cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms for regulating step length while running towards and over an obstacle

The ability to run across uneven terrain with continuous stable movement is critical to the safety and efficiency of a runner. Successful step-to-step stabilization while running may be mediated by minor adjustments to a few key parameters (e.g., leg stiffness, step length, foot strike pattern). However, it is not known to what degree runners in relatively natural settings (e.g., trails, paved road, curbs) use the same strategies across multiple steps. This study investigates how three readily measurable running parameters - step length, foot placement, and foot strike pattern - are adjusted in response to encountering a typical urban obstacle - a sidewalk curb. Thirteen subjects were video-recorded as they ran at self-selected slow and fast paces. Runners targeted a specific distance before the curb for foot placement, and lengthened their step over the curb (p<0.0001) regardless of where the step over the curb was initiated. These strategies of adaptive locomotion disrupt step cycles temporarily, and may increase locomotor cost and muscle loading, but in the end assure dynamic stability and minimize the risk of injury over the duration of a run.
Trends in Spouses’ Shared Time in the United States, 1965–2012

Despite major demographic changes over the past 50 years and strong evidence that time spent with a spouse is important for marriages, we know very little about how time with a spouse has changed—or not—in the United States. Using time diary data from 1965–2012, we examine trends in couples’ shared time in the United States during a period of major changes in American marriages and families. We find that couples without children spent more total time together and time alone together in 2012 than they did in 1965, with total time and time alone together both peaking in 1975. For parents, time spent together increased between 1965 and 2012, most dramatically for time spent with a spouse and children. Decomposition analyses show that changes in behavior rather than changing demographics explain these trends, and we find that the increases in couples’ shared time are primarily concentrated in leisure activities.
Assessing Gifted Students’ Beliefs About Intelligence With a Psychometrically Defensible Scale

The psychometric qualities of the six- and eight-item implicit theories of intelligence scales that Dweck suggested were compared using a confirmatory factor analysis with data from 239 gifted stud...
Improving soil moisture estimation from polarimetric radar observations: A study of scene heterogeneity, land cover, and vegetation seasonality

State of the art soil moisture radar retrieval algorithms traditionally depend on substantial amounts of ancillary data, such as land cover and soil texture/composition maps, to parametrize complex electromagnetic models. In this work, we pursue an existing empirical approach as an alternative; it expresses radar backscatter of a vegetated scene as a linear function of soil moisture, thus reducing the dependence on ancillary data. We use 2.5 years of L-band Aquarius radar and radiometer derived soil moisture data to determine the two unknowns of the linear model function on a global scale. We investigate the impact of land cover type by utilizing the widely used IGBP land cover classification; it is found to be significant. We observe seasonal variation in the radar sensitivity to soil moisture, indicating and quantifying seasonally changing vegetation. Finally, we investigate the impact of vegetation heterogeneity within a radar pixel.
Pemphigus Foliaceus, Pemphigus Vulgaris, Paraneoplastic Pemphigus, Bullous Pemphigoid, Herpes Gestationis, and Cicatricial Pemphigoid

Pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid represent two major classes of human autoimmune blistering disease. In pemphigus, the binding of pathogenic autoantibodies to desmosomal cad-herins directly induce loss of keratinocyte cell-cell adhesion; whereas, antibody binding to the hemidesmosome protein BP180 induces subepidermal blistering by activation of complement and proteolytic activity. Progress in understanding the molecular pathogenesis of these disorders has led to precise diagnostic tests and effective treatment protocols.
Polyvalent vaccine-KLH conjugate and OPT-821 with bevacizumab (BEV) in patients with ovarian cancer in second or greater remission.

5550 Background: We previously completed a phase I study of a polyvalent vaccine containing GM2, Globo-H, LeY, Tn-MUC1, Tn(c), STn(c) and TF(c) antigens (AGs) individually conjugated to KLH and mix...
Modeling the swelling of shale matrix in unconventional reservoirs

Abstract The imbibition of the injection water into shale matrix may result in shale swelling affecting oil recovery from the rock matrix and the transport properties of the fractures. The expansion of rock due to the swelling of shale matrix compresses the pore space in the rock matrix and the surrounding fractures. This reduces fracture and matrix porosity and permeability. The reduction of matrix pore space can reduce the rate of oil recovered from the rock matrix. On the other hand, it also forces the oil out of the matrix pore space increasing oil recovery. However, this effect has not been evaluated and integrated in reservoir modeling. This study presents a coupled fluid flow and geomechanics model for modeling shale swelling to quantitatively investigate the effect of swelling on transport properties of rock matrix and fractures. The main objective is to quantitatively determine the effect of shale swelling on the oil recovery from the rock matrix. A numerical solution is presented to solve the coupled equations simultaneously for the phase pressure, fluid saturation, stress, and strain. We show that the mechanical properties of the rock matrix vary significantly as the result of water imbibition. The reduction of the fracture and matrix permeability and porosity due to swelling is considerable. This results in the reduction of more than 50% of the oil recovered from shale matrix. Hence, shale swelling should be prevented in any water injection operations.
DNA Gap Repair-Mediated Site-Directed Mutagenesis is Different from Mandecki and Recombineering Approaches

Abstract Site-directed mutagenesis allows the generation of mutant DNA sequences for downstream functional analysis of genetic variants involved in human health and disease. Understanding the mechanisms of different mutagenesis methods can help select the best approach for specific needs. We compared three different approaches for in vivo site-directed DNA mutagenesis that utilize a mutant single-stranded DNA oligonucleotide (ssODN) to target a wild type DNA sequence in the host Escherichia coli (E. coli). The first method, Mandecki, uses restriction nucleases to introduce a double stranded break (DSB) into a DNA sequence which needs to be denatured prior to co-transformation. The second method, recombineering (recombination-mediated genetic engineering), requires lambda red gene products and a mutant ssODN with homology arms of at least 20 nucleotides. In a third method described here for the first time, DNA gap repair, a mutant ssODN targets a DNA sequence containing a gap introduced by PCR. Unlike recombineering, both DNA gap repair and Mandecki can utilize homology arms as short as 10 nucleotides. DNA gap repair requires neither red gene products as recombineering nor DNA denaturation or nucleases as Mandecki, and unlike other methods is background-free. We conclude that Mandecki, recombineering, and DNA gap repair have at least partly different mechanisms, and that DNA gap repair provides a new, straightforward approach for effective site-directed mutagenesis.
Living Islamic Law: Women and Legal Culture in Marinid Morocco

Historical studies of Islamic legal systems have focused primarily on courts and prominent muftīs. My research shifts the focus to the community level, with particular attention to women and their relationships with male family members, drawing on cases from Fez and its environs under the Marinid dynasty from the mid-seventh/thirteenth to the mid-ninth/fifteenth century. I argue that people actively engaged with Islamic law in their daily lives and relationships, and that women had access to informal legal spaces that allowed them to influence the legal process, making interpretive decisions on issues where the Mālikī school accepted multiple opinions. Through an analysis of fatwās issued by Marinid jurists, I explore how communities and legal officials resolved contentious disputes, and how women used legal knowledge to participate in the legal process.
Abstract 11923: Perceived Discrimination and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Older African Americans: Insights From the Jackson Heart Study

Introduction: Perceived discrimination is known to play a role in the development of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors such as hypertension, but the association with CV outcomes is less clear. A rec...
Nutrient Retention Performance of a Crushed Limestone Floor Surface in a Bedded Hoop Barn with Confined Beef Cattle

Bedded confinement systems with partial concrete floors are increasingly being adopted by beef cattle feeders. The objective of this study was to determine the extent that manure nutrients moved into the soil below the geotextile fabric and packed limestone screenings floor of a bedded hoop barn used for beef cattle feeding at the ISU Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm. Soil samples were taken (shallow and deep) before construction in 2004 and in 2008 after 7 groups of cattle were fed. Although single samples before and after animal feeding cannot provide conclusive evidence of moisture or nutrient migration, comparison of the sample results confirm a trend consistent with slow migration of manure nutrients into the soil profile. Phosphorus, calcium and magnesium did not show consistent or major trends with time. Organic matter showed a consistent increasing trend in both shallow and deep samples. Shallow sampling showed a marked increase only in nitrate-nitrogen, from 1.51 ppm to 11.47 ppm. These results are consistent with measurable, but very slow migration of moisture and nutrients into the soil profile. Additional soil tests over time and performance of an infiltration ring study may give more conclusive answers in the future.
Acquired coarctation of the aorta

Coarctation of the aorta is usually caused by a congenital narrowing of the aorta. This report describes two children who developed hypertension secondary to an acquired coarctation of the aorta. In one patient the coarctation was temporally related to umbilical artery catheterization and was associated with thrombosis and aneurysmal dilatation of the aorta. In the second patient, the coarctation occurred after surgical aortotomy during the removal of an intrathoracic neuroblastoma. Patients who have interventional damage to the aorta should be periodically examined for the appearance of a coarctation. Although an acquired coarctation of the aorta is an infrequent complication of invasive or surgical procedures, it should be identified since it represents a remediable cause of hypertension in children.
Effect of modulation of the hostile tumor microenvironment through adoptive transfer of IL-12 expressing MUC-16 targeted T cells on ovarian tumors in vivo.

2586 Background: T cells may be genetically modified to recognize tumor associated antigens (TAAs) through the introduction of genes encoding artificial T cell receptors termed chimeric antigen rec...
Monarch, Lackey, or Judge?

however, they never do. At one or two points in his remarks, Frankel even appears to disagree with me, but perhaps he has me mixed up with someone else. Truly, I do not blame sentencing guidelines for plea bargaining, for the severity revolution of the past fifteen years, or for mandatory minimum sentences. Those things can be found in jurisdictions with sentencing guidelines and in jurisdictions without them. My claims have been more limited-principally that a policy of restricting judicial but not prosecutorial discretion is incoherent. All of Frankel's objections to judicial sentencing discretion apply in full measure to the discretion that prosecutors and defense attorneys exercise in plea bargaining. A policy that restricts the discretion of judges but not prosecutors cannot notably advance the goal of greater certainty in sentencing. Such a policy concentrates discretion in the hands of a single official and tends to make the benefits of discretion available only to defendants who abandon the right to trial. Again, my objection is not that guidelines increase the amount of plea bargaining-something that would seem nearly impossible when ninety-three percent of all state felony convictions are by guilty plea. 2 It is that when guidelines ignore the most important part of the sentencing process, they cannot accomplish their goal. Moreover, even when the amount of plea bargaining remains the same, guidelines may enhance the power of prosecutors to deter-' mine sentences. For many defendants, the entry of a guilty plea is virtually a foregone conclusion, and guidelines may leave only the prosecutor in a position to give these defendants a break. The overall enhancement of prosecutorial power does depend, however, on the severity of the guidelines.'
Estimating short- and long-term reference change values and index of individuality for tests of platelet function.

Abstract Background In order to manage risks of bleeding and thrombosis after some surgical procedures, platelet function is often measured repeatedly over days or weeks using laboratory tests of platelet function. To interpret test results in the perioperative period, it is necessary to understand analytical, biological and between-person variation. Methods We collected three separate blood specimens from 16 healthy volunteers on the first study day, and one additional specimen from each volunteer 1, 2, and 3 months later. Arachidonic acid-induced and adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet function were measured in duplicate by whole blood impedance aggregometry using Multiplate (ASPI/ADP tests) and VerifyNow (Aspirin Reaction Units [ARU] and P2Y12 Reaction Units [PRU]). The analytical variation (CVA), within-subject variation (CVI), between-subject variation (CVG), index of individuality (II), and reference change values (RCV) were calculated. Results VerifyNow ARU demonstrated the smallest short-term and long-term variability (CVA, CVI, and CVG ~1%), resulting in short- and long-term RCV values 5%) and CVI (3.9–13.1%). VerifyNow PRU had a lower RCV than Multiplate ADP; but was the only test with II Conclusions VerifyNow ARU results can be interpreted relative to a fixed cut-off or population-based reference interval; or relative to small changes in an individual’s previous values. VerifyNow PRU and Multiplate ASPI and ADP tests should only be interpreted based upon relative change; and can only distinguish relatively large (>23%) changes over several weeks.
Novel detector solutions for diffuse correlation spectroscopy at 1064 nm (Conference Presentation)

Our team has recently shown the SNR and depth-sensitivity advantages of using 1064 nm light for diffuse correlation spectroscopy as well as the challenges of commercially available single-photon detectors at this wavelength. We will review two strategies for custom readout integrated circuit designs that simultaneously target lower pixel dead times and lower afterpulsing probabilities. Both designs use macropixels comprising many detectors, each having a programmable hold-off time. We will compare simulated autocorrelations for our detector models and compare predicted performance against commercial InGaAs/InP detectors.
Accurate electromagnetic full -wave modeling for interconnects in semiconductor integrated circuits

Semiconductor-based integrated circuits have become the mainstream for very-large-scale integration systems such as high-speed digital circuits, radio-frequency integrated circuits, and even monolithic microwave integrated circuits. The shrinking feature size and increasing frequency promote high integration density and interconnection complexity that demand highaccuracy modeling techniques. The current design paradigm has shifted from the transistordriven design to the interconnect-driven design. Thus the accurate electromagnetic full-wave modeling of on-chip interconnect becomes critical for the computer-aided design tools to analyze the overall system performance. In this research, the full-wave spectral domain approach is implemented to investigate the electromagnetic properties of multilayered transmission lines with semiconductor substrates. In particular, finite thin metallization components, such as the thin metal ground layer and signal strips, are focused on. The thin metal ground layer is generally designed as a shield or a ground plane to depress the coupling and noise from neighboring components. But its fabricated thickness is often a small fraction of one micron, which may allow electromagnetic fields to penetrate through at some low frequencies. Such electromagnetic leakage phenomena play a significant role in the overall dispersive performance of transmission lines, and their consideration is inevitable. For the spectral domain approach, the metallization layer can be rigorously modeled as a dielectric with a complex permittivity. However, due to the large conductivity of metal, the conventional transfer matrix method has potential overflow problems in obtaining the multilayered Green’s function. In our research, a new formulation of the cascaded matrix is developed to overcome such numerical difficulties. Based on this formulation, the complete character-
Chapter 25 – The Pharmacy Profession

This chapter describes the history of the pharmacy profession and its governance. The chapter explains how the profession is regulated and the disciplinary process in cases of professional misconduct. The standards of professional conduct are considered, with sections on contemporary issues such as internet pharmacy, prescription fraud and forged prescriptions.
Association mapping of resistance to emerging stem rust pathogen races in spring wheat using genotyping-by-sequencing

The identification and characterization of resistance genes should outpace the rapid emergence of new P. graminis f. sp. tritici races, such as TTRTF and TTKTT, to mitigate stem rust damage to wheat. The objective of the current study was to identify and characterize P. graminis f. sp. tritici race resistance association signals. A total of 250 North American spring wheat lines were evaluated at the seedling stage with a total of seven isolates including TKKTP, TKTTF, TKTTF, TRTTF, TTRTF, TTKSK, and TTKTT. The lines were genotyped by a GBS platform and 9,042 SNPs were used for identification of chromosome regions associated with resistance against the seven isolates. Strong association signals were detected on chromosomes 6BL (Sr11 gene region) and 4AL, likely Sr7a, for resistance against both TKKTP and TKTTF. Similarly, association signals were also detected on chromosomes 4AL (race TTRTF resistance) and 4BS (race TTKSK and TTKTT resistance). Association analysis based on mean phenotypic differences between closely related isolates identified QTL that were not elucidated by direct association mapping of the responses, individually. Overall, with the exception of race TRTTF, each race shared at least one association signal with another race. However, the number of race-specific association signals are larger than that of association signals common among races suggesting the need for identifying and characterizing QTL/genes for newly emerging stem rust pathogen races. There was also high concordance between PCA-based GWAS association signals and association signals from that of both single and multi-locus mixed models.
Outlier concepts auditing methodology for a large family of biomedical ontologies

Summarization networks are compact summaries of ontologies. The “Big Picture” view offered by summarization networks enables to identify sets of concepts that are more likely to have errors than control concepts. For ontologies that have outgoing lateral relationships, we have developed the "partial-area taxonomy" summarization network. Prior research has identified one kind of outlier concepts, concepts of small partials-areas within partial-area taxonomies. Previously we have shown that the small partial-area technique works successfully for four ontologies (or their hierarchies). To improve the Quality Assurance (QA) scalability, a family-based QA framework, where one QA technique is potentially applicable to a whole family of ontologies with similar structural features, was developed. The 373 ontologies hosted at the NCBO BioPortal in 2015 were classified into a collection of families based on structural features. A meta-ontology represents this family collection, including one family of ontologies having outgoing lateral relationships. The process of updating the current meta-ontology is described. To conclude that one QA technique is applicable for at least half of the members for a family F, this technique should be demonstrated as successful for six out of six ontologies in F. We describe a hypothesis setting the condition required for a technique to be successful for a given ontology. The process of a study to demonstrate such success is described. This paper intends to prove the scalability of the small partial-area technique. We first updated the meta-ontology classifying 566 BioPortal ontologies. There were 371 ontologies in the family with outgoing lateral relationships. We demonstrated the success of the small partial-area technique for two ontology hierarchies which belong to this family, SNOMED CT’s Specimen hierarchy and NCIt’s Gene hierarchy. Together with the four previous ontologies from the same family, we fulfilled the “six out of six” condition required to show the scalability for the whole family. We have shown that the small partial-area technique can be potentially successful for the family of ontologies with outgoing lateral relationships in BioPortal, thus improve the scalability of this QA technique.
Error Analysis for Approximate Structural Life-cycle Reliability and risk using machine learning methods

Abstract Life-cycle management under uncertainty relies on the determination of life-cycle failure probability and risk. Usually, both life-cycle failure probability and risk are approximated by adding up the annual quantities during the service life of a structure. This approximation is based on the assumptions of (a) low annual failure probabilities and (b) independence of annual failure events. As a structure continuously deteriorates over time, both assumptions are likely to be violated. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the error associated with this approximation so that the downstream management decisions such as inspection planning and maintenance optimization can be well grounded. In this paper, the error of approximate life-cycle failure probability and risk is analyzed considering different distribution types of structural capacity and demand as well as various deterioration mechanisms. Several machine learning methods are used for this purpose. Specifically, conditions under which the error is acceptable are identified in qualitative analysis using patient rule-induction method (PRIM). Quantitative error analysis based on polynomial and support vector regression is conducted to develop error correction techniques suitable for life-cycle analysis and management. The results of the error analysis are applied in the life-cycle analysis of a deteriorating structure to demonstrate the magnitude of approximation error and the importance of error correction.
How Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward Clarified Corporate Law

The U.S. Supreme Court decided Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward (17 U.S. 4 Wheat 518) in 1819, just as the corporate form of organization was rapidly becoming the preferred legal form for organizing and carrying out a wide range of business activities. The case is most widely-known for its decision that the charter by which the privately-funded eleemosynary institution – Dartmouth College – was founded constituted a “contract” between the state and the founders, thereby bringing it within the jurisdiction and protection of the “Contract Clause” of U.S. Constitution which provides that “No state shall pass any Law impairing the obligation of contracts” (U. S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 10). But the case was arguably more important for clarifying and settling a critical question about the corporate form: it confirmed, unequivocally, that for an “association” to receive the special privileges available to corporations, it must have a government-issued charter. Those privileges include separate entity status, which was especially important for receiving, holding and transferring land, for continuity in contracting, for clear lines of succession, and for litigation to enforce contracts. Prior to this case, courts in the U.S. struggled with deciding what rules to apply to a variety of voluntary associations that lacked government-issued charters.
Breakaway Americas: The Unmanifest Future of the Jacksonian United States

The Lewis and Clark expedition made Americans realize an entire continent lay just beyond the country’s borders, waiting to be incorporated into the United States. In 1845, John L. O’Sullivan told ...
The Precellular, or Simple Interacting Systems, Level (Stage III)

Although in certain aspects of the prebiotic synthesis and polymerization of life’s basic biochemical ingredients some problems still resist satisfactory solution, the number and diversity of procedures that have been successful promise that at least some portions of the theories proposed do approach reality. Nor should there be any real concern over which specific pathway was the one that had been followed exclusively on the primitive earth, for several, or even many, different processes may have been active during the billion or more years which the early stages seem to have occupied.
Black Markets: The Supply and Demand of Body Parts

1. Introduction Part I: 2. Institutional supply and demand 3. Nuances, judicial authority, and legal limits of altruism 4. Equal opportunity rationing: racial and economic disparities Part II. Legal Frameworks and Alternatives: 5. The legal process of procurement and allocation: regulatory frame 6. Presumed consent 7. Commodification Part III: 8. Tissue sales: an African American predicament?: critiquing the slavery and black body market comparison 9. The private and public financial transaction in tissue transplantation 10. African Americans and organ sales 11. Conclusion.
Cholic Acid Synthesis from 26-Hydroxycholesterol and 3-Hydroxy-5-cholestenoic Acid in the Rabbit *

Intravenous administration of 26-hydroxycholesterol to the rabbit with a bile fistula yielded cholic acid in proportions (84 and 86%) not significantly different from that derived from cholesterol. By contrast, the naturally occurring C27 bile acid 3 β-hydroxy-5-cholestenoic acid yielded not more than 8% cholic acid. Thus initial 26-hydroxylation of cholesterol followed by 7-α-hydroxylation can provide sufficient amounts of cholic acid to be considered a quantitatively significant pathway for bile acid synthesis, and in addition it is the only pathway that can be the source of the circulating levels of C24 and C27 monohydroxy bile acids.
A Methodology for Improving the Investment Portfolio Management Process for the Homeland Security Department using Quality Function Deployment

In this paper, we describe a methodology for improving homeland security investment decisions. The objective is to evaluate multitechnology, multiyear investment choices and the associated development and deployment risks associated with new technologies. The budgeting process in the Homeland Security Department is a complex multicriteria decision problem involving a distributed network of decision makers with diverse areas of expertise. The decision problem in Homeland Security involves game-theoretic aspects as the terrorists are likely to alter their strategies depending on the defensive counter measures selected in the budget. We propose a two-phased systems approach. The first phase employs a visualization tool based on Quality Function Deployment to develop an initial budget allocation. The second phase involves an iterative approach to project selection that dynamically adjusts the investment portfolio based on anticipated reactions taken by the terrorists. This paper is based on a study done as part of a research project for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). We present a high-level view of the methodology and illustrate it with examples.
Appendix S: Spectrum Analysis

This appendix contains sections titled: Spectrums The Spectrum Analyzer The Window Function Density and Discrete Spurs Control Parameters Frequency Conversion in an Analyzer Displaying L, FPSD, and PPSD Spectral Overlaps Anomalous Spurs
Comparing random starts local search with key feature matching

A new variant on key feature object recognition is presented. It is applied to optimal matching problems involving 2D line segment models and data. A single criterion function ranks both key features and complete object model matches. Empirical studies suggest that the key feature algorithm has run times which are dramatically less than a more general random starts local search algorithm. However, they also show the key feature algorithm to be brittle: failing on some apparently simple problems, while local search appears to be robust.
Treatment Planning in Dentistry

Part I: The Treatment Planning Process 1. Information Gathering and Diagnosis Development 2. Assessment of Risk, Prognosis, and Expected Outcomes of Treatment 3. Developing the Treatment Plan 4. Ethical and Legal Issues in Treatment Planning Part II: Phases of the Treatment Plan 5. The Systemic Phase of Treatment 6. The Acute Phase of Treatment 7. The Disease Control Phase of Treatment 8. The Definitive Phase of Treatment 9. The Maintenance Phase of Care Part III: Planning Treatment for Patients with Special Needs 10. Treatment Planning for the Special Care/Special Needs Patient 11. Treatment Planning for Smokers and Patients with Oral Cancer 12. Treatment Planning for the Alcohol and Substance Abuser 13. The Anxious or Fearful Dental Patient 14. Managing the Patient with Psychological Problems 15. The Adolescent Patient 16. The Geriatric Patient 17. The Motivationally or Financially Impaired Patient
Galactic Dust Distribution in the Solar Neighborhood

Using the Shklovsky-Minkowski-Aller constant mass method of distances to planetary nebulae, a model of the Galactic dust distribution in the vicinity of the Sun has been determined. Distances are determined in part from extinctions derived from radio continuum to H β flux ratios for an assumed electron temperature of 7000 K. The distance scale is based on the brightness of planetary nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds (Seaton, 1968).
Tissue-specific expression of beta-galactoside alpha-2,6-sialyltransferase. Transcript heterogeneity predicts a divergent polypeptide.

The β-galactoside α-2,6-sialyItransferase represents a member of a family of sialyltransferases which catalyze the terminal addition of sialic acid to maturing carbohydrate chains. We surveyed rat tissues using cDNA probes complementary to coding and noncoding domains of the rat liver α-2,6-sialyltransferase. In addition to the expected differences in the level of sialyltransferase mRNA among the tissues, there were dramatic qualitative differences as well. Hepatic sialyltransferase probes hybridize to mRNAs of varying size on Northern blots. A tissue-dependent pattern of expression of these transcripts is documented. Evidence is presented that the multiple transcripts are generated from a common gene sequence. At least one instance of alternate splicing in the generation of the kidney sialytransferase transcripts is predicted by S1 nuclease analysis. We report the isolation of a rat kidney cDNA clone, RKA, that substantiates this tissuespecific alternate splicing event. The RKA insert, although less than full-length, apparently encodes a polypeptide divergent from the reported hepatic α-2,6-sialyltransferase (1). RNA blot analysis indicates that the RKA-type transcripts represent a significant proportion of sialyltransferase RNA in rat kidney. Another class of kidney cDNA clones, RKE, is colinear with the hepatic sialyltransferase sequence. RNA blots probed for the divergent and common regions suggest that complex processing pathways are operative in the tissue-specific expression of sialyltransferase mRNA.
Ultrashort TE T1ρ magic angle imaging

An ultrashort TE T(1)ρ sequence was used to measure T(1) ρ of the goat posterior cruciate ligament (n = 1) and human Achilles tendon specimens (n = 6) at a series of angles relative to the B(0) field and spin-lock field strengths to investigate the contribution of dipole-dipole interaction to T(1)ρ relaxation. Preliminary results showed a significant magic angle effect. T(1)ρ of the posterior cruciate ligament increased from 6.9 ± 1.3 ms at 0° to 36 ± 5 ms at 55° and then gradually reduced to 12 ± 3 ms at 90°. Mean T(1)ρ of the Achilles tendon increased from 5.5 ± 2.2 ms at 0° to 40 ± 5 ms at 55°. T(1)ρ dispersion study showed a significant T(1)ρ increase from 2.3 ± 0.9 ms to 11 ± 3 ms at 0° as the spin-lock field strength increased from 150 Hz to 1 kHz, and from 30 ± 3 ms to 42 ± 4 ms at 55° as the spin-lock field strength increased from 100 to 500 Hz. These results suggest that dipolar interaction is the dominant T(1)ρ relaxation mechanism in tendons and ligaments.
T cell cross-reactivity to self peptide:MHCII shapes the foreign peptide: MHCII-specific CD4+ T cell repertoire (APP2P.112)

The sizes of naive CD4+ T cell populations specific for different foreign peptide:major histocompatibility complex II (p:MHCII) ligands vary by several orders of magnitude. This variability is biologically significant because large naive populations generate more effector cells during an immune response than small ones. We hypothesized that the size of a given foreign p:MHCII-specific population is influenced by negative selection due to cross-reactivity between the foreign peptide and self peptides. We found that the frequency of naive T cells specific for a given foreign p:MHCII ligand was inversely related to the number of self peptides predicted to bind MHCII and sharing 4 TCR contact amino acids with the foreign peptide. In addition, foreign p:MHCII-specific populations that were very small in normal mice were preferentially increased in mice with defective negative selection. Furthermore, gene-targeted mice lacking individual self peptides predicted to be involved in negative selection showed increased responsiveness to cross-reactive foreign peptides. These results suggest that immunodominant foreign peptides have this property because the corresponding naive CD4+ T cell population has been subjected to minimal negative selection on cross-reactive self peptides.
Studying early time HWCVD growth of a-Si:H by real time spectroscopic ellipsometry

Abstract We have applied real time spectroscopic ellipsometry and secondary ion mass spectrometry to study the growth of amorphous silicon by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition. Differences in temperature and hydrogen content affect the optical properties of the film. These effects provide valuable insight into the growth process. We have compared a-Si:H films grown at two different temperatures to better understand these effects. Our studies reveal the presence of a distinct 100–200-thick layer at the top of the growing film. The properties of this layer are primarily determined by the ambient conditions in the growth chamber and appear relatively independent of substrate temperature. In contrast, the properties of the bulk of the film are strongly influenced by substrate temperature. These results imply that differences in film properties associated with substrate temperature are the result of subsurface reconstruction and diffusion processes.
Optical oscillator strengths for C iv and N v

Optical oscillator strengths for excitations from the valence subshell of C iv and N v are calculated using a semiempirical approach. Good agreement with experimental data is obtained.
Absolute cross sections for electron-impact single ionization of Neq+ (q=2,4-6) ions.

Absolute total cross sections for electron-impact single ionization of ${\mathrm{Ne}}^{\mathit{q}+}$ (q=2,4--6) ions have been measured using a crossed-beams technique from below the ground-state ionization threshold to 800 eV with typical total uncertainties near the peak of the cross sections ranging from 9% for ${\mathrm{Ne}}^{2+}$ to 13% for ${\mathrm{Ne}}^{6+}$. Details of the apparatus and experimental procedures used in this study are presented along with a discussion of the experimental uncertainties. The measured cross sections for all four ions are dominated by direct ionization and are in excellent agreement with the Lotz semiempirical formula. Ionization rate coefficients and fitting parameters calculated from the measured cross sections are also reported. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Evaluation of the prebiotic GroBiotic®-A and brewers yeast as dietary supplements for sub-adult hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops×M. saxatilis) challenged in situ with Mycobacterium marinum

Dietary supplements such as immunostimulants and prebiotics hold promise as a potential replacement of antibiotics in maintaining fish health. A 21-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the commercial prebiotic GroBiotic®-A, a mixture of partially autolyzed brewers yeast, dairy ingredient components and dried fermentation products, in the diet of hybrid striped bass exposed to chronic mycobacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium marinum, as compared to partially autolyzed brewers yeast (Brewtech®). The basal diet was formulated to contain 40% protein, 10% lipid and an estimated digestible energy level of 3.5 kcal/g. Supplements of 1 or 2% brewers yeast and 2% GroBiotic®-A were singularly added to the basal diet and each diet was manufactured by extrusion processing with a twin-screw extruder. Each diet was fed to three replicate groups of small (initially averaging 64.5 g/fish) and one group of large (initially averaging 118 g/fish) hybrid striped bass in 1187-l circular tanks operated as a recirculating system. Fish were fed twice daily to apparent satiation and growth performance monitored for 16 weeks. An in situ infection of M. marinum became well established at week 16 such that fish were fed once daily and mortality was monitored for a total of 21 weeks. Enhanced growth performance was generally observed in fish fed diets supplemented with GroBiotic®-A or brewers yeast compared to fish fed the basal diet throughout the feeding trial with significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced weight gain observed after 12 weeks of feeding. At the end of the feeding trial, fish fed 2% brewers yeast had significantly higher feed efficiency than fish fed the other diets. The in situ mycobacterial challenge employed in this experiment resulted in overall cumulative mortality of approximately 25%. Fish fed 2% GroBiotic®-A had a significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced survival (80%) compared to the other treatments (72–73%) at the end of 21 weeks. It is concluded that dietary supplementation of 2% GroBiotic®-A showed moderate but significant (P < 0.05) protection against mycobacterial infection. Dietary supplementation of partially autolyzed brewers yeast also may enhance growth performance under chronic infection of mycobacteria.
Factor Analysis of Importance of Teacher Initial Certification Test Competency Ratings by Practicing Florida Teachers

As part of a job analysis of teaching conducted for the validation of a battery of initial certification subject area tests, 320 practicing Florida elementary teachers rated statements of teacher knowledge and skill for their importance in certification. A factor analysis of these ratings revealed a correlated configuration of factors: general knowledge and skills of teaching; subject-specific knowledge; theory of curriculum, pedagogy, and psychology; applied educational diagnosis and the maximization of achievement; and the professionalism of teaching. The factor structure obtained from the teachers' ratings was conceptually similar to the test blueprint produced by the examination development committee.
Anemia of Inflammation

Inflammation arising from various etiologies, including infection, autoimmune disorders, chronic diseases, and aging, can promote anemia. The anemia of inflammation (AI) is most often normocytic and normochromic and is usually mild. Characteristic changes in systemic iron handling, erythrocyte production, and erythrocyte life span all contribute to AI. The preferred treatment is directed at the underlying disease. However, when the inflammatory insult is intractable, or the cause has not been diagnosed, there are limited options for treatment of AI. Because anemia is a comorbid condition that is associated with poor outcomes in various chronic disease states, understanding its pathogenesis and developing new tools for its treatment should remain a priority. Hepcidin antimicrobial peptide has taken center stage in recent years as a potent modulator of iron availability. As the technology for quantitative hepcidin analysis improves, hepcidin's role in various disease states is also being revealed. Recent insights concerning the regulatory pathways that modify hepcidin expression have identified novel targets for drug development. As the field advances with such therapeutics, the analysis of the impact of normalized hemoglobin on disease outcomes will confirm whether anemia is a reversible independent contributor to the morbidity and mortality associated with inflammatory diseases.
Pet Ownership Among Homeless Youth: Associations with Mental Health, Service Utilization and Housing Status

As many as 25 % of homeless persons have pets. To our knowledge, pet ownership has not been studied quantitatively with homeless youth. This study examined pet ownership among 398 homeless youth utilizing two Los Angeles drop-in centers. Twenty-three percent of homeless youth had a pet. The majority of pet owners reported that their pets kept them company and made them feel loved; nearly half reported that their pets made it more difficult to stay in a shelter. Pet owners reported fewer symptoms of depression and loneliness than their non-pet owning peers. Pet ownership was associated with decreased utilization of housing and job-finding services, and decreased likelihood of currently staying in a shelter. These findings elucidate many of the positive benefits of pet ownership for homeless youth, but importantly highlight that pet ownership may negatively impact housing options. Housing and other services must be sensitive to the needs of homeless youth with pets.
Using mice to model Alzheimer's dementia: an overview of the clinical disease and the preclinical behavioral changes in 10 mouse models.

The goal of this review is to discuss how behavioral tests in mice relate to the pathological and neuropsychological features seen in human Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and present a comprehensive analysis of the temporal progression of behavioral impairments in commonly used AD mouse models that contain mutations in amyloid precursor protein. We provide a brief overview of neuropathological changes seen in AD brain, and some of the clinical neuropsychological assessments used to measure cognitive deficits. This is followed by a critical assessment of behavioral tasks that are used in AD mice to model the cognitive changes seen in humans. Behavioral tests discussed include spatial memory tests (Morris water maze, radial arm water maze, Barnes maze), associative learning tasks (passive avoidance, fear conditioning), alternation tasks (Y-Maze/T-Maze), recognition memory tasks (Novel Object Recognition), attentional tasks (3 & 5 choice serial reaction time), set-shifting tasks, and reversal learning tasks. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each of these tests, and how they may correlate with clinical assessments in humans. Finally, the temporal progression of both cognitive and non-cognitive deficits in ten AD mouse models (PDAPP, TG2576, APP23, TgCRND8, J20, APP/PS1, TG2576 + PS1(M146L), APP/PS1 KI, 5xFAD and 3xTg-AD) are discussed. Mouse models of AD and the behavioral tasks used in conjunction with those models are immensely important in contributing to our knowledge of disease progression, and are useful tools to study AD pathophysiology and the resulting cognitive deficits. However, investigators need to be aware of the potential weaknesses of the available preclinical models in terms of their ability to model cognitive changes observed in human AD. It is our hope that this review will assist investigators in selecting an appropriate mouse model, and accompanying behavioral paradigms to investigate different aspects of AD pathology and disease progression.
Physiological studies on pea tendrils. XII. Effects of temperature on contact coiling and uncoiling

When excised tendrils of pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Alaska 2B) are mechanically perturbed and allowed to coil at different constant temperatures, the greatest amount of coiling occurs between 27°C and 33°C. Coiling of tendrils continues for about 2 h after mechanical perturbation at which time uncoiling usually begins. The temperature at which the rate of uncoiling is greatest appears to be influenced, at least in part, by the temperature at which the tendrils coiled. For example, when tendrils coil at 20°C their rate of uncoiling at 20°C is less than if they had coiled at 23°C. Estimated activation energies for the uncoiling process are greater than for coiling, with 35 J/mol × s and 97 J/mol × s for uncoiling in the temperature ranges 18°C to 23°C and 10°C to 18°C, respectively. The estimated activation energy for coiling is 5.4 J/mol × s. It is suggested that the process of tendril uncoiling, as well as tendril coiling, might be an active, energy requiring process. When mechanically perturbed tendrils are placed in the cold (5°C) they do not coil. But this interruption of the coiling process with a cold (5°C) treatment, either immediately after mechanical perturbation or after coiling has begun, does not prevent coiling from continuing after tendrils are again given a more suitable temperature. It is concluded that the cessation of coiling during the cold period may be due to a slowdown in metabolism. It is suggested that there may be a factor which is responsible for the motor response and which is retained during the cold treatment.
Use of the Soft-Sphere Equation of State to predict the thermodynamic properties of the molten salt mixtures LiF–BeF2, NaF–BeF2, and KF–BeF2

Abstract A Soft-Sphere Equation of State for the calculation of the thermodynamic properties of molten fluoride salt mixtures is presented. The mixtures considered were binary mixtures of beryllium difluoride (BeF2) and alkali fluorides, which include lithium fluoride (LiF), sodium fluoride (NaF), and potassium fluoride (KF). The parameters of the Equation of State were determined by multi-property non-linear regression between experimental data and values calculated from the equation. A mixing rule was developed to represent the thermodynamic properties of the binary mixtures. The correlations are valid in the liquid phase for temperatures ranging from 550 K to about 1200 K, depending on the salt. Comparison of the experimental data to values calculated from the correlations indicates that densities can be calculated to within ±4%, enthalpies within ±5%, and heat capacities within ±6%.