cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vitamin B12 Binders of Chicken Serum and Chicken Proventriculus Are Immunologically Similar

Two substances that bind vitamin B(l2) are found in chickens, one in the serum and another in the proventriculus. Their molecular weights, as estimated from gel filtration on Sephadex, are approximately 113,000 and 96,000, respectively. Antibody elicitedin ratsagainst the proventriculus binder reacts against both binders.
Muscle microvascular recruitment predicts insulin sensitivity in middle-aged patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Insulin delivery to muscle is rate-limiting for insulin’s metabolic action and is regulated by insulin’s own action to increase skeletal muscle blood flow and to recruit microvasculature. Microvascular dysfunction has been observed in insulin resistant states. We investigated the relation between insulin’s action to recruit microvasculature and its metabolic action in type 1 diabetes. Near euglycaemia was obtained by an overnight insulin infusion during 17 inpatient admissions of participants with type 1 diabetes. This was followed by a 2 h 1 mU kg−1 min−1 euglycaemic–hyperinsulinaemic clamp. Microvascular blood volume (MBV) was assessed using contrast-enhanced ultrasound 10 min before and 30 min after starting the clamp. We observed that, after overnight modest hyperinsulinaemia (average ≈ 286 pmol/l), MBV was positively related to the steady-state insulin sensitivity measured during the subsequent clamp (r = 0.62, p = 0.008). The more marked hyperinsulinaemia during the clamp (average steady-state insulin ≈ 900 pmol/l) increased MBV in the more insulin resistant participants within 30 min but not in the insulin sensitive participants. The change in MBV during the clamp was negatively correlated to the insulin sensitivity (r = −0.55, p = 0.022). As a result, MBV after 30 min of marked hyperinsulinaemia was comparable between the insulin sensitive and resistant participants. We conclude that moderate overnight hyperinsulinaemia recruited microvasculature in the more sensitive participants, while higher levels of plasma insulin were needed for more insulin resistant participants. This suggests that microvascular responsiveness to insulin is one determinant of metabolic insulin sensitivity in type 1 diabetes. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00943787 This study is supported by the NIH/NIDDKRO1 DK 51562 grant and the University of Virginia General Clinical Research Center M01 RR 000847 grant.
Construction equipment activity recognition for simulation input modeling using mobile sensors and machine learning classifiers

Although activity recognition is an emerging general area of research in computer science, its potential in construction engineering and management (CEM) domain has not yet been fully investigated. Due to the complex and dynamic nature of many construction and infrastructure projects, the ability to detect and classify key activities performed in the field by various equipment and human crew can improve the quality and reliability of project decision-making and control. In particular to simulation modeling, process-level knowledge obtained as a result of activity recognition can help verify and update the input parameters of simulation models. Such input parameters include but are not limited to activity durations and precedence, resource flows, and site layout. The goal of this research is to investigate the prospect of using built-in smartphone sensors as ubiquitous multi-modal data collection and transmission nodes in order to detect detailed construction equipment activities which can ultimately contribute to the process of simulation input modeling. A case study of front-end loader activity recognition is presented to describe the methodology for action recognition and evaluate the performance of the developed system. In the designed methodology, certain key features are extracted from the collected data using accelerometer and gyroscope sensors, and a subset of the extracted features is used to train supervised machine learning classifiers. In doing so, several important technical details such as selection of discriminating features to extract, sensitivity analysis of data segmentation window size, and choice of the classifier to be trained are investigated. It is shown that the choice of the level of detail (LoD) in describing equipment actions (classes) is an important factor with major impact on the classification performance. Results also indicate that although decreasing the number of classes generally improves the classification output, considering other factors such as actions to be combined as a single activity, methodologies to extract knowledge from classified activities, computational efficiency, and end use of the classification process may as well influence one's decision in selecting an optimal LoD in describing equipment activities (classes).
Nonstationary properties of postural sway.

Postural sway during quiet stance is usually assumed to be a stationary stochastic process. We tested this assumption by investigating the time invariance of the average value and variance of the postural sway of three subjects. The sway was measured with a force plate under three conditions: subject standing on two feet with eyes open; subject standing on two feet with eyes closed; and subject standing on one foot with eyes open. Data were collected in 1 min runs. More than 50 min of data were collected for each subject under each test condition. The data were averaged across all runs for each subject and condition. Trends were found to be present in the data. In addition, there were initial transient increases in the second-order moments about the trends. The transient changes in first- and second-order moments usually disappeared during the first 20 s. In light of these findings, we can reject the hypothesis that postural sway is a stationary process. The results imply that the usual methods to parameterize postural sway have to be either changed or reinterpreted.
The biggest challenge of a career.

This department highlights nursing leaders who have demonstrated the ability to inspire and lead change. This competency is seen in the ability to create, structure, and implement organizational change through strategic vision, risk taking, and effective communication. Each article showcases a project of a nurse leader who demonstrates change in a variety of environments ranging from acute care hospitals to home care and alternative practice settings. Included are several "lessons learned" applicable to multiple settings that provide insight for other nurses in executive practice.
Laser Engineered Net Shaping Process for 316L/15% Nickel Coated Titanium Carbide Metal Matrix Composite

This paper presents the investigation of the macrostructure, microstructure, and solidification structure of a 316L/15% nickel coated TiC metal matrix composite produced by the laser engineered net shaping (LENS™) process. The focus of this work was to (1) identify the solidification structure and to estimate growth/cooling rates at the solid/liquid interface, (2) identify and quantify discontinuities in the build structure, and (3) examine the effect of solidification and thermal history on the sample microstructure to further the understanding of the LENS process. A Numerical method was also developed to examine the influence of material type and LENS™ process parameters on the forming of the specific microstructures from thermodynamics and fluid dynamics point of view. Samples of 316L stainless steel were examined, microstructures of samples were used to estimate the corresponding cooling rate, and the cooling rate was compared with the results of numerical modeling. The computational results show reasonable agreement with experimentally determined cooling rate.
A fracture zone in the south west Pacific basin south of New Zealand and its implications for sea floor spreading

Abstract Offsets in the total magnetic field anomalies between longitudes 170°E and 180°E and latitudes 50°S and 60°S mark a fracture zone (named the Endeavour Fracture Zone) having a left lateral displacement striking north 5° west and terminating to the north at the edge of the Campbell Plateau, near the Antipodes Islands. The maximum displacement is 230 km at 52°S and decreases to the south, becoming zero at 60°48′S. Identification of the anomalies shows that the transform fault formed during the Upper Cretaceous and either terminated or reversed its offset during the Palaeocene. The relative offsets of corresponding magnetic features across the fault zone are consistent with a model having the half spreading rates in constant proportion to each other for this time interval. The data suggest that the Palaeocene-Eocene boundary marks a major change in the pattern of ocean floor spreading south of New Zealand, and that the relative motions of the southwest Pacific and Antarctic plates differed significantly from the present. This change in spreading is probably directly associated with the commencement of spreading between Australia and Antarctica.
Chymostatin inhibits cellular aggregation of activated human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Abstract Activation of lymphocytes with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) induces cell aggregation (CA). Although the events leading to CA are not clear, a general change in protein turnover has been observed. Therefore, we have examined the effect of some well characterized protease inhibitors on CA. Chymostatin (20–150 μM) produced a dose dependent inhibition of CA. Protease inhibitors other than chymostatin had no significant effect on CA. Based on the action of these protease inhibitors on CA and their known inhibitory effects on different proteases, it is suggested that chymotrypsin or a chymotrypsin-like activity may be involved in PHA-stimulated aggregation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes.
Non-spatial, motor-specific activation in posterior parietal cortex

A localized cluster of neurons in macaque posterior parietal cortex, termed the parietal reach region (PRR), is activated when a reach is planned to a visible or remembered target. To explore the role of PRR in sensorimotor transformations, we tested whether cells would be activated when a reach is planned to an as-yet unspecified goal. Over one-third of PRR cells increased their firing after an instruction to prepare a reach, but not after an instruction to prepare a saccade, when the target of the movement remained unknown. A partially overlapping population (two-thirds of cells) was activated when the monkey was informed of the target location but not the type of movement to be made. Thus a subset of PRR neurons separately code spatial and effector-specific information, consistent with a role in specifying potential motor responses to particular targets.
The microscopic analysis of honey, a comparison of its methods with those of the other branches of palynology

Abstract A short survey is given of the elements and the aim of the microscopical examination of honey. The practical importance of the method for apiculture and honey research is outlined. The practice of microscopical examination of the honey differs from the techniques used in the other branches of palynology; the reasons of the methodical differences are explained.
Eidetic Imagery and Paleolithic Art

Abstract This discourse treats experimentation only in the remote past, from early Aurignacian in the late Holocene to early Nuclear. Observations by Galton, Fechner, and Wundt lead to reexamining the connection between eidetic images and prehistoric art in the light of their independent perceptions of the problem. The differing positions of European and American investigators are reviewed in relation to the proposed connection.
Ocular manifestations of focal dermal hypoplasia syndrome.

• Although 40% of patients with the focal dermal hypoplasia syndrome have ocular abnormalities, to our knowledge, only one case of this condition has been previously described in the ophthalmic literature. Two additional cases are presented, and the systemic and ocular findings are reviewed. ( Arch Ophthalmol 95:1997-2001, 1977)
Biliary tract: Is there a role for neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy in biliary cancer?

A retrospective analysis of adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy in patients with resectable biliary tract adenocarcinoma shows they confer no survival advantage in the treated groups, leading the authors to conclude they have no benefit. However, the study design does not allow definitive conclusions to be drawn about these treatments.
The Sea-Breeze Forerunner

Abstract The response of a stably stratified atmosphere to differential heating across a coastline is studied. A linear, inviscid, Boussinesq theory is used to analyze the growth caused by switching on a small temperature contrast at an initial time. The propagation of the disturbance is interpreted in terms of internal gravity waves. The outer part of the disturbance, where the linearization is always valid, arrives ahead of the main nonlinear overturning, the sea breeze proper, and can therefore be described as the sea-breeze forerunner. Solutions are obtained and discussed for three different assumed model atmospheres, illustrating the influence of thermal stratification upon the structure of the forerunner. Some modifications are introduced to enable the effects of viscosity to be described. Reasonable values of internal viscosity and of surface drag are inserted into the modified theory, and these effects, respectivly, are found to limit the amplitude of the forerunner at moderate distances inland to...
Operative management of traumatic cervical spine distraction and complete cord transection in a 3-year-old patient

This report describes the presentation and operative treatment of a 3-year-old boy who survived a motor vehicle accident that resulted in a C6-7 distraction injury, complete avulsion of the spinal cord, and gross spinal instability. Only 5%-10% of all spinal cord and vertebral column injuries occur in children. Survival after such an injury is exceptionally rare in very young patients and is associated with severe neurological deficits. The authors discuss the substantial ethical challenges involved in the care of a patient with this injury. To their knowledge, only two other cases of survival have been reported in pediatric patients following motor vehicle trauma resulting in complete injury to the lower cervical spinal cord.
A Fundamentally New View of Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract The last decade has been an era of unprecedented progress in our understanding of multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is now considered a destructive process of the central nervous system, initiated by inflammatory demyelination but including prominent axonal pathology. This new knowledge has been acquired from new imaging techniques and traditional histopathologic study. New mechanisms of myelin destruction have been uncovered, and hypothetical new therapies for MS include neuroprotectants. Serial gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans reveal MS as a continuously active process. Brain and spinal cord atrophy, defined by MRI, correlate closely with clinical state. MR imaging techniques therefore are considered the standard tools for monitoring disease activity and severity. These efforts have produced improved therapy for patients with MS. Two classes of agents, interferon beta and glatiramer acetate, have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use. A major challenge...
Substorm injections produce sufficient electron energization to account for MeV flux enhancements following some storms

[1] One of the main questions concerning radiation belt research is the origin of very high energy (>1 MeV) electrons following many space storms. Under the hypothesis that the plasma sheet electron population is the source of these electrons, which are convected to the outer radiation belt region during substorms, we estimate the flux of particles generated at geosynchronous orbit. We use the test particle method of following guiding center electrons as they drift in the electromagnetic fields during substorm dipolarization. The dipolarization pulse model electromagnetic fields are taken from the Li et al. (1998) substorm particle injection model. We find that a substorm dipolarization can produce enough electrons within geosynchronous orbit to account for the electrons seen following storms. To do this, we compute transport ratios of plasma sheet electrons, that is, the relative ratio of plasma sheet electrons that are transported and trapped in the inner magnetosphere during substorms, as well as the change in energy of the electrons. Since high fluxes of MeV electrons are only seen following storms and not isolated substorms, it is likely that these electrons may serve as a source population for other energization mechanisms which accelerate the electrons to MeV energies. Furthermore, we do parametric studies of the dipolarization model to understand physically what conditions enable the generation of this source population.
Diagnosis-Related Group Prospective Payment Effects on Medical Quality Assurance

The new system for hospital reimbursement, called "reimbursement by diagnosis-related group" (DR G), offers a unique opportunity for the development of novel approaches to quality assurance. Groups of medically similar patients with stable patterns of resource use have been defined. These groups form the basis of the new payment system. Patients whose care deviates from the norm of resource consumption for their group, so-called outliers, will need to be reviewed by the hospital's administrative and medical staff. Such outliers are likely to constitute different types of patients than those in their assigned group: (1) patients whose medical complexity precludes grouping because of limitations in the abstracted clinical data; (2) patients whose medical care deviated because of complications of therapy or inappropriate diagnostic andlor therapeutic interventions; (3) patients whose medical course is so unique that they would never fit any classification system. The DRG-based reimbursement system, then, wil...
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF THE HETEROTROPHIC CHRYSOPHYTE GENUS PARAPHYSOMONAS (CHRYSOPHYCEAE), AND THE DESIGN OF RRNA-TARGETED OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PROBES FOR TWO SPECIES

Nanoflagellate protists are algae and protozoa (2‐ 20 mm in size) that play important ecological roles in freshwater and marine microbial communities as primary producers and as consumers of prokaryotic and eukaryotic prey. There is little biogeographical information for most of these minute protists despite their significant role in aquatic food webs. In addition, the evolutionary relationships among some of these species and their affinities to other protistan taxa are unclear. These circumstances are largely a consequence of the fact that small protists possess few readily apparent morphological features on which to base taxonomic and phylogenetic schemes and with which to identify them in natural assemblages. As an alternative approach for addressing these issues, we sequenced the small-subunit ribosomal RNA genes of four species of the colorless chrysophyte genus Paraphysomonas. A phylogenetic analysis based on that sequence information was performed, and oligonucleotide probes for two commonly occurring species of Paraphysomonas were designed and tested. Phylogenetic analyses of these four species confirmed the affinity of the genus Paraphysomonas with other chrysophyte species. High sequence similarity among three of the species (P. imperforata Lucas, P. bandaiensis Takahashi, and P. foraminifera Lucas) supported a previous phylogenetic grouping of these species based on the morphology of the scales produced by these species. In particular, sequence similarity between P. imperforata and P. foraminifera indicated that this speciation was a recent evolutionary event. However, a fourth species (P. vestita (Stokes) de Saedeleer) possessing similar scale morphology to P. bandaiensis, P. imperforata, and P. foraminifera showed considerable sequence dissimilarity in comparison to these latter three species. Oligonucleotide probes were successfully designed for the species P. imperforata and P. bandaiensis and applied together with a recently de
Mobilities, Networks, Geographies

In recent years, geographic research, particularly in Europe, has engaged in extensive theoretical discussions about the mobility of human beings and the sociospatial networks established by groups...
V-stack piezoelectric actuator

Aeroelastic control of wings by means of a distributed, trailing-edge control surface is of interest with regards to maneuvers, gust alleviation, and flutter suppression. The use of high energy density, piezoelectric materials as motors provides an appealing solution to this problem. A comparative analysis of the state of the art actuators is currently being conducted. A new piezoelectric actuator design is presented. This actuator meets the requirements for trailing edge flap actuation in both stroke and force. It is compact, simple, sturdy, and leverages stroke geometrically with minimum force penalties while displaying linearity over a wide range of stroke. The V-Stack Piezoelectric Actuator, consists of a base, a lever, two piezoelectric stacks, and a pre-tensioning element. The work is performed alternately by the two stacks, placed on both sides of the lever. Pre-tensioning can be readily applied using a torque wrench, obviating the need for elastic elements and this is for the benefit of the stiffness of the actuator. The characteristics of the actuator are easily modified by changing the base or the stacks. A prototype was constructed and tested experimentally to validate the theoretical model.
Simple model for the temperature-dependent compressive strength of polymer fibers

Abstract A simple model is presented with regard to the temperature dependence of the compressive strength of polymer fibers. This model leads to the result that the change in the compressive strength with temperature is equal to the product of the axial Young's modulus and the axial thermal expansion coefficient. The validity of the model is demonstrated for Kevlar fibers using experimental results from the literature.
Power and performance modeling of virtualized desktop systems

Desktop virtualization is a new delivery method in which desktop operating systems execute in a data center and users access their applications using stateless “thin-client” devices. This paradigm promises significant benefits in terms of data security, flexibility, and reduction of the total cost of ownership. However, in order to further optimize this approach while maintaining good user experience, efficient resource management algorithms are required. This paper formulates an analytical model allowing for detailed investigation of how power consumption of virtualized server farm depends on properties of workload, adaptiveness of virtualization infrastructure, and average density of virtual machines per physical server. Assumptions needed to develop the model are confirmed using statistical analysis of desktop workload traces and the model itself is also validated using simulations. We apply the model to compare power consumption of static and dynamic virtual machine allocation strategies. The results of the study can be used to develop online virtual machine migration algorithms. Even though this paper focuses on virtualized systems running desktop workloads, the modeling approach is general and can be applied in other contexts.
Editors' requests of peer reviewers: a study and a proposal.

Abstract Background.Despite the pivotal role of peer review in the scientific process, there has never been a formal study of the way in which reviewers’ opinions are elicited. This article describes such a study and makes recommendations for a more standardized approach to the peer review process. We hope, through this publication and related efforts, to encourage such a process inPreventive Medicineand in other journals.Method.The study population included the top 100 journals (as rated by the 1989 Institute for Scientific Information citation frequency index). Only journals with primarily U.S.-based editorial offices are included (n= 73). Participants provided their reviewer forms, cover letters for reviewers, and instructions for reviewers that were used routinely. All data were collected in February 1992.Results.The response rate was 97.3%. Journals varied substantially in many of their reviewer requests. While 96% of journals asked reviewers to recommend acceptance or rejection, only 72% asked reviewers to assess manuscripts’ novelty, 69% requested assessments of clarity, and only 51% asked for assessments of the reasonableness of manuscripts’ conclusions. Similarly, only 46% of journals reminded reviewers that manuscripts were confidential documents, 51% provided a separate cover letter, and 25% provided extensive (>1 full page) reviewer instructions.Conclusions.While review uniformity is not requisite, differences between review protocols may not be a function of specific journals’ needs, but of some journals’ excluding important review components from explicit mention. Based in part on the Council of Biology Editors’ recommendations, standard components of reviews and of instructions for reviewers are suggested. If editors’ expectations were more explicit, reviewers’ comments could better serve editorial needs.
SU-E-J-109: Testing the KV Imaging Center Congruence with Radiation Isocenter of Small MLC and SRS Cone Field On Two Machines

Purpose: Orthogonal kV image pairs are used for target localization when fiducial markers are implanted. CBCT is used to verify cone SRS setup. Therefore it is necessary to evaluate the isocenter congruence between radiation fields and kV imaging center. This study used a simple method to evaluate the isocenter congruence, and compared the results for MLC and cone fields on two different Linacs. Methods: Varian OBI block was attached on the couch. It has a central 1mm BB with markers on three surfaces to align with laser. KV and MV images were taken at four cardinal angles. A 3x3cm2 MLC field and a 20mm cone field were irradiated respectively. On each kV image, the distance from BB center to the kV graticule center were measured. On the MV image of MLC field, the center of radiation field was determined manually, while for cone field, the Varian AM maintenance software was used to analyze the distance between BB and radiation field. The subtraction of the two distances gives the discrepancy between kV and radiation centers. Each procedure was repeated on five days at Trilogy and TrueBeam respectively. Results: The maximum discrepancy was found in the longitudinal direction at 180° gantry angel. It was 1.5±0.1mm for Trilogy and 0.6±0.1mm for TrueBeam. For Trilogy, although radiation center wobbled only 0.7mm and image center wobbled 0.8mm, they wobbled to the opposite direction. KV Pair using gantry 180° should be avoided in this case. Cone vs. kV isocenter has less discrepancy than MLC for Trilogy. Conclusion: Radiation isocenter of MLC and cone field is different, so is between Trilogy and TrueBeam. The method is simple and reproducible to check kV and radiation isocenter congruence.
Dielectric antireflection layer optimization: correlation of simulation and experimental data

The continuing shrinkage of device size will result in stringent demands on high precision CD control. For example, at 0.13um technology node a typical poly gate size variation should be controlled within +/- 8nm or even smaller. This tight CD budget includes all possible variations which can be from different modules of resist coating track, optical and mechanical parts of exposure tool, non-uniformity of wafer substrate, CD metrology, mask making and so on. Particularly, the residual swing effect after applying an inorganic anti-reflection layer (SiON) still can claim a significant CD budget if not properly optimized. Therefore, how to minimize the residual swing effect still plays important role in CD control. Simulation of reflectivity is considered analytically rigorous and is therefore frequently employed to aid in process development. However, since in manufacturing environments people usually pay more attention to the repeatability of optical metrology tools rather than their accuracies, it is not surprising if some significant discrepancies exist between theoretical and experimental results. Instead of discussing the detail error sources and the tool calibrations, a quick and convenient experimental methodology is introduced to account for such differences and to optimize the film stack composition effectively. In this paper, with the CD variations on metal and poly substrates as examples, an effective combination between the calculations and the experiments is presented in order to minimize the CD swing. We also demonstrate that with the "single wafer swing curve" technique, the residual swing effect can be easily detected and minimized. This methodology provides a possibility to determine the best anti-reflection layer not only from theoretical but also from experimental point of view in manufacturing environments. Since the residual swing effect is a common issue, the results of this paper can be widely used in either manufacturing fabs or experimental labs.
Novel Propeptide Function in 20 S Proteasome Assembly Influences β Subunit Composition

The assembly of eukaryotic 20 S proteasomes involves the formation of half-proteasomes where precursor β-type subunits gather in position on an α-subunit ring, followed by the association of two half-proteasomes and β-subunit processing. In vertebrates three additional β-subunits (β1i/LMP2, β2i/MECL1, and β5i/LMP7) can be synthesized and substituted for constitutive homologues (β1/delta, β2/Z, and β5/X) to yield immunoproteasomes, which are important for generating certain antigenic peptides. We have shown previously that when all six β-subunits are present, cooperative assembly mechanisms limit the diversity of proteasome populations. Specifically, LMP7 is incorporated preferentially over X into preproteasomes containing LMP2 and MECL1. We show here that the LMP7 propeptide is responsible for this preferential incorporation, and it also enables LMP7 to incorporate into proteasomes containing delta and Z. In contrast, the X propeptide restricts incorporation to proteasomes with delta and Z. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the LMP7 propeptide can function in trans when expressed on LMP2, and that its NH2-terminal and mid-regions are particularly critical for function. In addition to identifying a novel propeptide function, our results raise the possibility that one consequence of LMP7 incorporation into both immunoproteasomes and delta/Z proteasomes may be to increase the diversity of antigenic peptides that can be generated.
Incomplete splicing and deficient accumulation of the fiber messenger RNA in monkey cells infected by human adenovirus type 2.

Abstract Monkey cells are non-permissive hosts for human adenoviruses due to a block in the synthesis of certain late viral proteins. Analysis of the RNA produced in abortively infected monkey cells indicated that the depressed synthesis of many of the late proteins can be ascribed to the reduced concentration of their corresponding mRNAs (Klessig & Anderson, 1975). An exception is the capsid polypeptide, fiber. Fiber RNA concentration is reduced by five- to 20-fold in monkey cells, whereas fiber protein synthesis is depressed by 100 to 1000-fold. Experiments designed to detect defects in the cytoplasmic fiber RNA which would account for its poor translatability showed that the RNA had a normal, capped tripartite leader at its 5′ terminus. However, a large proportion of these molecules contained long sequences between the tripartite leader and the main body which failed to be spliced out of the initial transcript during maturation of the fiber mRNA. Similarly, region 3 RNAs at late times also contained the same long upstream sequences in abortive infections. In contrast, few cytoplasmic fiber or region 3 RNAs from a productive infection with an adenovirus type 2 mutant, which grows lytically in monkey cells, retained such long upstream sequences. The other late RNAs from abortively or productively infected monkey cells had splicing patterns identical to those seen in permissive human cells. These observations suggest a role for RNA splicing in the control of gene expression and may represent an example of limited host range of a virus due to deficient RNA splicing.
Activin Signaling Targeted by Insulin/dFOXO Regulates Aging and Muscle Proteostasis in Drosophila

Reduced insulin/IGF signaling increases lifespan in many animals. To understand how insulin/IGF mediates lifespan in Drosophila, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing analysis with the insulin/IGF regulated transcription factor dFOXO in long-lived insulin/IGF signaling genotypes. Dawdle, an Activin ligand, is bound and repressed by dFOXO when reduced insulin/IGF extends lifespan. Reduced Activin signaling improves performance and protein homeostasis in muscles of aged flies. Activin signaling through the Smad binding element inhibits the transcription of Autophagy-specific gene 8a (Atg8a) within muscle, a factor controlling the rate of autophagy. Expression of Atg8a within muscle is sufficient to increase lifespan. These data reveal how insulin signaling can regulate aging through control of Activin signaling that in turn controls autophagy, representing a potentially conserved molecular basis for longevity assurance. While reduced Activin within muscle autonomously retards functional aging of this tissue, these effects in muscle also reduce secretion of insulin-like peptides at a distance from the brain. Reduced insulin secretion from the brain may subsequently reinforce longevity assurance through decreased systemic insulin/IGF signaling.
Emergency Department and Hospital Admissions Associated with Poor Compliance with Theophylline Therapy in Children with Asthma

Theophylline is the drug most commonly used for chronic therapy of asthma in children. The objective of our study was to assess the implications of noncompliance with theophylline therapy in children, particularly those presenting to emergency departments and those requiring hospitalisation. We studied all children receiving chronic theophylline therapy who were regularly seen in our clinics since their diagnoses of asthma. 16 patients (aged 5 to 19 years; 12 boys, 4 girls; 12 Blacks, 4 Whites) were identified as noncompliant based on subtherapeutic serum concentrations of theophylline, and exacerbation of symptoms of asthma. Noncompliance with theophylline therapy contributed to 95 emergency department visits and 93 hospitalisations for these 16 children. Theophylline serum concentrations ranged from 0 to 4.9 mg/L at the time of 48 emergency department admissions, and from 5 to 10 mg/L at the time of 47 emergency department admissions. The serum concentrations of theophylline ranged from 0 to 4.9 mg/L at the time of 44 hospital admissions, and from 5 to 10 mg/L at the time of 49 hospital admissions. This occurred despite our continued educational efforts to improve compliance at the time of each regular visit. These data suggest that noncompliance with theophylline therapy may lead to substantial costs and a compromised quality of life for children with asthma and their families. Further approaches, in addition to education and counselling, should be explored to improve compliance with chronic theophylline therapy in children with asthma.
Continuum Modeling and Numerical Simulation of Cell Motility

This work proposes a continuum-mechanical model of cell motility which accounts for the dynamics of motility-relevant protein species. For the special case of fish epidermal keratocytes, the stress and cell-substrate traction responses are postulated to depend on selected protein densities in accordance with the structural features of the cells. A one-dimensional version of the model is implemented using Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian finite elements in conjunction with Lagrange multipliers for the treatment of kinematic constraints related to surface growth. Representative numerical tests demonstrate the capacity of the proposed model to simulate stationary and steady crawling states.
A system design revolution (Panel Session)

System design is undergoing radical changes that are significant both for the graphics community and for other design communities in which the principal hardware resources are those obtained via catalogues of parts. The drive to reduce system costs forces us to design at the lowest level possible, i.e., on silicon; only in this way can we reduce the number of packaged components, thereby reducing the number of interconnecting wires, board space and power requirements. This, in turn, presents a system design dilemma. The large cost of designing silicon systems, i.e. VLSI, conflicts with the need to design them to reduce cost. As a result, novel new design aids are being devised that actually make integrated system design easier than conventional system design; integrated systems can be thoroughly simulated because simple models of them exist at every level of representation.By providing the system designer with lower-level design primitives, significant new architectures, such as the Geometry Engine and Image Memory Processor, will be the result. Semiconductor companies cannot make system design decisions for every area of application; only the system designer understands the application area well enough to make the correct decisions. The traditional semiconductor industry must make a transition from offering packaged system building blocks to offering fabrication services to the designers who know how to design systems.
Functional coupling of a μ opioid receptor to G proteins and adenylyl cyclase: modulation by chronic morphine treatment

A cloned mu opioid receptor was used to study its coupling to signal transduction pathways and its involvement in morphine-induced opioid dependence in stably transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Membrane binding assays with a mu-selective agonist [(3)H]DAMGO showed that one cell line expresses a high level of mu opioid receptors with a B(max) of approximately 630 fmol/mg membrane protein and a K(d) of 0.47 nM for DAMGO. Stimulation of the transfected cells with DAMGO led to an increase in the low K(m) GTPase activity, indicative of activation of guanine nucleotide regulatory proteins (G proteins), and this effect was blocked by the opioid antagonist naloxone. In addition, binding of the mu opioid receptor to DAMGO was affected by GTP and nonhydrolizable GTP analogs, Gp(NH)pp and GTP-gamma-S. These results suggest a functional coupling between the mu opioid receptor and G proteins. Furthermore, DAMGO treatment of the cells produced a dose-dependent inhibition of the intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) level, with an EC(50) value of approximately 30 nM. Chronic treatment of the cells with morphine not only elevated the basal and forskolin-stimulated cAMP levels after morphine withdrawal, but also increased the extent of the DAMGO-induced reduction of intracellular cAMP levels. The whole cell binding assay with [(3)H]DAMGO, on the other hand, did not detect receptor down-regulation after chronic morphine treatment. These results suggest that chronic morphine treatment may trigger a compensatory mechanism in cellular signaling pathways to offset the inhibitory input from the mu receptor without down-regulation of the surface receptor number, and that withdrawal of chronic inhibition leads to elevated activities of adenylyl cyclase to provide a basis for system sensitization.
Extending the transaction level modeling approach for fast communication architecture exploration

System-on-Chip (SoC) designs are increasingly becoming more complex. Efficient on-chip communication architectures are critical for achieving desired performance in these systems. System designers typically use Bus Cycle Accurate (BCA) models written in high level languages such as C/C++ to explore the communication design space. These models capture all of the bus signals and strictly maintain cycle accuracy, which is useful for reliable performance exploration but results in slow simulation speeds for complex designs, even when they are modeled using high level languages. Recently there have been several efforts to use the Transaction Level Modeling (TLM) paradigm for improving simulation performance in BCA models. However these BCA models capture a lot of details that can be eliminated when exploring communication architectures.In this paper we extend the TLM approach and propose a new and faster transaction-based modeling abstraction level (CCATB) to explore the communication design space. Our abstraction level bridges the gap between the TLM and BCA levels, and yields an average performance speedup of 55 over BCA models. We demonstrate how fast and accurate exploration of tradeoffs is possible for high-performance shared bus architectures such as AMBA 2.0 and AMBA 3.0 (AXI) in industrial strength designs at the proposed abstraction level.
Tall Building Motion Control Using Double Skin Façades

Double skin facade (DSF) systems are more effective environmental mediators than conventional single skin facade systems, and, due to this reason, their usage for tall buildings has increased despite their higher initial costs. This paper investigates the potential of the DSF system as a structural motion control device in tall buildings regarding dynamic wind loads. The connectors between the inner skins and outer skins of the DSF system are designed to have very low axial stiffness with a damping mechanism so that the dynamic motion of the primary building structure can be reduced. Governing equations are generated for motion of both the primary structures and DSF outer skins and solved to anticipate the dynamic responses of the system. The primary structure motion can be substantially reduced by the low stiffness DSF connector design introduced in this paper. However, the excessive motion of the DSF outer skins is a serious design limitation of the system. Further research is required for the practical application of the proposed system.
Structural Determinants of Photoreactivity of Triplex Forming Oligonucleotides Conjugated to Psoralens

Triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) with both DNA and 2′-O-methyl RNA backbones can direct psoralen photoadducts to specific DNA sequences. However, the functional consequences of these differing structures on psoralen photoreactivity are unknown. We designed TFO sequences with DNA and 2′-O-methyl RNA backbones conjugated to psoralen by 2-carbon linkers and examined their ability to bind and target damage to model DNA duplexes corresponding to sequences within the human HPRT gene. While TFO binding affinity was not dramatically affected by the type of backbone, psoralen photoreactivity was completely abrogated by the 2′-O-methyl RNA backbone. Photoreactivity was restored when the psoralen was conjugated to the RNA TFO via a 6-carbon linker. In contrast to the B-form DNA of triplexes formed by DNA TFOs, the CD spectra of triplexes formed with 2′-O-methyl RNA TFOs exhibited features of A-form DNA. These results indicate that 2′-O-methyl RNA TFOs induce a partial B-to-A transition in their target DNA sequences which may impair the photoreactivity of a conjugated psoralen and suggest that optimal design of TFOs to target DNA damage may require a balance between binding ability and drug reactivity.
Organizational Ethics, Leader-Member Exchange, and Organizational Support: Relationships With Workplace Safety:

The current study explores how employee safety knowledge and behaviors are affected by employees’ perceptions of management’s concern for safety, perceived organizational ethics, perceived organizational support, and leader—member exchange. A field sample of 188 employees from several U.S. locations of a large multinational drilling company participated in the study. Results indicated that perceived organizational ethics, perceived organizational support, and leader—member exchange are indirectly associated with employees’ safety knowledge and behaviors. The current study demonstrates that organizations should pay particular attention to the organizational context within which safety messages are transmitted. Differences in employee perceptions of this context may affect the effectiveness of the message. The findings also demonstrated strong support for a model linking perceptions of ethics, perceptions of support, and leader—member exchange as important mediating elements in the effective transfer of man...
Comparing the water, energy, pesticide and fertilizer usage for the production of foods consumed by different dietary types in California

Department of Environmental Health and Geoinformatics Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, USASubmitted 14 March 2014: Final revision received 15 October 2014: Accepted 31 October 2014AbstractObjective: To compare the use of water, energy, pesticides and fertilizer toproduce commodities for two dietary patterns that vary in the content of plant andanimal products.Design: A unique analysis using ‘real-world’ data was performed, in contrast toprevious analyses which applied simulated data. Consumption data from theAdventist Health Study were used to identify two dietary patterns with a markedlydifferent consumption of several plant and animal products. State agricultural datawere collected and applied to commodity production statistics. Indices werecreated to allow a comparison of the resource requirements for each dietarypattern.Setting: California, USA.Subjects: None.Results: The diet containing more animal products required an additional 10252litres of water, 9910kJ of energy, 186g of fertilizer and 6g of pesticides per weekin comparison to the diet containing less animal products. The greatestcontribution to the difference came from the consumption of animal products,particularly beef.Conclusions: Consuming a more plant-based diet could to an extent alleviate thenegative environmental impacts related to food production. As a method to feedourselves more sustainably, behavioural adjustments appear to be a veryimportant tool.KeywordsFood productionSustainable dietary patternsThere is a direct link between dietary preference, agri-cultural production, resource use and environmentaldegradation
Testing the Self-Efficacy—Performance Linkage of Social—Cognitive Theory

Past empirical research examining the relationship of self-efficacy perceptions and performance has had several limitations. Most studies were performed in the laboratory with tasks not directly related to individual work performance. As a consequence, many findings are not generalizable to individual work performance. This study tested the self-efficacy-performance model found in Bandura's social-cognitive theory in a work setting, with a sample of 776 American university employees, and with discriminant function analyses. Respondents indicated that performance with computers significantly predicted perceptions of high and low self-efficacy. Results provide additional support for social-cognitive theory as outlined by Bandura.
Thermodynamics of ubiquitin unfolding

The energetics of ubiquitin unfolding have been studied using differential scanning microcalorimetry. For the first time it has been shown directly that the enthalpy of protein unfolding is a nonlinear function of temperature. Thermodynamic parameters of ubiquitin unfolding were correlated with the structure of the protein. The enthalpy of hydrogen bonding in ubiquitin was calculated and compared to that obtained for other proteins. It appears that the energy of hydrogen bonding correlates with the average length of the hydrogen bond in a given protein structure.