cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
beta-Galactosidase alpha-complementation. A model of protein-protein interaction

Studies on β-galactosidase α-complementation are reviewed. The isolation and structure of two β-galactosidase fragments that form an enzymically active complex are described. One of these is a cyanogen bromide peptide from whole β-galactosidase; the other is a dimeric-protein from a lacZ deletion mutant of Escherichia coli. The mechanism most likely involves an initial binding of two cyanogen bromide peptides to the dimer, followed by formation of a tetramer, and finally a slow conformational change of the complex to a native-like enzyme. The overall reaction is essentially irreversible. A region of the polypeptide chain involved in dimer-dimer contact must be supplied by the cyanogen bromide peptide. α-Complemented enzyme contains overlapping sequences. Proteolytic experiments were carried out to determine the origin of the funtionally important segment. The effect on a-complementation of amino acid substitutions at four positions in the polypeptide chain was investigated. The implications of these results for β-galactosidase structure and for proteins in general are discussed.
SUN-042 Loss of the 18-Kda Translocator Protein Tspo Destabilizes Cholesterol Homeostasis in a Hepatic Steatosis Cell Model

The 18-kDa translocator protein TSPO is a conserved ubiquitous high affinity cholesterol binding protein localized in the outer mitochondrial membrane. It plays a critical role in the segregation and transport of free cholesterol (FC) from the outer to the inner mitochondrial membrane in steroidogenic cells. Numerous studies have shown the presence of TSPO in liver. Imaging studies in humans, using specific TSPO ligands, showed that TSPO is highly expressed and accurately mirrors the histological picture of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The function of TSPO in simple steatosis and NASH is unknown. Wild type Huh7 (WT) is a well-differentiated human hepatocyte-derived carcinoma cell line, which contains TSPO in mitochondria. In the present study, we generated a stable TSPO knockdown (TSPO KD) in the Huh7 cell line. To mimic hepatic steatosis in vitro, we treated WT and TSPO KD cells with either acetylated LDL (AcLDL), to deliver cholesterol into the cells, or AcLDL plus 58035, an Acetyl-CoA Acetyltransferase (ACAT) and thus cholesterol esterification inhibitor, to induce the accumulation of FC. AcLDL treatment significantly increased FC levels in WT cells; this effect was more pronounced in TSPO KD cells. In contrast, treatment of the cells with AcLDL and 58035 resulted in reduced FC levels likely due to the damage induced by FC accumulation that led to reduced cell proliferation. Considering that TSPO binds FC with high affinity, we investigated the underlying mechanism/link between TSPO KD and FC accumulation by examining the conversion between FC and cholesterol ester (CE) upon AcLDL treatment. The results obtained showed that knocking down TSPO expression reduced ACAT2 (transforming FC to CE) levels, but not cholesterol ester hydrolase (CEH) converting CE to FC, expression. TSPO was found to directly interact with ACAT2. Under these conditions, the accumulation of FC led to the appearance of lipid droplets (LD) of increased size in TSPO KD compared to WT cells, suggesting that TSPO plays a role in LD formation and/or dynamics in liver cells. GRP78, IRE1A, and PERK endoplasmic reticulum stress markers were also elevated in TSPO KD cells following AcLDL treatment while the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased compared to WT cells. Moreover, increased numbers of lysosomes and autophagosomes were observed in TSPO KD cells, an effect further potentiated by the treatment with AcLDL plus 58035. This finding was validated by the up regulation of the LAMP1 and LC3B, lysosome and autophagic structure markers, respectively. Taken together, these data suggest that under cholesterol treatment, TSPO loss would trigger ER stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and lipid droplet accumulation via FC accumulation, and ultimately cause intracellular protein and organelle degradation, hallmarks of hepatic steatosis.
Abstract A29: Heterogeneity of androgen receptor dynamics and drug response in prostate cancer cells

Background: Recent studies suggest that the spatio-temporal dynamics of critical signaling molecules can mediate heterogeneous response to therapeutic intervention. Here, we set out to apply live cell imaging of single cells in high throughput to correlate the dynamics of androgen receptor (AR) with response to taxane chemotherapy in heterogeneous prostate cancer (PCa) cell populations. Methods: We previously developed a 3-step high throughput imaging and data analysis workflow to improve measurements of the dynamic phenotype in heterogeneous populations. We treated PCa cells stably expressing GFP-AR with AR ligand and quantified nuclear/cytoplasmic GFP intensity to measure nuclear translocation of AR over a 30 min time course. Then we treated cells with paclitaxel and tracked cells9 response for 24h. Results: Applied to PCa cell lines stably expressing GFP-AR, we measured considerable heterogeneity of AR translocation in response to ligand stimulation. We quantified populations of non-responders and classified responding cells based on the dynamics of AR. Evaluation of cell morphology revealed a fraction of relatively large cells to be exclusively slow responders to AR ligand. We measured heterogeneous response to treatment with paclitaxel that correlated with cell phenotype. Conclusion: We conclude that cell morphology features in heterogeneous PCa cell populations correlate with AR translocation dynamics and drug response. Future experiments will include expression of the constitutively active AR variant AR-v7 to analyze its effect on the dynamics of wild-type AR and on single cell response to paclitaxel chemotherapy. Note: This abstract was not presented at the conference. Citation Format: Katherin Patsch, Anjana Soundararajan, Mark Engeln, Mitchell E. Gross, Shannon M. Mumenthaler, Daniel Ruderman. Heterogeneity of androgen receptor dynamics and drug response in prostate cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Engineering and Physical Sciences in Oncology; 2016 Jun 25-28; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A29.
Multimodal Prehabilitation Programs for Older Surgical Patients

Despite advances in perioperative care, short-term and long-term postoperative complications are still experienced by many patients, which is of special relevance to the older adult population, considered to be high-risk surgical candidates because of less functional reserve and comorbidity burden. Through the implementation of prehabilitation programs, patients can be optimized to handle the physical and mental stress of surgery. Benefits have been described in a variety of surgical populations, but more studies targeting older surgical patients are needed. These studies should include standardized prehabilitation protocols and large sample sizes to avoid the limitations of the existing prehabilitation literature.
Identification of force coefficients in inter-shaft squeeze film dampers utilizing complex vector description and computational fluid dynamics

Squeeze film dampers (SFDs) have been widely used in high-speed turbomachinery to provide external damping to the system to improve stability. An inter-shaft damper (ISD) is a SFD-like device inserted between two shafts of a double spool aircraft engine to provide damping to both internal and external rotors. Compared to SFDs, analysis of ISDs is not well established because of added complexity of the mechanism. A new approach to model ISDs is reported in this paper, which converts an ISD model to a dynamically equivalent SFD model. A systematic analysis method for SFDs subjected to whirling motions of a non-circular orbit is established first because the whirling orbit of the equivalent SFD is always non-circular with two major frequency components. The analysis method utilizes complex vector descriptions of the motion and force, and frequency-domain analysis with double-sided frequency spectrums. The proposed approach is validated by comparing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis results and damping coefficients obtained from the original ISD model and its equivalent SFD model. One significant advantage of the new approach is that all design rules and insights developed for SFDs can be directly applied to ISDs. In addition, the analysis method established in this work enables accurate calculation of damping coefficients of SFDs subjected to non-circular whirling motions, essentially all SFDs in in real operations including SFDs in test rigs.
Numerical derivation of linear perturbation model from nonlinear real-time vehicle simulations - A means of validation and increased credibility

A numerical technique has been developed which generates linear perturbation models from nonlinear real-time aircraft vehicle simulations at Langley Research Center. The technique is very general and can be applied to simulations of any system described by nonlinear differential equations. Linear models about various trim conditions have been obtained from simulations of the Boeing 737, Northrop F5-E, Cessna 180, Sikorsky CH-54, and NASA/Army Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA). One use of the derived linear models is as a validation and verification tool for the nonlinear simulation.
Trans-diaphragmatic Pathologies: Anatomical Background and Spread of Disease on Cross-sectional Imaging.

Abstract The diaphragm is not only a sheet of muscle separating the abdominal and thoracic cavities: it plays an essential role in ventilation and can act as a gateway for the spread of different disease processes between the abdominal and the thoracic cavity. Careful attention to the appearance of the diaphragm on various imaging modalities is essential to ensure the accurate diagnosis of diaphragmatic disorders, which may be secondary to functional or anatomical derangements.
The wonderful and masterful G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR): A focus on signaling mechanisms and the neuroendocrine control of fertility

Human GnRH deficiency, both clinically and genetically, is a heterogeneous disorder comprising of congenital GnRH deficiency with anosmia (Kallmann syndrome), or with normal olfaction [normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH)], and adult-onset hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying GnRH secretion and GnRH signaling continues to increase at a rapid rate and strikingly, the heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptors (GPCRs) continue to emerge as essential players in these processes. GPCRs were once viewed as binary on-off switches, where in the "on" state they are bound to their Gα protein, but now we understand that view is overly simplistic and does not adequately characterize GPCRs. Instead, GPCRs have emerged as masterful signaling molecules exploiting different physical conformational states of itself to elicit an array of downstream signaling events via their G proteins and the β-arrestins. The "one receptor-multiple signaling conformations" model is likely an evolved strategy that can be used to our advantage as researchers have shown that targeting specific receptor conformations via biased ligands is proving to be a powerful tool in the effective treatment of human diseases. Can biased ligands be used to selectively modulate signaling by GPCR regulators of the neuroendocrine axis in the treatment of IHH? As discussed in this review, the grand possibility exists. However, while we are still very far from developing these treatments, this exciting likelihood can happen through a much greater mechanistic understanding of how GPCRs signal within the cell.
The presence of survivin on B cells from myasthenia gravis patients and the potential of an antibody to a modified survivin peptide to alleviate weakness in an animal model

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease in which Abs target neuromuscular junction proteins, in particular the acetylcholine receptor. We previously identified the antiapoptotic protein survivin in the autoreactive B cells and plasma cells of MG patients. To further define the role of survivin in MG, we have assessed PBMCs from 29 patients with MG and 15 controls. We confirmed the increased expression of survivin in CD20+ lymphocytes from MG patients compared with controls. Furthermore, the CD20+ population of cells from MG patients contained a higher percentage of extracellular survivin compared with controls. The analysis of CD4+ cells showed an increased percentage of intracellular survivin in MG patients compared with controls, whereas the extracellular survivin CD4+ percentage was unaffected. In an experimental mouse model of MG, we assessed the therapeutic potential of an Ab raised to a modified survivin peptide but cross-reactive to survivin. Ab treatment reduced disease severity, lowered acetylcholine receptor-specific Abs, and decreased CD19+ survivin+ splenocytes. The ability to target survivin through Ab recognition of autoreactive cells offers the potential for a highly specific therapeutic agent for MG.
Insights into nuclear saturation density from parity-violating electron scattering

The saturation density of nuclear matter ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{0}$ is a fundamental nuclear physics property that is difficult to predict from fundamental principles. The saturation density is closely related to the interior density of a heavy nucleus, such as $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$. Parity-violating electron scattering can determine the average interior weak charge and baryon densities in $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$. This requires not only measuring the weak radius ${R}_{\mathrm{wk}}$ but also determining the surface thickness of the weak charge density $a$. We use the PREX experimental result for the weak radius of Pb and assume a 10% theoretical uncertainty in the presently unmeasured surface thickness to obtain ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{0}=0.150\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.010\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{fm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. Here the 7% error also has contributions from the extrapolation to infinite nuclear matter. These errors can be improved with the upcoming PREX II results and with a new parity-violating electron scattering experiment, at a somewhat higher momentum transfer, to determine $a$.
The influence of lattice defects, recombination, and clustering on thermal transport in single crystal thorium dioxide

Thermal transport is a key performance metric for thorium dioxide in many applications where defect-generating radiation fields are present. An understanding of the effect of nanoscale lattice defects on thermal transport in this material is currently unavailable due to the lack of a single crystal material from which unit processes may be investigated. In this work, a series of high-quality thorium dioxide single crystals are exposed to 2 MeV proton irradiation at room temperature and 600 °C to create microscale regions with varying densities and types of point and extended defects. Defected regions are investigated using spatial domain thermoreflectance to quantify the change in thermal conductivity as a function of ion fluence as well as transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy to interrogate the structure of the generated defects. Together, this combination of methods provides important initial insight into defect formation, recombination, and clustering in thorium dioxide and the effect of those defects on thermal transport. These methods also provide a promising pathway for the quantification of the smallest-scale defects that cannot be captured using traditional microscopy techniques and play an outsized role in degrading thermal performance.
Vacant land, flood exposure, and urbanization: Examining land cover change in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area

Abstract The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metropolitan area is one of the fastest growing areas in the U.S. As the urbanization process continues in DFW, existing greenfields are being developed and more developments appear near floodplains. This research examines the relationships between existing vacant land and the urbanization process by analyzing the land cover change between 2011 and 2016 in and around current floodplains in the DFW metro area. The major focus lies in three questions: 1) are flood-prone areas in DFW more likely to experience new development? 2) does existing vacant land in flood-prone areas bring new development activities? and 3) is the urbanization process associated with neighborhood change? Three logistic regression models were constructed to examine if existing vacant land can predict new development activities – with subgroups of different neighborhood socioeconomic status and by the level of flood hazard exposure. The results suggest that, in the DFW area, floodable areas are experiencing more development, and existing vacancies are a trigger only when vacancies are not clustered and when flood exposure is low. A heterogeneous pattern across different neighborhood profiles was found as areas with high flood exposure are likely to experience more large-scale development activities only for the low-income groups. This study suggests city planners pay attention to citywide vacant properties as they could either predict or detour potential developments. At the same time, areas with a close proximity to floodplains require more attention for the neighborhood socioeconomic status than existing vacant land uses.
Fugitive road dust alters annual plant physiology but perennial grass growth appears resistant

Dust is a feature of the natural environment that can be exacerbated by anthropogenic activities. A range of physiological impacts have been attributed to dust deposition on plant leaves, including altered gas exchange and reduced photosynthetic activity—traits associated with yield and overall productivity. Substantially increased traffic along rural unpaved roads following the development of shale petroleum deposits in the Bakken region of North Dakota, USA, prompted us to investigate the effect of heavy dust exposure on economically important annual crops and perennial forage grasses. In a greenhouse study, we exposed six species of annual plants (barley Hordeum vulgare, durum wheat Triticum durum, maize Zea mays, sorghum Sorghum bicolor, lentil Lens culinaris, pinto bean Phaseolus vulgaris, sunflower Helianthus annuus) and eight species of perennial grasses (creeping bentgrass Agrostis stolonifera, crested wheatgrass Agropyron cristatum, intermediate wheatgrass Thinopyrum intermedium, tall fescue Schedonorus arundinaceus, Bermuda grass Cynodon dactylon, blue grama Bouteloua gracilis, buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides, switchgrass Panicum virgatum) to 40 g of scoria road dust every other day for 10 and 14 days, respectively, resulting in cumulative dust exposure of 200 g/m $$^{2}$$ for annual plants and 280 g/m $$^{2}$$ for perennial grasses. Chlorophyll concentration tended to increase in all annual plants within 1–2 h of dust exposure, which remained high (along with photosynthetic yield) over the duration of the study. Stomatal conductance tended to decrease over the 2-week study period, which was expected, while leaf temperature also decreased for most species, which was contrary to previous research. Conversely, we found little evidence that high levels of dust reduce the ability of perennial grasses to recover from repeated defoliation, regardless of photosynthetic pathway or functional group. While perennial grass growth appears unaffected by the heavy dust emissions produced by traffic associated with energy extraction, the effect on annual plants is difficult to determine because dust might actually have a positive, light-scattering effect that improves plant performance.
Transborder data flows and the developing countries

Appropriately applied, accurate information is central to decision making, including decisions on all matters related to development. Information is a precondition for identifying alternatives, reducing uncertainty about their implications, and facilitating their implementation. Thus, information is a critical resource.
A comprehensive study of the effects of long-term thermal aging on the fracture resistance of cast austenitic stainless steels

Abstract Loss of fracture resistance due to thermal aging degradation is a potential limiting factor affecting the long-term (80+ year) viability of nuclear reactors. To evaluate the effects of decades of aging in a practical time frame, accelerated aging must be employed prior to mechanical characterization. In this study, a variety of chemically and microstructurally diverse austenitic stainless steels were aged between 0 and 30,000 h at 290–400 °C to simulate 0–80+ years of operation. Over 600 static fracture tests were carried out between room temperature and 400 °C. The results presented include selected J-R curves of each material as well as K0.2mm fracture toughness values mapped against aging condition and ferrite content in order to display any trends related to those variables. Results regarding differences in processing, optimal ferrite content under light aging, and the relationship between test temperature and Mo content were observed. Overall, it was found that both the ferrite volume fraction and molybdenum content had significant effects on thermal degradation susceptibility. It was determined that materials with >25 vol% ferrite are unlikely to be viable for 80 years, particularly if they have high Mo contents (>2 wt%), while materials less than 15 vol% ferrite are viable regardless of Mo content.
Reading Modality Modifies Reading Network: Insights from Neural basis of Braille in Proficient Blind Readers

The neural basis of reading is highly consistent across a variety of languages and visual scripts. An unanswered question is whether the sensory modality of symbols influences the neural basis of reading. According to the modality-invariant view, reading depends on the same neural mechanisms regardless of the sensory input modality. Consistent with this idea, previous studies find that the visual word form area (VWFA) within the ventral occipitotemporal cortex (vOTC) is active when blind individuals read Braille by touch. However, connectivity-based theories of brain function suggest that the neural entry point of written symbols (touch vs. vision) may influence the neural architecture of reading. We compared the neural basis of the visual print (sighted n=15) and tactile Braille (congenitally blind n=19) in proficient readers using analogous reading and listening tasks. Written stimuli varied in word-likeness from real words to consonant strings and non-letter shape strings. Auditory stimuli consisted of words and backward speech sounds. Consistent with prior work, vOTC was active during Braille and visual reading. However, in sighted readers, visual print elicited a posterior/anterior vOTC word-form gradient: anterior vOTC preferred larger orthographic units (words), middle vOTC preferring consonant strings, and posterior vOTC responded to shapes (i.e., lower-level physical features). No such gradient was observed in blind readers of Braille. Consistent with connectivity predictions, in blind Braille readers, posterior parietal cortices (PPC) and parieto-occipital areas were recruited to a greater degree and PPC contained word-preferring patches. Lateralization of Braille in blind readers was predicted by laterality of spoken language, as well as by reading hand. These results suggested that the neural basis of reading is influenced by symbol modality and support connectivity-based views of cortical function. HighlightsO_LIOnly sighted but not blind (Braille) readers show a posterior/anterior vOTC lexicality gradient C_LIO_LIPosterior parietal cortex distinctively contributes to Braille reading. C_LIO_LILateralization of spoken language and reading hand predict lateralization of Braille C_LIO_LIThe sensory modality of written symbols influences the neural basis of reading C_LI
The Statistical Physics of Data Assimilation and Machine Learning

Data assimilation is a hugely important mathematical technique, relevant in fields as diverse as geophysics, data science, and neuroscience. This modern book provides an authoritative treatment of the field as it relates to several scientific disciplines, with a particular emphasis on recent developments from machine learning and its role in the optimisation of data assimilation. Underlying theory from statistical physics, such as path integrals and Monte Carlo methods, are developed in the text as a basis for data assimilation, and the author then explores examples from current multidisciplinary research such as the modelling of shallow water systems, ocean dynamics, and neuronal dynamics in the avian brain. The theory of data assimilation and machine learning is introduced in an accessible and unified manner, and the book is suitable for undergraduate and graduate students from science and engineering without specialized experience of statistical physics.
New Trends in Product Liability Legislation in the United Kingdom: The Consumer Protection Act

ed it, or, "in the case of a product which has not been manufactured, won or abstracted but essential characteristics of which are attributable to an industrial or other process having been carried out (for example, in relation to agriculture produce), the person who carried out the process." Then the application of liability is imposed not only on the producer but also on any person who holds himself out to be the producer by putting his name on the product or by using a trademark or other distinguishing mark in relation to the product. This is an attempt to impose strict liability on those stores that market "own-brand" products, but it would appear to be easy to evade the application of the Act by not holding oneself out as the producer, say, by adopting words such as "Made expressly for. .. ." Next comes a provision to catch goods manufactured outside the E.E.C. so as to impose liability on someone within the E.E.C.: the importer into the E.E.C. is made liable. Finally, the Act contains a provision which applies where there is difficulty in identifying the producer, as in the sale of bulk products. Any supplier of the product 23 is made liable unless that person can, within a reasonable time of being asked, identify either a person liable as producer or that person's own supplier.
Dynamics of Spinodal Decomposition in Polymer Gels

The process of phase separation via spinodal decomposition has been the subject of extensive investigation in recent years(l). The dynamics of spinodal decomposition in binary phase separation processes has been shown to exhibit very similar behaviour in a wide variety of systems ranging from mixtures of simple fluids(2) to polymer blends(3–4). In all of these previous studies with polymers only linear, uncrosslinked polymers were investigated. However it is well known that linear polymers can crosslink and eventually form a gel. The process of gelation involves a percolation transition characterized by the sudden appearance of an infinite network at the gel-point which leads to a divergence of the shear viscosity from below the transition and the appearance of elasticity above it(5). Since the space inside a gel is compartmentalized into a mesh and since viscosity directly influences the diffusional movement it is possible that gelation may have significant effects on binary phase separation processes in polymers capable of forming a gel. To study this coupling between the thermodynamically driven binary phase separation process and the connectivity driven gelation transition we considered the system of gelatin in a poor solvent. Gelatin dissolved in a water-methanol mixture undergoes a binary phase-separation into a polymer rich phase and a polymer poor phase as the temperature is lowered and simultaneously undergoes a reversible sol-gel transition(6).
VII - Computation of Reaction Mechanisms and Dynamics in Photobiology

This chapter provides an overview of methods to determine reaction mechanisms for photobiological systems. Early efforts using empirical potentials or restricted semiempirical methods are not emphasized. The chapter focuses on emerging methods that include the environment in some detail while at the same time provides a flexible and accurate description of the chromophore. Multireference electronic structure theory methods combined with classical force fields in quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) fashion is the preferred way of simulating these systems. The chapter also presents some applications where not only reaction paths but also dynamic evolution are modeled, including quantum mechanical effects of both electrons and nuclei. Using GFP as a model application, it is shown how it is possible to characterize reaction paths and follow dynamics in a chromophore from the gas phase through to solution and protein environments.
Hyper-IL15 enhances human immune function and suppresses hepatitis B virus replication in humanized mice with both human liver and immune system (VAC12P.1024)

HBV infection remains a leading cause of death worldwide. However, the lack of robust small animal model has hindered the progress in hepatitis B virus research and the development of new treatment options. Immunodeficient mice reconstituted with both human immune system and liver provide us a powerful in vivo model to study HBV pathogenesis and evaluate potential therapeutics. Cytokines targeting T cells and NK cells are attractive clinical interventions against viruses. Here we tested the therapeutic effect of human hyper-IL15(IL15 fused with IL15Rα sushi domain) on HBV replication in vivo in our humanized mice with both human liver and immune system. We showed that hydrodynamic injection of HBV1.3 expression plasmid led to persistent HBV replication for at least 4 months in humanized mice. Ectopic expression of hyper-IL15 in humanized mice one week after HBV plasmid injection significantly inhibited HBV replication. The HBV inhibition effect was correlated with increasing human T cell and NK cell numbers and activation in humanized mice. To further test the therapeutic potential of hyper-IL15 on chronic phase of hepatitis B, we treated the humanized mice with hyper-IL15 7.5 weeks after HBV persistence in vivo. Our data showed that the HBV genome was undetectable in 75% of hu-mice 3 weeks after hyper-IL15 treatment. Our encouraging results warrant future exploration of the use of hyper-IL15 as an immunotherapy reagent to treat chronic hepatitis B in humans.
Language membership identification precedes semantic access: Suppression during bilingual word recognition

Previous research suggests that bilingual comprehenders access lexical representations of words in both languages nonselectively. However, it is unclear whether global language suppression plays a role in guiding attention to target language representations during ongoing lexico-semantic processing. To help clarify this issue, this study examined the relative timing of language membership and meaning activation during visual word recognition. Spanish-English bilinguals performed simultaneous semantic and language membership classification tasks on single words during EEG recording. Go/no-go ERP latencies provided evidence that language membership information was accessed before semantic information. Furthermore, N400 frequency effects indicated that the depth of processing of words in the nontarget language was reduced compared to the target language. These results suggest that the bilingual brain can rapidly identify the language to which a word belongs and subsequently use this information to selectively modulate the degree of processing in each language accordingly.
High-resolution infrared spectroscopy of the v 1 , v 2 and v 4 fundamental bands of methylisocyanide

The high-resolution infrared band spectra of the v1, v2, and V4 fundamentals of methylisocyanide have been measured with an interferometric spectrometer at an unapodized resolution of 0.004 cm1. The spectra, yielding fully J and K-resolved transitions, are analyzed and fit to spectroscopic constants. In each case some of the major perturbations were identified.
Public Policy in the Public Interest

Oliver North seems to be Steven Kelman's ideal public official. He uses his own initiative to carry out policies in which he passionately believes. He is not hampered by standard operating procedures or the need to clear his plans with a range of functionaries in various departments. He is flexible, creative, and hardworking in carrying out his view of the public welfare. After his downfall he quotes the beatitudes: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake for they shall see God." But in spite of all his admirable character traits, North is surely a counterexample for Kelman's claim that "when people try to achieve good public policy, the result tends to be good public policy."1 North's behavior raises in dramatic form the tension between encouraging officials to carry out their view of the public interest and ensuring accountability to voters and organized political interests. Such accountability may imply taking action based on parochial interests. In contrast, Kelman believes that legislators, bureaucrats, judges, and the President are, and should be, imbued with the "public spirit." However, he is not very explicit about how conflicts over values should be resolved, beyond an appeal to the importance of "discussion and deliberation."2 When do provisions for deliberation become just so much more red tape that stifles initiative and when do they promote high quality results? In spite of such unresolved tensions in his analysis, Kelman has written a basically hopeful book about policymaking, although it obviously is not the behavior of President Reagan's National Security
Optical rotation and viscosity of native and denatured proteins. XII. Differences between human and bovine albumins.

Abstract The dependence of the specific rotation on pH of crystallized human and bovine serum albumins was studied with the highly effective ultraviolet light. In the pH limits 3.0–7.0, the specific rotation of human albumin was found to be practically constant, whereas bovine albumin possesses a levorotation minimum at pH 3.4–3.8. The intrinsic viscosity of the human albumin was found to be higher at this pH than that of the bovine albumin. The positive shift of the rotation of the bovine albumin at pH 3.5–4.0 can be explained as being due to some structural alteration. The opposite effects, due to expansion of the macromolecules (negative shift of the rotation), are more pronounced with the human albumin than with the bovine in the pH limits of 3.5–4.0.
Hydrolysis of α-tricalcium phosphate in NaF solutions

Abstract Controlling the incorporation of Na and fluoride in apatite-based dental restoratives and analogs of bone formed under physiologic conditions may be desirable in controlling their long-term in vivo responses. Formation of these analogs was investigated. Hydrolysis of α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP) was carried out at physiologic temperature in NaF solutions and the solids product(s) were analyzed. α-TCP hydrolysis was complete within 48 h and the only solid products identified were apatites. Changes in solution chemistry were determined at 48 h and 4 weeks. Na and Ca concentrations were determined by spectrometric methods, P and F concentrations were determined by ion chromatography; pH values were obtained. The extent of fluoride and sodium incorporation in the apatites formed varied depending on the NaF concentration of the solution. Both increased with increasing NaF concentration. Apatite compositions ranged from Ca9.06(HPO4)0.94(PO4)5.06OH1.06 for hydrolysis in water to Ca9.28Na0.56(HPO4)x(PO4)(6-x)F0.92OHy for hydrolysis in 0.1 m NaF solution. The proportions of PO4, HPO4 and OH in Na- and F-containing apatites are indeterminate but obey the equation (y=constant+x). The (Ca+Na)/P ratio of the apatite formed by α-TCP hydrolysis in 0.1 m NaF approaches 1.67 indicating the vacant Ca sites become almost completely filled by the Na ions. The surface areas of these apatites initially remain constant with increasing NaF concentrations; at elevated concentrations apatite surface areas decrease with increasing NaF concentration. This is consistent with the removal of Na from solution by its incorporation in the apatites, not by its adsorption onto their surfaces.
Sexual mixing, drug exchanges, and infection risk among long-haul truck drivers.

Despite extensive anecdotal evidence on US long-haul truckers’ risk interactions on the road, links between their sexual mixing and drug exchanges and their potential risk for STI/BBI acquisition and dissemination remain insufficiently documented. Grounded in social ecological theories and multi method ethnographic data, this paper examines the sexual transactions and drug exchanges of key members of US trucker risk networks within diverse trucking milieux. Research has uncovered four key trucker-centered populations and their diverse risk exchanges: (a) straight male truckers who engage in casual sex with women; (b) female sexworkers (known as “lot lizards”) who solicit truckers; (c) intermediaries who broker sex and drug exchanges between truckers, drug dealers and sexworkers; and (d) male truckchasers who cruise for truckers in physical and virtual milieux to engage in sex. Concurrent sexual partnerships of truckers have the potential to amplify initial infections by linking individuals of disparate epidemiological settings, thereby enabling pathogens to travel rapidly and efficiently to disparate regions. The comprehensive delineation of the role of long-haul trucking in potential disease spread is required for the development of effective STI/HIV prevention programs for populations of interest.
In-plane spin structure studies on MnCl2 graphite intercalation compounds

Abstract The in-plane spin order of MnCl 2 GIC with a mixture of stage-1 and stage-2 has been studied in the temperature range between 63 mK and 30 K by means of elastic neutron scattering. The magnetic Bragg reflections are observed below 7.5 K at the in-plane wavevector Q ∥ = { k i } and { a ∗ ± k i } where a ∗ is the where a ∗ is the in-plane reciprocal lattice vector of MnCl 2 layers and k i ( i = 1, 2) is the reciprocal lattice vector of the in-plane spin structure: ¦ a ∗ ¦ = 1.965 A −1 . This incommensurate in-plane spin structure occurs as a result of competition between ferromagnetic nearest neighbor (NN) intraplanar exchange interaction, and antiferromagnetic second and third NN interactions.
A variance-constrained proportional-integral feedback controller that tunes itself

Proportional-Integral (PI) feedback controllers have been shown to provide a very robust process adjustment strategy. Recent work by Box and Luceno [1-3] provides PI controller settings that trade-off the variance of the quality characteristic versus the variance of the adjustments, an important concern in manufacturing. A Quality Engineer may desire a particular maximum adjustment variability, perhaps because of safety considerations or because the resolution of the manufacturing equipment. The graphs and tables provided by these authors were developed by minimizing a weighted sum of adjustment and output variance and will not always provide enough information to guarantee a specific maximum adjustment variance. Specifying a constraint on the adjustment variance is much more natural for a Quality Engineer than specifying the value of the relative weight that satisfies the adjustment constraint, and easier than choosing from a list of possible controller designs. In order to obtain a specific adjustment v...
Diabetic BB/Wor rat haptoglobin exhibits a probable structural abnormality in Asn-linked oligosaccharides.

Abstract In this study we demonstrate that haptoglobin, a serum glycoprotein secreted by the liver, has altered structure in the BB/Wor diabetic rat. SDS-PAGE of haptoglobin (a tetramer composed of two glycosylated β-chains each containing two sites for Asn-linked oligosaccharides connected by disulfide bonds with two nonglycosylated α-chains) clearly shows that the β-chain of haptoglobin from diabetic rats is smaller than normal, with a molecular mass of 39 instead of 40 kDa. Both acute and chronic diabetic rats exhibit the defect. Defective haptoglobin appears in the serum within 4 days of onset of the disease, but insulin therapy prevents the defect. Removal of Asn-linked oligosaccharides with peptide: N-glycosidase F from Flavobacterium meningosepticum abolished the size difference between the β-chains from normal and diabetic haptoglobin, with the molecular mass in both cases shifting to 30 kDa. Haptoglobin from both normal and diabetic rats was resistant to digestion by endoglycosidase H from Streptomyces griseus, which cleaves high mannose-type chains. Removal of sialic acid with neuraminidase treatment resulted in a reduction in the molecular mass in both cases, but without eliminating the size difference between the two. These results demonstrate that haptoglobin from diabetic BB/Wor rats contains a structural abnormality which correlates with onset of the disease. The defect is most likely due to an alteration in Asn-linked oligosaccharides, probably involving a change in the neutral sugars of complex-type oligosaccharide chains. This finding represents the first example of an altered Asn-linked oligosaccharides in diabetes.
Attenuation in the control of expression of bacterial operons

Bacterial operons concerned with the biosynthesis of amino acids are often controlled by a process of attenuation. The translation product of the initial segment of the transcript of each operon is a peptide rich in the amino acid that the particular operon controls. If the amino acid is in short supply translation is stalled at the relevant codons of the transcript long enough for the succeeding segment of the transcript to form secondary structures that allow the transcribing RNA polymerase molecule to proceed through a site that otherwise dictates termination of transcription. This site is the attenuator; the process is attenuation.
Image analysis methods for real-time color grading of stonefruit

Abstract An image analysis system consisting of an illumination chamber, color camera, frame grabber, and microcomputer was developed to evaluate the color of stonefruit. Algorithms were developed for realtime maturity grading of fresh market peaches. The 13 ground color references used by the California Tree Fruit Agreement (CTFA) were measured and found to be out of order and unevenly spaced. A revised color chart was made using only six of the color references. Experimental work was conducted on four peach cultivars: O'Henry, CalRed, Summerset, and Carnival. Image analysis classification agreed with manual classification in 46% of the tests and within one color standard in 75% of the tests. Manual grading differed from image analysis and colorimeter results for the late-season cultivars due to a less blushed surface and off-scale ground colors. Blush surface area estimates by image analysis were different for the mid and late-season cultivars because of differences in their blush color and blush density.
A comparison of renal calcification produced by parathyroid extract or calcium gluconate.

Renal calcification was produced in mice by the administration of parathyroid extract or 10% calcium gluconate. The pattern of renal calcification produced by parathyroid extract differed from that produced by calcium gluconate in four respects: (1) Calcified and (2) necrotic renal tubular epithelial cells formed the background for most of the calcification. This was seen especially at the corticomedullary junction. In addition, there was (3) depletion of alkaline phosphatase activity and (4) thickening of the renal tubular basement membranes in the affected areas. The last two alterations are considered to be nonspecific and secondary to the necrosis of renal tubular epithelial cells. It is suggested that parathyroid extract has a direct effect on renal tubular epithelium and that the calcification is not related either to the hypercalcemia produced by parathyroid extract or the action of parathyroid extract on renal tubular basement membrane. In addition, we found no evidence to support the hypothesis t...
Temperament and behavioral adjustment in preschool children

Socialization of young children is a primary focus in preschool settings. One of the factors that has a strong impact on early socialization experiences and adjustment to preschool is temperament of the child. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between teachers' ratings of child temperament and preschool behavioral adjustment. High task orientation and low reactivity were found to be related to positive socialization toward teachers and the classroom setting. Personal-social flexibility was related to peer socialization variables. The relations of low task orientation and high reactivity on adaptation to preschool are discussed.
Spiritual side of “Good grief”: What happened to holy Saturday?

Abstract Pastoral and other caregivers of the recently bereaved offering spiritual counseling are urged to be mindful of the human element. Immediate and even mid-term responses to loss will and must be experienced, even in the face of the consolations offered by religious belief. To suggest that faith itself can drive out the pain of bereavement is to counsel badly. Instead, the author conceptualizes the process of grief “in a way that links the human processes of working through grief to growth with the spiritual resources of the Judeo-Christian tradition”; then he applies his model to particular counseling situations, emphasizing the benefits of his approach.
A Classical Kinetic Theory Approach to Lattice Boltzmann Simulation

An approach to lattice Boltzmann simulation is described, which makes a direct connection between classical kinetic theory and contemporary lattice Boltzmann modeling methods. This approach can lead to greater accuracy, improved numerical stability and significant reductions in computational needs, while giving a new philosophical point of view to lattice Boltzmann calculations for a large range of applications.
Procedural Rhetoric Beyond Persuasion First Strike and the Compulsion to Repeat

Over the past several years, video game studies have benefited from attention to important tools in the discipline of rhetoric. Most notably, Ian Bogost has introduced the concept of procedural rhe...
Eimeria and sarcocystis in raccoons in Illinois.

Eimeria nuttalli oocysts were found in 58% (21/36) and E. procyonis oocysts in 25% (9/36) of raccoons Procyon lotor in Illinois, and sporocysts of Sarcocystis sp. in 17% (2/12) of other raccoons in Illinois. The oocysts of E. nuttalli were ellipsoidal to ovoid. 15–21 × 12–17 μm, with a one-layered, smooth, colorless wall. The oocysts of E. procyonis were 22–28 × 18–22 μm, with a rough, striated, brownish, two-layered wall. The sporulated sporocysts of Sarcocystis sp. were 11–13 × 8–10 μm. Attempts to infect baby pigs by feeding them sporocysts of Sarcocystis sp. from the raccoon failed.