cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-Performance Tracking with TRICLOPS

This article reviews the development of experimental visual tracking algorithms which have been implemented using TRICLOPS (The Real-time, Intelligently-ControLled Optical Positioning System), a high-performance active vision system designed and built at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). These algorithms range from triangulation using simple targets for very high-speed tracking, to model-based techniques which allow robust tracking of polyhedral targets amidst cluttered backgrounds. In all cases, effective prediction of the target motion to compensate for image processing delays is critical to achieving responsive tracking.
Very-long-baseline interferometry experiments

VLB observations have been made at many wavelengths from 2.8 to 270 cm. The highest resolution was obtained on the Greenbank-Crimea baseline, 2.9 x 10^8 wavelengths long at 2.8 cm on which two quasars showed interference fringes. The observations between Goldstone, California and Canberra, Australia (8.1 x 10^7 wavelengths at 13 cm) were the most sensitive, with a minimum detectable flux of 0.3 f.u. These gave fringes on 56 sources, and there are sufficient data to calibrate the interferometer and derive accurate positions, based on time delay and fringe rate. Typical accuracy is two seconds of arc. At 270 cm observations were made on the baselines Owens Valley-Greenbank-Arecibo. Three sources showed fringes. Preliminary values for the diameters are in rough agreement with values expected from the theory of interstellar scintillations.
Biochemical and molecular analysis of phospholipase C and phospholipase D activity in mycobacteria.

Resurgence of mycobacterial infections in the United States has led to an intense effort to identify potential virulence determinants in the genus Mycobacterium, particularly ones that would be associated with the more virulent species (e.g., Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) using radiolabeled phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin as substrates indicated that cell extracts of M. tuberculosis contain both phospholipase C (PLC) and phospholipase D (PLD) activities. In contrast, only PLD activity was detected in cell extracts of M. smegmatis. Neither activity was detected in cell-free culture supernatants from these organisms. We and others recently identified two open reading frames in M. tuberculosis with the potential to encode proteins which are highly homologous to the nonhemolytic (PlcN) and hemolytic (PlcH) phospholipase C enzymes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In contrast to the plc genes in P. aeruginosa, which are considerably distal to each other (min 34 and 64 on the chromosome), the mycobacterial genes, designated mpcA and mpcB, are tandemly arranged in the same relative orientation and separated by only 191 bp. Both the mpcA and the mpcB genes were individually cloned in M. smegmatis, and PLC activity was expressed from each gene in this organism. Hybridization experiments using the mpcA and the mpcB genes as probes under conditions of moderate stringency identified sequences homologous to these genes in M. bovis, M. bovis BCG, and M. marinum but not in several other Mycobacterium species, including M. smegmatis, M. avium, and M. intracellulare. TLC analysis using radiolabeled substrates indicated that M. bovis and M. marinum cell extracts contain PLC and PLD activities, but only PLD activity was detected in M. bovis BCG cell extracts. Sphingomyelinase activity was also detected in whole-cell extracts of M. tuberculosis, M. marinum, M. bovis, and M. bovis BCG, but this activity was not detected in extracts of M. smegmatis. Sphingomyelinase activity was detected in cell extracts from M. smegmatis harboring either recombinant mpcA or mpcB. These data indicate that PLC and sphingomyelinase activities are associated with the most virulent mycobacterial species, while PLD activity was detected in both virulent and saprophytic strains.
Connectivity and dynamic function in the brain

We wish to investigate the complex temporal dynamics of spatially distributed, highly interconnected brain regions, but available methods do not measure all relevant aspects of the system. We must take a convergent multidisciplinary approach, employing multiple methods and defining the relationships between disparate methods. Having measured multiple properties of the system, we seek to understand the functional relevance of observed spatial and temporal patterns of activity through analytical methods, descriptive modeling and ultimately, theoretical modeling. Functional MRI studies can identify active regions - the nodes of the distributed networks that comprise functional brain systems. Coupled with new techniques for investigating and modeling human anatomical connectivity in vivo, these methods allow us to define the functional architecture of human cognition. Human electrophysiological techniques (e.g. MEG and EEG) allow us to investigate activity on millisecond time scales not routinely accessible with fMRI. However, temporal coding can take many forms and should not be considered solely in terms of discrete activation at specific anatomical nodes in the system. The challenges for modeling these macroscopic data are formidable.
Trauma as Durational Performance

Pedro Matta, a tall, strong man walked up to us when we arrived at the unassuming side entrance to Villa Grimaldi, a former torture and extermination camp on the outskirts of Santiago de Chile. He is a survivor who twice a month or so gives a guided visit to people who want to know about the site. He says hello to Soledad Fallabella and Alejandro Gruman, colleagues of mine in Chile who thought, given my work with human rights groups in Argentina, that I would be interested in meeting Matta.2 He greets me and hands me the English version of a book he has written: A Walk Through a 20th Century Torture Center: Villa Grimaldi, A Visitor’s Guide. I tell him that I am from Mexico and speak Spanish. “Ah,” he says focusing on me, “Taylor, I just assumed…” The four of us walk into the compound. I hold the booklet and my camera – Alejandro holds my digital tape recorder. I’ve come prepared for my “visit.”
Substance misuse, emotional disturbance, and dual diagnosis in a meal-line population of mixed ethnicity.

This study investigated the rates of severe substance misuse, severe emotional disturbance, and dual diagnosis in a meal-line population of mixed ethnicity, 75% of whom were homeless and the remain...
The effects of feeding rate on reproductive success in the zebra finch, Tæniopygia guttata

Abstract The critical assumption of optimal foraging theory is that foragers with high net rates of energy gain have higher fitness than foragers with low net rates of energy gain. To test this assumption 60 pairs of zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata, were randomly assigned to four experimental treatments in which their rate of energy gain was altered by increasing search time, without changing the amount of food available or the amount of food consumed. Reproductive success was monitored for the lifetime of the birds. Reproductive success decreased as the net rate of energy gain decreased. Decreased reproductive success was caused by a small decrease in brood size, an increase in the time intervals between broods, and increased adult mortality. The result that reproductive success is positively correlated with the rate of energy gain while foraging supports the prevalent use of energy measurements to predict fitness.
Detailed Modeling of Low-Temperature Propane Oxidation: 1. The Role of the Propyl + O2 Reaction

Accurate description of reactions between propyl radicals and molecular oxygen is an essential prerequisite for modeling of low-temperature propane oxidation because their multiple reaction pathways either accelerate the oxidation process via chain branching or inhibit it by forming relatively stable products. The CBS-QB3 level of theory was used to construct potential energy surfaces for n-C3H7 + O2 and i-C3H7 + O2. High-pressure rate constants were calculated using transition state theory with corrections for tunneling and hindered rotations. These results were used to derive pressure- and temperature-dependent rate constants for the various channels of these reactions under the framework of the Quantum Rice—Ramsperger—Kassel (QRRK) and the modified strong collision (MSC) theories. This procedure resulted in a thermodynamically consistent C3H7 + O2 submechanism, which was either used directly or as part of a larger extended detailed kinetic mechanism to predict the loss of propyl and the product yields ...
Classification of BG for groups with dihedral or quarternion Sylow 2-subgroups

Abstract A classification is given of the stable homotopy type of BG for all groups cited in the title. This includes a complete stable decomposition of BG into indecomposable summands and a description of the corresponding mod-2 cohomology rings. Examples are given which show that all the resulting possibilities do, in fact, occur. Corresponding results are also given for the semidihedral groups.
Fishing for Identity: Mercury Contamination and Fish Consumption Among Indigenous Groups in the United States

Mercury contamination of local fish stocks has become an escalating problem in the United States. Federal and state governments increasingly have issued fish consumption advisories to warn individu...
INHIBITION OF CALCIUM TRANSPORT IN MUSCLE GRANULES BY OLIGOMYCIN.

Abstract In recent studies on ion transport in mitochondria (1,2) oligomycin has been shown to inhibit calcium transport under conditions in which ATP, rather then electron transport, provides energy for the process. Active transport of calcium is totally dependent upon the presence of ATP in isolated granules composed of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum, and an effect of oligomycin was sought on this system in the belief that some of the basic features of the calcium transport process might be common to both systems.
DNA-Protein relations during microsporogenesis of Tradescantia.

1. The morphology of gametogenesis in Tradescantia paludosa is reviewed. 2. Microscopic photometric measurements indicate (a) a progressive increase in DNA content from the time of tetrad formation until microspore mitosis; (b) there is equipartition of DNA between generative and vegetative nuclei; (c) that there is a further increase in DNA content of the vegetative nucleus prior to anthesis, although it is not possible to measure DNA content in the generative nucleus at this stage; (d) that the pollen nuclei initially contain the diploid amount of DNA in a haploid set of chromosomes; and (e) there is very good agreement between the results of the present work and microchemical findings published elsewhere by Ogur and co-workers (1951). 3. A similar cycle obtains in the case of the proteins; the rate of synthesis during development is however much faster than in the case of the DNA. The data also indicate a rapid synthesis of protein by the vegetative nucleus immediately following the microspore division. Also there appears to be a correlation between the onset of cytoplasmic basophilia and the decrease in volume of the vegetative nucleus (presumably loss of protein), just prior to anthesis. 4 Observations on acid and basic staining reactions are discussed in relation to growth and differentiation of the microspore and pollen grain.
Toward a generic real-time compression correction framework for tracked ultrasound

Tissue compression during ultrasound imaging leads to error in the location and geometry of subsurface targets during soft tissue interventions. We present a novel compression correction method, which models a generic block of tissue and its subsurface tissue displacements resulting from application of a probe to the tissue surface. The advantages of the new method are that it can be realized independent of preoperative imaging data and is capable of near-video framerate compression compensation for real-time guidance. The block model is calibrated to the tip of any tracked ultrasound probe. Intraoperative digitization of the tissue surface is used to measure the depth of compression and provide boundary conditions to the biomechanical model of the tissue. The tissue displacement field solution of the model is inverted to nonrigidly transform the ultrasound images to an estimation of the tissue geometry prior to compression. This method was compared to a previously developed method using a patient-specific model and within the context of simulation, phantom, and clinical data. Experimental results with gel phantoms demonstrated that the proposed generic method reduced the mock tumor margin modified Hausdorff distance (MHD) from $$5.0\,\pm \,1.6$$ to $$2.1\,\pm \,0.7\,\hbox {mm}$$ and reduced mock tumor centroid alignment error from $$7.6\,\pm \,2.6$$ to $$2.6\,\pm \,1.1\,\hbox {mm}$$ . The method was applied to a clinical case and reduced the in vivo tumor margin MHD error from $$5.4\,\pm \,0.1$$ to $$2.9\,\pm \,0.1\,\hbox {mm}$$ , and the centroid alignment error from $$7.2\,\pm \,0.2$$ to $$3.8\,\pm \,0.4\,\hbox {mm}$$ . The correction method was found to effectively improve alignment of ultrasound and tomographic images and was more efficient compared to a previously proposed correction.
Poisonous Plants: Perils in Nature

Poisonous plants are of great concern to any parent or health care practitioner. Household and landscape plants account for 7.1 % of all poisonous exposures in children. Many parents and health care professionals are aware of other potential poisons in the house; however, many times plants are overlooked as a potential poison. Though most plants are associated with only minor symptoms from dermal contact or ingestion, there are some that are associated with significant toxic effects that can be fatal. Poisonous plants are classified as anticholinergic, cardiac glycoside, cyanogenic, central nervous system stimulant/hallucinogens and severe gastrointestinal irritants. Many times these toxic plants produce a multitude of symptoms called a toxidrome. It is important for health care professionals to recognize these toxidromes and be knowledgeable about the proper treatment modalities.
A Graphical Method of Proportioning and Standardizing Ice Cream Mixes

This graphical method of proportioning an ice cream mix is believed to be simple, rapid, and of special value, because it illustrates the principle underlying all methods of standardizing. To illustrate the use of the method it will be assumed that a desired mix is to have 10 per cent fat, 11 per cent msnf, 14.5 per cent sugar, and 0.5 per cent gelatine, and that it must weight 3000 pounds. The available milk products have the following compositions:
Fibulin-5: two for the price of one maintaining pelvic support

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a disabling disorder in women characterized by a loss of pelvic floor support leading to the herniation of the uterus into or through the vagina. POP is a complex problem that likely involves multiple mechanisms, and available therapies are limited. In this issue of the JCI, Budatha et al. explore the dual role carried out by fibulin-5 in facilitating the assembly of normal elastic fibers and inhibiting MMP-9 activity, revealing a new mechanism critical to the maintenance of pelvic organ support.
Use of Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary to construct a master hyphenation list

A machine-readable form of Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary has been obtained. After substantial processing to understand the form and content of the dictionary and to correct residual typographical errors, we have begun the task of constructing a master word-hyphenation list based on this dictionary and other sources. Substantial problems can arise in preparing the master hyphenation list because of incompatible hyphenation definitions from various sources. Some statistics are given.
Mechanism of the Reaction of Vinyl Chloride with (α-diimine)PdMe+ Species

The reaction of vinyl chloride (VC) with (α-diimine)PdMe+ species yields (α-diimine)PdCl(propene)+. Isotope labeling experiments using the deuterium-labeled vinyl chlorides 1-VC-d1 and Z-VC-d1 combined with DFT computations establish that this reaction proceeds by 2,1-insertion of VC to produce β-H agostic (α-diimine)Pd(CHClCH2Me)+, chain-walking isomerization to generate β-Cl dative (α-diimine)Pd(CHMeCH2Cl)+, and syn β-Cl elimination. The labeling experiments rule out mechanisms involving initial 1,2-insertion or C−Cl oxidative addition. The computational results and the observation of small amounts of propene-d2 argue against mechanisms involving 2,1-insertion followed by α-Cl elimination and a 1,2 H-shift.
Effect of Adrenotrophic Hormone of Pituitary Gland on Ability of Tissue to Synthesize Acetylcholine.

SummaryThe effect of the adrenotrophic hormone of the pituitary gland on the synthesis of acetylcholine was ascertained. Brain obtained from mice injected for 15 days with the adrenotrophic hormone synthesizes on the average 50% more acetylcholine than does brain obtained from control animals. There fore it has been demonstrated that the adrenotrophic hormone of the pituitary gland augments the ability of tissue to synthesize acetylcholine.
Analysis of capacitive coupling and associated loss for a solenoidal magnetic resonance imaging radio-frequency coil.

Presented is an analysis of the capacitive coupling between a magnetic resonance imaging radio‐frequency (rf) coil and a dielectric sample. Calculated is the coil self‐capacitance and power loss in the medium. The capacitively coupled power loss is compared with the more familiar inductively coupled eddy current loss and the predicted dependence of self‐capacitance on coil and sample size is studied experimentally in a series of single‐turn slotted solenoids of various sizes.
Combining 3-D quantitative structure-activity relationship with ligand based and structure based alignment procedures for in silico screening of new hepatitis C virus NS5B polymerase inhibitors.

The viral NS5B RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp) is one of the best-studied and promising targets for the development of novel therapeutics against hepatitis C virus (HCV). Allosteric inhibition of this enzyme has emerged as a viable strategy toward blocking replication of viral RNA in cell based systems. Herein, we describe how the combination of a complete computational procedure together with biological studies led to the identification of novel molecular scaffolds, hitherto untested toward NS5B polymerase. Structure based 3-D quantitative structure−activity relationship (QSAR) models were generated employing NS5B non-nucleoside inhibitors (NNIs), whose bound conformations were readily available from the protein database (PDB). These were grouped into two training sets of structurally diverse NS5B NNIs, based on their binding to the enzyme thumb (15 NNIs) or palm (10 NNIs) domains. Ligand based (LB) and structure based (SB) alignments were rigorously investigated to assess the reliability on the corr...
Mutation in the β-hairpin of the Bordetella pertussis adenylate cyclase toxin modulates N-lobe conformation in calmodulin.

Abstract Bordetella pertussis , causative agent of whooping cough, produces an adenylate cyclase toxin (CyaA) that is an important virulence factor. In the host cell, the adenylate cyclase domain of CyaA (CyaA-ACD) is activated upon association with calmodulin (CaM), an EF-hand protein comprised of N- and C-lobes (N-CaM and C-CaM, respectively) connected by a flexible tether. Maximal CyaA-ACD activation is achieved through its binding to both lobes of intact CaM, but the structural mechanisms remain unclear. No high-resolution structure of the intact CaM/CyaA-ACD complex is available, but crystal structures of isolated C-CaM bound to CyaA-ACD shed light on the molecular mechanism by which this lobe activates the toxin. Previous studies using molecular modeling, biochemical, and biophysical experiments demonstrate that CyaA-ACD’s β-hairpin participates in site-specific interactions with N-CaM. In this study, we utilize nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to probe the molecular association between intact CaM and CyaA-ACD. Our results indicate binding of CyaA-ACD to CaM induces large conformational perturbations mapping to C-CaM, while substantially smaller structural changes are localized primarily to helices I, II, and IV, and the metal-binding sites in N-CaM. Site-specific mutations in CyaA-ACD’s β-hairpin structurally modulate N-CaM, resulting in conformational perturbations in metal binding sites I and II, while no significant structural modifications are observed in C-CaM. Moreover, dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis reveals that mutation of the β-hairpin results in a decreased hydrodynamic radius ( R h ) and reduced thermal stability in the mutant complex. Taken together, our data provide new structural insights into the β-hairpin’s role in stabilizing interactions between CyaA-ACD and N-CaM.
Allocating the cost of empty railcar miles in a dynamic railroad network

In a multi-level railcar system, the formation of coalitions among railcar companies can potentially lead to a reduction in the total empty mile cost, an important part of the variable cost of the railcar system. In order to maintain a sustainable coalition, it is important to ensure that the costs incurred in the coalition will be fairly allocated to participating companies in the coalition. This paper proposes a cost allocation scheme based on game theory that allocates the cost of empty car miles to participating companies in a coalition for a railcar system. The method can ensure fairness and enhance stability of a coalition since it explicitly considers the level of contribution from each company in the coalition. The properties important for fairness in cost allocation and stability for the coalition are discussed. We have also demonstrated in the paper that the proposed cost allocation scheme can be coupled with a generalised optimisation model for empty car distribution in a dynamic railroad network.
Evaluation of a microbial method to reduce hydrogen sulfide levels in a porous rock biofilm

The efficacy of nitrate addition, with and without inoculation with a sulfide-resistant strain ofThiobacillus denitrificans (strain F), in reducing sulfide levels in an experimental system using cores and subsurface formation water from a gas storage facility was examined. The addition of nitrate (40 mM) alone to the formation water injected into core systems operated at hydraulic retention times of 3.2 and 16.7 h resulted in lower effluent sulfide concentrations, from an influent concentration of about 170–190 μM to an effluent concentration of 110 and 3 μM, respectively. A reduction in effluent nitrate concentrations in both core systems indicated the presence of indigenous nitrate-using populations. After strain F was inoculated into the core system operated at the shorter retention time, the effluent sulfide concentration decreased from 110 to 16–25 μM. The effluent sulfate concentration increased, and the effluent nitrate concentration decreased concomitant with the presence of high concentrations of denitrifying thiobacilli in the inoculated core system. The denitrifying thiobacilli detected after inoculation were presumed to be strain F since these organisms were not detected in this core system before inoculation, or in any of the samples from the uninoculated core system. These data suggest that the efficacy of the nitrate treatment may depend on the residence times of the liquids in the core system, and that inoculation with strain F was required to reduce sulfide levels to <20 μM in the core system operated at a short hydraulic retention time.
Patents and data-sharing in public science

Richard Nelson's The Simple Economics of Basic Scientific Research (1959) and Kenneth Arrow's Economic Welfare and the Allocation of Resources for Invention (1962) presented the basic analytical tools still used to understand the patent system. Two subsequent changes--one primarily legal and the other primarily technological--represent a sufficient departure from the prior state of the world as to call for ongoing re-examination of some old assumptions about the economics of R&D. First, an increase over time in the appropriability (and appropriation) of basic research results through the patent system raises new questions about the role of government funding. Second, the revolution in information technology (IT) and information networks has had reverberations outside the law of intellectual property in the evolving norms of the scientific community regarding data-sharing. This article examines these changes with particular attention to their impact on biomedical research, an area in which the patent system is generally thought to be particularly important to the incentives of innovators. Copyright 2006, Oxford University Press.
Recrystallization microstructures and textures in AA 5052 continuous cast and direct chill cast aluminum alloy

Abstract Commercially produced hot bands of AA 5052 continuous cast (CC) and direct chill (DC) cast aluminum alloys were cold rolled to (thickness) reductions of 70%, 80%, and 90% followed by annealing at different conditions. The recrystallization kinetics are found equivalent for both the CC and DC materials. Recrystallization microstructures are different between the CC and DC materials. Evolution of recrystallization texture in the CC and DC materials were investigated by using three-dimensional orientation distribution functions (ODFs) that were determined by X-ray diffraction. The recrystallization texture was correlated with cold rolling reduction (prior to annealing), annealing temperature, and annealing time. Results showed that the R {124}〈211〉 and cube {001}〈100〉 are dominant recrystallization texture components in both CC and DC materials. During annealing, the intensity and volume fraction of the cube component strongly depend on the prior cold rolling history. In contrast, the intensity and volume fraction of the R component remains almost constant regardless of the different cold rolling reductions prior to annealing. After complete recrystallization, the intensity and volume fraction of both R and cube components appear to be independent of the annealing temperature and annealing time.
Purification of Family B G Protein-Coupled Receptor using Nanodiscs: Calcium Dependent Ligand Binding and G-Protein Signaling of Parathyroid Hormone 1 Receptor

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) belong to the largest gene family in the human genome. They mediate intracellular signaling in response to external stimuli, making them ideal drug targets. Despite their importance, activation mechanisms of GPCRs, especially those in Families B and C, are poorly understood at the molecular level. This is mostly because GPCRs are difficult to purify to the quantities enough for mechanistic biophysical studies. Here, we develop a purification method using Nanodiscs, which are nanometer-sized lipid bilayer disk-shaped particles. We use Nanodiscs to incorporate GPCRs immediately after membrane solubilization. We then perform chromatographic purification, while the GPCRs are in the lipid environments of Nanodiscs. This approach minimizes the contact time of the GPCRs with detergent, and thereby reduces the chance of denaturation by detergent. We used this method to purify family B parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R). Applying fluorescent methods, we showed that the purified PTH1R in Nanodiscs can bind to its native ligand PTH(1-34) and activate G protein. This is the first study in which a Family B GPCR has been examined in a Nanodisc. Doing so reveals for the first time that both binding of native ligand PTH(1-34) and G protein activity of PTH1R depend on calcium concentration in the milli-molar range. This calcium dependence is likely correlated to the function of PTH1R in signaling calcium homeostasis in kidney and bone. The results provide a basis for further investigations to understand the mechanism of administrating PTH(1-34) as treatment for osteoporosis. We conclude that our purification method using Nanodiscs is viable for purifying GPCR and enables observations such as calcium-dependent G protein activity that would have been difficult in cells or membrane preparations.
Tyrosine phosphorylation in cells treated with transforming growth factor‐β

Cells stimulated with epidermal growth factor (EGF) or any one of a diverse group of other mitogenic agents display an increased tyrosine phosphorylation of a pair of 42,000 Mr proteins. Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-beta) is able to potentiate the mitogenic effects of Epidermal Growth Factor on some fibroblastic cells (such as the NRK-49F cell line) and, in addition, permits the anchorage-independent growth of these cells. In this study we asked whether these growth-regulatory actions of Transforming Growth Factor-beta are associated with changes in tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins, in particular the 42,000 Mr proteins. We found no effect of Transforming Growth Factor-beta on the extent or time-course of tyrosine phosphorylation, either by itself or in combination with Epidermal Growth Factor. Since the tyrosine phosphorylation of the 42,000 Mr proteins is stimulated both by receptors with tyrosine kinase activity and by diacylglycerol analogs (but not by Transforming Growth Factor-beta), we suggest that the activity of the receptor for Transforming Growth Factor-beta is linked neither to tyrosine phosphorylation nor to phosphatidyl inositol turnover.
Pharmacokinetics and clearance processes of UK-279,276 (rNIF) in rat and dog: Comparison with human data

UK-279,276, or recombinant neutrophil inhibitory factor (rNIF), is a glycoprotein that binds to the human CD11b receptor (IC(50) = <0.5 nM) and inhibits neutrophil binding to vascular endothelial cells. In dogs, the pharmacokinetics of UK-279,276 are non-linear with clearance slowing as dose increases (apparent clearance 0.06 ml min(-1) kg(-1) at 0.l mg kg(-1) decreasing to 0.02 ml min(-1) kg(-1) at 2 mg kg(-1)). The observations are in keeping with human pharmacokinetic data. In rats, clearance is linear (0.07-0.13 ml min(-1) kg(-1)) across a similar dose range (0.006-2.25 mg kg(-1)) compared with dogs and humans. These data indicate that two clearance processes act on UK-279,276 in dogs and humans, but only one clearance process occurs in rats. A non-saturable, low-affinity/high-capacity clearance process is present in all animal species studied as well as in human, and it is believed to be hepatic uptake mediated by the asialoglycoprotein receptor. A second, saturable, clearance process is present in dogs and humans that is not apparent in the rat. This high-affinity/low-capacity process is thought to be mediated by interaction with the CD11b receptor, which is the pharmacological target for this molecule. This hypothesis is supported by the marked species differences seen for the affinity of CD11b for UK-279,276, with dogs and humans having high-affinity (IC(50) = <0.5 nM), whilst the rat affinity is low (IC(50) = 134 nM).
Concentration Ultrafiltration and Diafiltration of Albumin with an Electric Field

Abstract The time required to concentrate various starting solutions of bovine serum albumin by ultrafiltration was compared to that by ultrafiltration with an electric field—electroultrafiltration. Diafiltration of bovine serum albumin solutions was also compared to diafiltration with an electric field In both cases the electric field improved the performance of the ultrafiltration or diafiltration process by increasing the flux through the membrane.
Semi-orthogonality of O-pentenyl and S-ethyl glycosides: application for the oligosaccharide synthesis

Abstract Novel semi-orthogonal glycosylation strategy with the use of O -pentenyl and thioglycosides has been developed. According to this technique both armed and disarmed thioglycosides can be selectively activated with MeOTf in the presence of either armed or disarmed O -pentenyl glycosides. The applicability of this novel strategy for the synthesis of a trans – cis glycosylation pattern, not accessible via conventional armed–disarmed approach, has been demonstrated for the synthesis of a linear tetrasaccharide derivative.
Spin-glass formation in Co2RuO4

Magnetic susceptibility and powder neutron diffraction results are reported on the cubic spinel Co{sub 2}RuO{sub 4}. These measurements indicate spin-glass formation in this compound, with a freezing temperature of about 16 K. Magnetic susceptibility results are also reported on ZnCoRuO{sub 4}, a spinel in which only the Ru{sup 3+} ions are magnetic. No magnetic order was found in ZnCoRuO{sub 4} down to 2 K, indicating extremely weak interactions between the octahedral Ru{sup 3+} ions in these materials.
Vanillin Interaction with Milk Protein Isolates in Sweetened Drinks

The impact of heat processing and emulsifier addition on the interaction of vanillin and sodium caseinate and whey protein isolate was examined in a model system. Free vanillin in the protein drink was evaluated by a sensory panel and HPLC. Sensory analysis indicated that emulsifier, heat × protein, and heat × emulsifier affected perception of vanillin flavor. Analysis of free vanillin by HPLC indicated only a significant protein effect, with sodium caseinate interacting more with vanillin than did whey protein isolate. No correlation was found between sensory and HPLC results.
Transcription of herpes simplex type 1 DNA in nuclei isolated from infected HEp-2 and KB cells.

Abstract Viral RNA synthesis in nuclei isolated from cells infected with Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) has been examined for sensitivity to the fungal toxin α-amanitin. In both HEp-2 and KB cell lines, the production of HSV-1 specific RNA is inhibited 90% or greater by the administration of the toxin at 0.32 μg/ml. These results suggest that an α-amanitin sensitive, DNA-dependent RNA polymerase, possibly the host cell nucleoplasmic polymerase, is responsible for HSV-1 RNA synthesis in the infected cell.
Enthalpies of Reaction of ((p-cymene)RuCl2)2 with Monodentate Tertiary Phosphine Ligands. Importance of Both Steric and Electronic Ligand Factors in a Ruthenium(II) System

The enthalpies of reaction of [OsCl2(p-cymene)]2 (1) (p-cymene = η6-CH3C6H4CH(CH3)2) with a series of monodentate phosphines (PR3), leading to the formation of OsCl2(p-cymene)(PR3) complexes, have been measured by anaerobic calorimetry in CH2Cl2 at 30 °C. These reactions are rapid and quantitative. The overall relative order of stability established is as follows: PPh(NC4H4)2 < P(NC4H4)3 < P(p-CF3C6H4)3 < PPh2(NC4H4) < PPh3 < P(p-ClC6H4)3 < P(p-CH3C6H4)3 < P(p-FC6H4)3 < PCy3 < PBz3 < PiPr3 < P(p-CH3OC6H4)3 < P(NC4H8)3 < PPh2Me < PPhMe2 < PEt3 < PMe3. A quantitative analysis of ligand effects for the present data helps clarify the exact steric versus electronic ligand contributions to the enthalpy of reaction in this system. Both steric and electronic factors appear to play an important role in dictating the magnitude of the enthalpy of reaction. The data are compared to the previously studied RuCl2(p-cymene)(PR3) system.
Partial Occlusion Modulates Contour-Based Shape Encoding in Primate Area V4

Past studies of shape coding in visual cortical area V4 have demonstrated that neurons can accurately represent isolated shapes in terms of their component contour features. However, rich natural scenes contain many partially occluded objects, which have “accidental” contours at the junction between the occluded and occluding objects. These contours do not represent the true shape of the occluded object and are known to be perceptually discounted. To discover whether V4 neurons differentially encode accidental contours, we studied the responses of single neurons in fixating monkeys to complex shapes and contextual stimuli presented either in isolation or adjoining each other to provide a percept of partial occlusion. Responses to preferred contours were suppressed when the adjoining context rendered those contours accidental. The observed suppression was reversed when the partial occlusion percept was compromised by introducing a small gap between the component stimuli. Control experiments demonstrated that these results likely depend on contour geometry at T-junctions and cannot be attributed to mechanisms based solely on local color/luminance contrast, spatial proximity of stimuli, or the spatial frequency content of images. Our findings provide novel insights into how occluded objects, which are fundamental to complex visual scenes, are encoded in area V4. They also raise the possibility that the weakened encoding of accidental contours at the junction between objects could mark the first step of image segmentation along the ventral visual pathway.
Insensitivity to Ethylene Conferred by a Dominant Mutation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Ethylene influences a number of developmental processes and responses to stress in higher plants. The molecular basis for the action of ethylene was investigated in mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana that have altered responses to ethylene. One mutant line, which has a dominant mutation at a locus designated etr, lacks a number of responses to ethylene that are present in the wild-type plant. These include inhibition of cell elongation, promotion of seed germination, enhancement of peroxidase activity, acceleration of leaf senescence, and feedback suppression of ethylene synthesis by ethylene. These diverse responses, which occur in different tissues of Arabidopsis, appear to share some common element in their transduction pathways—for example, a single receptor for ethylene. Results of ethylene binding experiments in vivo indicate that this receptor may be affected by the etr mutation.
Ecoefficiency: how data envelopment analysis can be used by managers and researchers

Ecoefficiency is critical for organizations that seek to be both environmentally conscious and profitable. Ecoefficiency supports and aids in determining "win-win" strategies for organizations. Studying and managing organizations from this perspective requires an evaluation of ecoefficiency. To aid researchers and managers develop measures for ecoefficiency we review the use of data envelopment analysis (DEA) for this purpose. DEA theory and application have gone through major growth. Yet, its use as a tool for environmental performance evaluation has been limited. In this paper we provide a number of DEA models and some extensions and how they can be utilized from both the practitioner and researcher perspective. An illustrative example from published data helps to gain insight into the various models, their capabilities and limitations.
Revisiting desirable response bias in well-being reports

Growing popular interest in positive psychology may have important implications for the measurement of well-being. Five studies tested the prediction that well-being ratings are influenced by desirability bias. In Study 1, participants (N = 176) instructed to fake good endorsed higher well-being; those instructed to fake bad endorsed lower well-being, compared to controls. In Studies 2 and 3 (N’s = 111, 121), control participants endorsed higher levels of well-being compared to those attached to a bogus pipeline. These differences were mediated by desirability bias. In Study 4 (N = 417), instruction manipulations did not affect well-being levels, but presenting a desirability measure prior to well-being measures attenuated the correlations between them. In Study 5 (N = 391), however, this order effect did not replicate. We discuss the importance of continued vigilance for desirability bias in well-being research as a ready solution to this clear problem remains elusive.
Groups of Units of Finite Commutative Group Rings

Let R be a finite commutative ring with identity and ℤ p d be the cyclic group of prime power order. Define Rℤ p d to mean the group ring of ℤ p d over R. We determine the structure of the group of units of Rℤ p d in the case when R is generated by an element whose order is not divisible by p.
The ecology of sporulation by the macroalga Ulva lactuca L. (chlorophyceae)

Abstract A field population of Ulva lactuca L. in Mumford Cove in Groton, CT, U.S.A., was monitored from May through October 1985. During warmer months, a significant portion of the macroalga's biomass is allocated to the formation of zoospores and gametes. Laboratory experiments show that U. lactuca could significantly increase the chlorophyll a concentration of the water column through the release of zoospores and gametes. These findings suggest that the traditional paradigm that marine macrophytes contribute mostly to detritus-based foodchains should be extended to include the macroalgal contribution of zoospores and gametes to the phytoplankton.
Evolution of bulk-like properties in mercury microclusters

The transition from non-metallic to metallic behavior of mercury microclusters, Hgn, withn ranging from 2 to 79, is investigated using first principles tight-binding linear muffin-tin orbital method. Then dependence of the ionization potential, the cohesive energy, the energy gap, and the nature of the bonding indicates metallic behavior for Hgn withn≧80. The average bond length of Hg clusters is found to be larger than that of the bulk. Our results are in good agreement with experiments.
Linguistic contributions to speech-on-speech masking for native and non-native listeners: language familiarity and semantic content.

This study examined whether speech-on-speech masking is sensitive to variation in the degree of similarity between the target and the masker speech. Three experiments investigated whether speech-in-speech recognition varies across different background speech languages (English vs Dutch) for both English and Dutch targets, as well as across variation in the semantic content of the background speech (meaningful vs semantically anomalous sentences), and across variation in listener status vis-a-vis the target and masker languages (native, non-native, or unfamiliar). The results showed that the more similar the target speech is to the masker speech (e.g., same vs different language, same vs different levels of semantic content), the greater the interference on speech recognition accuracy. Moreover, the listener’s knowledge of the target and the background language modulate the size of the release from masking. These factors had an especially strong effect on masking effectiveness in highly unfavorable listening conditions. Overall this research provided evidence that that the degree of target-masker similarity plays a significant role in speech-in-speech recognition. The results also give insight into how listeners assign their resources differently depending on whether they are listening to their first or second language.
Multiple forms of acetylcholinesterase in nutritional and inherited muscular dystrophy of the chicken

Abstract Isozymes of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) are found in the cytoplasm of chick embryo muscle. They are maintained in muscles from birds with inherited muscular dystrophy and return with denervation but not tenotomy of normal muscle. The present study examined AChE activity in pectoral and lateral adductor muscles of birds with nutritional muscular dystrophy brought on by diets deficient in vitamin E, selenium, and sulfur amino acids, and containing excess arginine. Cytochemical and acrylamide gel electrophoretic studies showed that cytoplasmic AChE activity and embryo AChE forms appeared in pectoral muscle from vitamin E-deficient birds after 6 weeks of age. The cytoplasmic activity and embryo isozymes did not appear in muscles from birds grown with a vitamin E supplement. Cytoplasmic AChE activity was localized in focal regions of intact muscle fibers. The lateral adductor muscle of the leg was little affected. The results suggest that vitamin E deficiency interrupts neuromuscular interactions that suppress embryo AChE isozyme in “white” muscle of the chicken.
Power-performance considerations of parallel computing on chip multiprocessors

This paper looks at the power-performance implications of running parallel applications on chip multiprocessors (CMPs). First, we develop an analytical model that, for the first time, puts together parallel efficiency, granularity of parallelism, and voltage/frequency scaling, to establish a formal connection with the power consumption and performance of a parallel code running on a CMP. We then conduct detailed simulations of parallel applications running on a detailed power-performance CMP model to confirm the analytical results and provide further insights. Both analytical and experimental models show that parallel computing can bring significant power savings and still meet a given performance target by choosing granularity and voltage/frequency levels judiciously. The particular choice, however, is dependent on the application's parallel efficiency curve and the process technology utilized, which our model captures. Likewise, analytical model and experiments show the effect of a limited power budget on the application's scalability curve. In particular, we show that a limited power budget can cause a rapid performance degradation beyond a number of cores, even in the case of applications with excellent scalability properties. On the other hand, our experiments show that, when a limited power budget is in place, power-thrifty memory-bound applications may actually enjoy better scalability than more compute-intensive codes, even if the latter would exhibit higher scalability in a power-unconstrained scenario.
The origin of electrolyte effects in electrooxidative substitution reactions

Abstract The electrooxidation of alkylbenzenes in wet acetonitrile can give rise to either alcohols (ArCH2OH) or acetamides (ArCH2NHOOCH3). It has been proposed previously that the ratio ArCH2OH/ArCH2NHCOCH3 reflects a kinetic competition for ArCH2+. The oxidation of hexamethylbenzene at a platinum anode was reinvestigated using several different electrolytes and reaction conditions. It was found that in many cases this product ratio is not kinetically controlled. Acid was concomitantly produced during oxidation and catalyzed the conversion of the alcohol to the acetamide. Conversion of pentamethylbenzylacetate to pentamethylbenzyl acetamide formed during oxidation of hexamethylbenzene in acetic acid-acetonitrile was also studied.
Connexin 26 (GJB2) mutations in the Turkish population: implications for the origin and high frequency of the 35delG mutation in Caucasians

Mutations in the Connexin 26 (GJB2/Cx26) gene are responsible for more than half of all cases of prelingual non-syndromic recessive deafness in many Caucasian populations. To determine the importance of Cx26 mutations as a cause of deafness in Turks we screened 11 families with prelingual non-syndromic deafness, seven (64%) of which were found to carry the 35delG mutation. We subsequently screened 674 Turkish subjects with no known hearing loss and found twelve 35delG heterozygotes (1.78%; 95% confidence interval: 0.9%-3%) but no examples of the 167delT mutation. To search for possible founder effects, we typed chromosomes carrying the 35delG mutation for closely linked polymorphic markers in samples from Turkey and United States and compared the allele frequencies with those of hearing subjects. The data showed a modest degree of disequilibrium in both populations. Analyses of two pedigrees from Turkey demonstrated both conserved and different haplotypes, suggesting possible founder effects and multiple origins of the 35delG mutation.