual therapy with trastuzumab and lapatinib resulted in significant anti-tumor activity only in ARK2 and EnCa1 tumors. Dual HER2 therapy induced on target alteration of downstream MAPK and PI3K pathway mediators only in HER2 amplified models, and was associated with increased apoptosis and decreased proliferation.
Fully sigma-delta modulation encoded FIR filters

The author suggests an FIR filter structure where both the input signal and the impulse response are encoded using sigma-delta modulation. As a result, the convolution can be obtained by summing a collection of binary or ternary numbers, depending on the quantizer in the sigma-delta modulator. This filter structure can accept analog input signals directly and can be built using modular hardware. The overall error spectrum due to the encoding/decoding processes is derived, and the implementation issues of this filter structure are discussed. An example of its performance with different input signals is provided. >
Microbial modeling in foods

Abstract Predictive food microbiology is a field of study that combines elements of microbiology, mathematics, and statistics to develop models that describe and predict the growth or decline of microbes under specified environmental conditions. Models can be thought of as having three levels: primary level models describe changes in microbial numbers with time, secondary level models show how the parameters of the primary model vary with environmental conditions, and the tertiary level combines the first two types of models with user‐friendly application software or expert systems that calculate microbial behavior under the specified conditions. Primary models include time‐to‐growth, Gompertz function, exponential growth rate, and inactivation/survival models. Commonly used secondary models are response surface equations and the square root and Arrhenius relationships. Microbial models are valuable tools in planning Hazard Analysis, Critical Control Point (HACCP) programs and making decisions, as they pr...
Neural Correlates of the In-Group Memory Advantage on the Encoding and Recognition of Faces

People have a memory advantage for faces that belong to the same group, for example, that attend the same university or have the same personality type. Faces from such in-group members are assumed to receive more attention during memory encoding and are therefore recognized more accurately. Here we use event-related potentials related to memory encoding and retrieval to investigate the neural correlates of the in-group memory advantage. Using the minimal group procedure, subjects were classified based on a bogus personality test as belonging to one of two personality types. While the electroencephalogram was recorded, subjects studied and recognized faces supposedly belonging to the subject’s own and the other personality type. Subjects recognized in-group faces more accurately than out-group faces but the effect size was small. Using the individual behavioral in-group memory advantage in multivariate analyses of covariance, we determined neural correlates of the in-group advantage. During memory encoding (300 to 1000 ms after stimulus onset), subjects with a high in-group memory advantage elicited more positive amplitudes for subsequently remembered in-group than out-group faces, showing that in-group faces received more attention and elicited more neural activity during initial encoding. Early during memory retrieval (300 to 500 ms), frontal brain areas were more activated for remembered in-group faces indicating an early detection of group membership. Surprisingly, the parietal old/new effect (600 to 900 ms) thought to indicate recollection processes differed between in-group and out-group faces independent from the behavioral in-group memory advantage. This finding suggests that group membership affects memory retrieval independent of memory performance. Comparisons with a previous study on the other-race effect, another memory phenomenon influenced by social classification of faces, suggested that the in-group memory advantage is dominated by top-down processing whereas the other-race effect is also influenced by extensive perceptual experience.
Expression of CD30 and Ox40 on T lymphocyte subsets is controlled by distinct regulatory mechanisms

Members of the TNF receptor (TNFR) superfamily are cell-surface proteins that can be found on most cell types including lymphocytes. Although some TNFR-related molecules are constitutively expressed, others, such as CD30 and Ox40, are induced upon activation of lymphocytes. CD30 and Ox40 are predominantly expressed on activated T helper (T(h))2 cells. Both receptors can activate c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and have been suggested to play costimulatory roles in lymphocyte activation. To gain further insight into events triggered by both TNFR-related molecules, a detailed analysis of their expression patterns has been performed. We found that CD30 and Ox40 were coexpressed on T(h)2 cells. However, in contrast to CD30, Ox40 was also expressed on T(h)1 cells. Although expression of both receptors is augmented by interleukin-4, only CD30 expression is dependent on signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-6-mediated signaling. Differences in the regulatory pathways controlling expression of CD30 and Ox40 suggest distinct, functional effects triggered by the two TNFR-related molecules during lymphocyte activation.
The Multiplicity of Mutations in Human Cancers

Human cancer cells contain large numbers of mutations. These can be observed as alterations in chromosomal numbers (gains or losses) and structural integrity, by an analysis of the lengths of microsatellite sequences and mutations in oncogenes and tumour-suppressor genes. The question is how and when these mutations originate, what the consequences of these mutations are, and most importantly, whether they drive tumour progression. In order to account for the disparity between the infrequency of spontaneous mutations in normal somatic human cells and the large number of mutations in human cancers, we formulated the hypothesis that cancer cells express a mutator phenotype. The hypothesis states that an increase in mutation rate is an early step during tumorigenesis. As a result, random mutations are generated throughout the genome. Some of these mutations occur in genes that normally function to guarantee the accurate transfer of genetic information during each cell division. Among the many mutations produced, some are ones that impart a growth advantage and result in invasion and metastasis, the hallmarks of cancer. In this chapter we will focus on the multiple mutations in human tumours, postulated sources for these mutations, and the arguments, for and against, the mutator phenotype hypothesis.
Effects of the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analog D-Trp6-Pro9-NEt-LHRH on the pituitary-gonadal axis of prepubertal rhesus monkeys.

To elucidate whether the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analog D-Trp6-Pro9-NEt-LHRH (LHRHa) decreases plasma testosterone levels in male primates solely by inhibiting gonadotropin secretion or, in addition, by inhibiting testicular testosterone biosynthesis, we have investigated the effects of this drug on 6 infant male rhesus monkeys. Three animals received LHRHa (12 micrograms . kg . day s.c., experimental group), and 3 animals received saline injections (control group) during the first 2 mo of life. Mean plasma testosterone was significantly lower in the experimental group compared to the control group (54 +/- 7 ng/dl vs. 501 +/- 52 ng/dl, P less than 0.001). The experimental group also had significantly lower mean follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH; 5.1 +/- 0.2 microgram/ml vs. 9.6 +/- 0.7 microgram/ml, P less than 0.001), and bioactive luteinizing hormone (LH; 2.0 +/- 0.08 microgram/ml vs. 3.5 +/- 0.2 microgram/ml, P less than 0.001). To study whether LHRHa influences testicular function directly, all animals were treated with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG; 100 mIU . kg . day i.m.) for 28 days beginning at 8 mo of age. During Days 15 through 28 we administered LHRHa 12 micrograms . kg . day s.c. to the experimental animals and saline injections to the control group. Plasma testosterone increased to 5827 +/- 557 ng/dl in the experimental group and 4440 +/- 897 ng/dl in the control group after 14 days of hCG treatment. Plasma testosterone concentrations decreased in both groups of animals from Days 15 to 28 fo the study. All steroid intermediates were similar in both groups of animals on Days 14 and 28.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Structure-dependent inhibition of the ETS-family transcription factor PU.1 by novel heterocyclic diamidines

ETS transcription factors mediate a wide array of cellular functions and are attractive targets for pharmacological control of gene regulation. We report the inhibition of the ETS-family member PU.1 with a panel of novel heterocyclic diamidines. These diamidines are derivatives of furamidine (DB75) in which the central furan has been replaced with selenophene and/or one or both of the bridging phenyl has been replaced with benzimidazole. Like all ETS proteins, PU.1 binds sequence specifically to 10-bp sites by inserting a recognition helix into the major groove of a 5'-GGAA-3' consensus, accompanied by contacts with the flanking minor groove. We showed that diamidines target the minor groove of AT-rich sequences on one or both sides of the consensus and disrupt PU.1 binding. Although all of the diamidines bind to one or both of the expected sequences within the binding site, considerable heterogeneity exists in terms of stoichiometry, site-site interactions and induced DNA conformation. We also showed that these compounds accumulate in live cell nuclei and inhibit PU.1-dependent gene transactivation. This study demonstrates that heterocyclic diamidines are capable of inhibiting PU.1 by targeting the flanking sequences and supports future efforts to develop agents for inhibiting specific members of the ETS family.
Should the Law Distinguish Between Intention and (Mere) Foresight

Philosophers have long debated whether there is a morally significant difference between acting with the intention of bringing about some state of affairs and acting with the mere awareness that that state of affairs will occur as an unintended side effect of what one is trying to achieve. This controversy is mirrored in the criminal law in a number of places, most notably with respect to the question of whether the mens rea for the crime of murder should require the intent to cause death or only the knowledge that it will occur. In this paper I propose what I believe is a satisfactory way of drawing the intended/foreseen distinction and then argue, contrary to what Duff and others have supposed, that such a distinction does not underwrite a difference in moral or legal culpability. I leave open the possibility, however, that there may be consequentialist reasons for sometimes imposing greater liability in the case of intended harms than in the case of those that are merely foreseen.
Blacks in Southern Politics: An Agenda for Research

This article does two things. It draws on extant literature, much of which was written near the height of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, to point out needed research on blacks in southern politics. It also provides data on issue attitudes, partisanship, and participation of black and white Democratic county party members and delegates to 1992 Democratic National Convention to explore the impact of including blacks on the region's Democratic county political parties. The data also illustrate the complexities of maintaining a southern biracial Democratic coalition.