cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sedimentation Patterns of Rapidly Reversible Protein Interactions

The transport behavior of macromolecular mixtures with rapidly reversible complex formation is of great interest in the study of protein interactions by many different methods. Complicated transport patterns arise even for simple bimolecular reactions, when all species exhibit different migration velocities. Although partial differential equations are available to describe the spatial and temporal evolution of the interacting system given particular initial conditions, a general overview of the phase behavior of the systems in parameter space has not yet been reported. In the case of sedimentation of two-component mixtures, this study presents simple analytical solutions that solve the underlying equations in the diffusion-free limit previously subject to Gilbert-Jenkins theory. The new expressions describe, with high precision, the average sedimentation coefficients and composition of each boundary, which allow the examination of features of the whole parameter space at once, and may be used for experimental design and robust analysis of experimental boundary patterns to derive the stoichiometry and affinity of the complex. This study finds previously unrecognized features, including a phase transition between boundary patterns. The model reveals that the time-average velocities of all components in the reaction mixture must match—a condition that suggests an intuitive physical picture of an effective particle of the coupled cosedimentation of an interacting system. Adding to the existing numerical solutions of the relevant partial differential equations, the effective particle model provides physical insights into the relationships of the parameters that govern sedimentation patterns.
Menstrual symptoms in adolescent girls: association with smoking, depressive symptoms, and anxiety.

Abstract Purpose Dysmenorrhea affects quality of life and contributes to absenteeism from school and work, thereby diminishing opportunities for successful psychosocial and cognitive development during adolescence. In adults, depression, anxiety, and smoking have an impact on menstrual cycles and dysmenorrhea. Associations between these problems have not been examined in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to examine relations between depressive symptoms and anxiety with menstrual symptoms. Smoking was examined as a moderator of this association. Methods This study enrolled 154 postmenarcheal girls from a sample of 207 girls age 11, 13, 15, and 17 years (mean = 15.4 years [±1.9]). Self-reported measures included the Menstrual Symptom Questionnaire (MSQ), Children's Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and smoking behavior. Generalized linear regression modeled MSQ outcomes separately for depressive symptoms and anxiety. Results More depressive symptoms/anxiety were related to higher numbers of menstrual symptoms ( r = 0.23–0.44, p Conclusion This is the first study in adolescents showing smoking status and depressive symptoms/anxiety are related to menstrual symptoms, and that the impact of depressive symptoms/anxiety on menstrual symptoms is stronger in never smokers. The dynamic and complex nature of smoking, moods, and dysmenorrhea cannot be disentangled without longitudinal analyses. Efforts to reduce menstrual symptoms should begin at a young gynecological age and include consideration of mood and smoking status.
Particle size, light scattering and composition of suspended particulate matter in the North Atlantic

Abstract Suspended particulate matter characteristics were studied on the Iceland Rise and in the western North Atlantic southeast of New York. Comparison of suspended particulate matter (SPM) and light-scattering in the Iceland Rise area suggests a second-order response due to particle size and/or composition or a nonlinear response with increasing concentration. Correlations of light scattering to SPM concentration also differ regionally. Particle size distributions are more peaked in the nepheloid layer than those in clear water. The nepheloid layer samples have a mean modal size between 3 and 9 μm, interpreted as being primarily due to resuspension and advection of sediment into the region in the bottom boundary layer. Apparent densities are relatively high, though density differences between SPM in clear water and the nepheloid layer are not distinguishable in the Iceland Rise area. Apparent densities increase in the nepheloid layer in the western North Atlantic where 1.1 g cm−3 adequately separates clear water from nepheloid layer samples. Compared to clear water, the nepheloid layer in both regions includes lower percentages of small coccoliths and increased clays and mineral matter. These compositional variations are more dramatic in the western North Atlantic region, due to dissolution of carbonate at the seafloor, and later resuspension of the clays and mineral matter into the nepheloid layer.
Comparison of abdominal muscle thickness with vaginal pressure changes in healthy women.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to verify the efficacy of a pelvic floor muscle exercise program by comparing subjects’ muscle thickness with changes in vaginal pressure. [Subjects] Two groups of female participants without a medical history of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction were evaluated. The mean age of Group I was 33.5 years and that of Group II was 49.69 years. [Methods] The participants were instructed to perform a pelvic floor muscle contraction. While measuring the vaginal pressure of the pelvic floor muscle, biofeedback was given on five levels, and the thicknesses of the transversus abdominis, external oblique, and internal oblique muscles were measured with ultrasound. [Results] The thickness of the transversus abdominis muscle was significantly increased at 30 cmH2O in Group I, and at 20 cmH2O in Group II. The thickness of the internal oblique abdominal muscle significantly increased at maximum contraction in Group II. [Conclusion] Different abdominal muscles contracted depending on vaginal pressure. The result may be used to create and implement an exercise program that effectively strengthens the pelvic floor muscles.
Techno-Economic Analysis of Concentrating Solar Power Plants With Integrated Latent Thermal Storage Systems

Integrating a thermal energy storage (TES) in a concentrating solar power (CSP) plant allows for continuous operation even during times when solar radiation is not available, thus providing a reliable output to the grid. In the present study, the cost and performance models of an encapsulated phase change material thermocline storage system are integrated with a CSP power tower system model to investigate its dynamic performance. The influence of design parameters of the storage system is studied for different solar multiples of the plant to establish design envelopes that satisfy the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative requirements, which include a round-trip exergetic efficiency greater than 95% and storage cost less than $15/kWht for a minimum discharge period of 6 hours. From the design windows, optimum designs of the storage system based on minimum LCOE, maximum exergetic efficiency, and maximum capacity factor are reported and compared with the results of two-tank molten salt storage system. Overall, this study presents the first effort to construct a latent thermal energy storage (LTES)-integrated CSP plant model, that can help decision makers in assessing the impact, cost and performance of a latent thermocline energy storage system on power generation from molten salt power tower CSP plant.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
NASA Langley’s approach to the Sandia’s structural dynamics challenge problem

The objective of this challenge is to develop a data-based probabilistic model of uncertainty to predict the behavior of subsystems (payloads) by themselves and while coupled to a primary (target) system. Although this type of analysis is routinely performed and representative of issues faced in real-world system design and integration, there are still several key technical challenges that must be addressed when analyzing uncertain interconnected systems. For example, one key technical challenge is related to the fact that there is limited data on target configurations. Moreover, it is typical to have multiple data sets from experiments conducted at the subsystem level, but often samples sizes are not sufficient to compute high confidence statistics. In this challenge problem additional constraints are placed as ground rules for the participants. One such rule is that mathematical models of the subsystem are limited to linear approximations of the nonlinear physics of the problem at hand. Also, participants are constrained to use these models and the multiple data sets to make predictions about the target system response under completely different input conditions. Our approach involved initially the screening of several different methods. Three of the ones considered are presented herein. The first one is based on the transformation of the modal data to an orthogonal space where the mean and covariance of the data are matched by the model. The other two approaches worked solutions in physical space where the uncertain parameter set is made of masses, stiffnesses and damping coefficients; one matches confidence intervals of low order moments of the statistics via optimization while the second one uses a Kernel density estimation approach. The paper will touch on all the approaches, lessons learned, validation 1 metrics and their comparison, data quantity restriction, and assumptions/limitations of each approach. Keywords: Probabilistic modeling, model validation, uncertainty quantification, kernel density
Word Play, Ritual Insult, and Volleyball in Peru

Many gay men in the popular sectors of Lima, Peru participate in voley callejero, or street volleyball. The ethnographic data presented in this article describes verbal and corporal mechanisms thro...
Ironside Mountain, Oregon: A Late Tertiary Volcanic and Structural Enigma

Note: This paper is dedicated to Aaron and Elizabeth Waters on the occasion of Dr. Waters' retirement. Ironside Mountain is a 6- by 10-km block of folded rhyolite, andesite, and basalt flows of the Strawberry Volcanics bounded by a horse-shoe-shaped reverse fault and surrounded by Mesozoic rocks. The toe of the horseshoe points northeast; the fault dips outward at angles of 45° to 90°, has a minimum displacement of 600 m at the toe, and dies out or is buried at the open southwest end. Flows are folded to vertical in a crosswise anticline at the northeast end, and in a synclinal structure along the southwest edge. Local unconformities and thickening of flows in a small basin show that some deformation accompanied volcanism, which has been dated as late Miocene and early Pliocene. No centers of eruption have been identified within the Horseshoe fault. The Ironside Mountain block seems to be a unique expression of cross folding in the region. The northwest-striking Mine Ridge–Ironside anticline follows the main regional trend, and is faulted where two large down-warps strike into it from the northeast. The Ironside Mountain structure is interpreted as being a transverse compressional feature in which opposing reverse faults took the place of anticlinal folding, directly on strike with a syncline to the northeast. A horst of pre-Tertiary rocks, which has been raised at least 600 m, crosses the axes of the abutting structures; the nose of the Horseshoe fault bounds one side of it, and a range-border fault bounds the other. Cross faults, of which we found only one, are believed to have facilitated arching and longitudinal shortening within the horst.
Mechanism-based inhibitors of serine proteases with high selectivity through optimization of S′ subsite binding

Abstract A series of mechanism-based inhibitors designed to interact with the S′ subsites of serine proteases was synthesized and their inhibitory activity toward the closely-related serine proteases human neutrophil elastase (HNE) and proteinase 3 (PR 3) was investigated. The compounds were found to be time-dependent inhibitors of HNE and were devoid of any inhibitory activity toward PR 3. The results suggest that highly selective inhibitors of serine proteases whose primary substrate specificity and active sites are similar can be identified by exploiting differences in their S′ subsites. The best inhibitor (compound 16 ) had a k inact / K I value of 4580 M −1 s −1 .
Informal Participation in a Metropolitan Community

(1967). Informal Participation in a Metropolitan Community. The Sociological Quarterly: Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 85-102.
Transmitter cooperation in interference channel with delayed CSIT

In this work we study the impact of limited transmitter cooperation on interference management in two-user interference channel. In particular, we consider the two-user interference channel with delayed channel state information at the transmitters (delayed CSIT). We first present a model to capture and quantify the amount of cooperation between the transmitters. In this model we denote the fraction of shared messages that are intended for Rx 1 , Rx 2 by ρ 1 ,ρ 2 , respectively, and then, characterize the degrees of freedom (DoF) region as a function of ρ 1 , ρ 2 . As a result, the two-user interference channel and two-user multiple-input single-output (MISO) broadcast channel become special cases of no cooperation (ρ 1 = ρ 2 = 0) and full cooperation (ρ 1 = ρ 2 = 1) in our framework. Moreover, our result indicates that the maximum benefit of cooperation from the DoF perspective is achieved by sharing only half of the messages between the transmitters.
A stereochemical comparison of some addition reactions to methyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-3-deoxy-3-C-ethyl-α-D-hexopyranosid-2-uloses

Abstract Methyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-3-deoxy-3-C-ethyl-α- D -ribo-hexopyranosid-2-ulose (2) reacts with lithium aluminium hydride, methylmagnesium iodide, and phenylmagnesium bromide to give products having only the allo configuration. The C-3 epimer of 2, methyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-3-deoxy-3-C-ethyl-α- D -arabino-hexopyranosid-2-ulose (7), reacts with lithium aluminium hydride to give only a product having a gluco configuration. With methylmagnesium iodide and phenylmagnesium bromide, 7 gives products having gluco and manno configurations. The 2-C-methyl-glucopyranoside preponderates in the former reaction, and the 2-C-phenyl-mannopyranoside is the major product in the latter reaction. The reaction between 2 and diazomethane gives a spiro-epoxide having the allo configuration as the major product (i.e., the same configuration as the 2-MeMgI reaction product), whereas the 7-diazomethane reaction gives a spiro-epoxide having the manno configuration (i.e., the same configuration as the minor product from the 7-MeMgI reaction) as the major product. With the thionyl chloride-pyridine reagent, 3-deoxy-3-C-ethyl-2-C-methyl-α- D -hexopyranosides are dehydrated endocyclically when H-3 and HO-2 are antiparallel and exocyclically when H-3 and HO-2 have a gauche relationship.
Threshold behaviour of partial-wave scattering amplitude

Abstract Using the analytic properties of the scattering amplitude in the cos θ plane which were derived in the axiomatic field theory, the threshold behaviour of the elastic scattering phase shift σ l ∼ k 21+1 is proved. An additional assumption was made to exclude the threshold bound state.
Will Households Change Their Saving Behaviour After the "Great Recession"? The Role of Human Capital

The “Great Recession” of 2007–2009 (Rampell 2009) had a devastating impact on personal finances, causing households to retrench by limiting spending and reducing indebtedness. One positive outcome—evaluated by some—has been a rise in the widely cited “personal saving rate” from historic lows set in the middle of the decade. This paper evaluates the reasons for the rebound in the saving rate by undertaking a new examination of the determinants of household saving. Extending previous work and making use of data inclusive of the turbulent 2000s decade, the analysis finds support for an inverse relationship between the personal saving rate and the return to home equity. New in the research is a similar finding of an inverse relationship between the personal saving rate and the return to household investment in human capital. The results are used to make alternative forecasts of the personal saving rate through 2020. The path of the household human capital return is found to be a key determinant of these forecasts.
Social Capital in the Early Industrial Revolution

Social Capital in the Early Industrial Revolution “The arst rule” of France’s paperworkers was “to be the despotic masters of their bosses.” Journeymen across early modern Europe forged associations to control hours, output, and the identity of their shopmates. Short-lived or venerable, these combinations turned the world of production upside down. An anonymous memoire from France raged that “the master [papermakers] are like slaves of the journeymen and workers.” In 1771, an alarmed observer recast this levelling in political terms: “The journeymen paperworkers form a sort of little republican state in the midst of the monarchy.” This muscular republic had deposed the hierarchy formally inscribed in the craft. The state was concerned, too. Writing in 1772, a provincial ofacial in the Auvergne worried about “a republic of inferior workers, accustomed to laying down the law to the masters.” He knew that the paperworkers’ association deaned their social responsibilities and shaped their patterns of mutual assistance. It was the journeymen’s civic body, and the persistent measure of more than one civic tradition in the trade. Master papermakers and journeymen did not perceive themselves as members of a craft community with a single set of interests. For Putnam, medieval craft guilds were distant nurseries of effective political reform in modern Italy. More precisely, in his inouential study, Making Democracy Work, Putnam contends that the craft communities were incubators of social capital. As he understands it, social capital amounts to the “norms of reciprocity and networks of civic engagement” at the base of responsive, democratic government. These connections, he argues, were
Factors influencing calcitriol metabolism in renal failure

Factors influencing calcitriol metabolism in renal failure. Metabolic clearance rate (MCR) and production rate (PR) of calcitriol is decreased in experimental renal failure. In this experiment, we studied uremia and secondary hyperparathyroidism as possible causes of the abnormal calcitriol metabolism. Normal rats were made uremic by infusing phosphorus-free urine for 24 hours. Both the MCR (0.22 ± 0.01 ml/min/kg, N=6 P
Formation of a nitrile via zinciodide-catalyzed opening of a bay-region polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon epoxide by trimethylsilyl cyanide

Abstract Reaction of the epoxide ring of the carcinogen (±)7β,8α-dihydroxy-9α,10α-epoxy-7,8,9,10- tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene ( 1 ) with trimethylsilyl cyanide in the presence of ZnI 2 has been examined. Protection of the hydroxyl groups of the carcinogen followed by epoxide opening provides a mixture of trans and cis 9-trimethylsilyl-10-cyano derivatives ( 4 and 5 ). The formation of nitriles was confirmed by 13 C NMR, IR and hydrolysis of 4 to its amide. This is contrary to results reported for monocyclic and bicyclic rings.
The role of CD8 and CD4 T cells in intestinal allograft rejection: a comparison of monoclonal antibody-treated and knockout mice.

Background. The relative contribution of CD8 and CD4 T cells to allograft rejection remains an unresolved issue. Experimental results suggest that the relative importance of these T-cell subsets may vary depending on the model used and the organ studied. We have previously shown that treatment of murine recipients of intestinal allografts with a depleting anti-CD8 or a depleting anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) significantly inhibited allograft rejection. This study was undertaken to further examine the contribution of CD8 and CD4 T cells to the rejection of intestinal allografts. Methods. Intestinal allografts from B6C3F1/J (C57BL/6 x C3H/HeJ) mice were transplanted into C57BL/6 recipients. Recipient groups included mice with an acquired deficiency in CD8 or CD4 T cells caused by treatment with depleting mAb or mice genetically deficient in CD8 or CD4 T cells as a result of disruption of the genes encoding major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I, MHC class II, CD8, or CD4. In all cases, rejection was assessed histologically at predetermined time points. In some recipient groups, graft function was also assessed using a maltose absorption assay. Results. Rejection, assessed between days 10 and 28 after transplantation, was significantly inhibited in mice deficient in CD8 or CD4 T cells after treatment with depleting mAb. In contrast, mice genetically deficient in either CD8 T cells (MHC class I or CD8 knockouts) or CD4 T cells (MHC class II or CD4 knockouts) rejected intestinal allografts promptly. Both histologic and functional evaluation of anti-CD8 mAb-treated mice on day 60 showed that the inhibition of rejection persisted even after the return of a substantial number of CD8 T cells. Although intestinal allografts from anti-CD8 mAb-treated mice displayed little to no evidence of rejection on day 60 after transplantation, these mice were able to reject both donor and third-party skin grafts. Conclusions. These results demonstrate that the inhibition of intestinal allograft rejection associated with mAb treatment is not attributable solely to depletion of CD8 or CD4 T cells. Furthermore, anti-CD8 mAb administration did not induce donor-specific tolerance or cause nonspecific immune suppression, as indicated by the skin-grafting experiments. Our findings suggest that at least some depleting mAbs mediate their protective effect on allograft rejection via an alternative mechanism such as the induction of a regulatory cell population(s).
Microbial reduction of sulfur dioxide with pretreated sewage sludge and elemental hydrogen as electron donors.

It has been demonstrated that heat- and alkali-pretreated sewage sludge may serve as an electron donor and carbon source for SO2 reduction byDesulfovibrio desulfuricans. A continuousD. desulfuricans culture was operated for 6 mo with complete reduction of SO2 to H2S. The culture required only minor amounts of mineral nutrients in addition to pretreated sewage sludge. It has also been shown that the sulfate-reducing bacteriumDesulfotomaculum orientis can be grown on H2 as an energy source, CO2 as a carbon source, and SO2 as a terminal electron acceptor. Complete reduction of SO2 to H2S was observed.
Immobilization of Pb2+, Cd2+, Sr2+ and Ba2+ ions using calcite and aragonite

Abstract The uptake of Pb 2+ , Cd 2+ , Sr 2+ and Ba 2+ ions by calcite and aragonite were investigated in detail at room temperature using the batch method. The reactions of strontianite and witherite with the heavy metal ions were also examined in order to clarify their selectivity on different carbonate compounds. The Pb 2+ ions were fixed as cerussite by both calcite and aragonite. Although Cd 2+ ions reacted with aragonite to form otavite, Cd 2+ did not react with calcite. The reactions of calcite and aragonite with Sr 2+ and Ba 2+ ions was very sluggish and yielded strontianite and witherite, respectively. The orders of the selectivity of the heavy metal ions for carbonate compounds were determined to be as follows: rmPb 2+ > Sr 2+ > Ba 2+ >> Cd 2+ for calcite; Pb 2+ > Cd 2+ > Sr 2+ > Ba 2+ for aragonite; Cd 2+ >Pb 2+ > Ba 2+ for strontianite; Pb 2+ >Cd 2+ > Sr 2+ for witherite. The immobilization of the heavy metal ions using carbonate compounds proceeded by dissolution and recrystallization mechanism rather than by a topotactic reaction.
Working with Disney: Interviews with Animators, Producers, and Artists Don Peri. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2011.

Working with Disney: Interviews with Animators, Producers, and Artists Don Peri. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 201 1 .In 1974 Don Peri began working with retired Disney animator, producer, and director Ben Sharpsteen on his memoirs chronicling his thirty-year career at the studio. By that time, Walt Disney, who died in 1966, was already gone, as were several other creative artists who had worked with him on his most memorable film, television, and theme park projects. Peri set out to find and interview as many of Disney's associates as he could, reaching some of them shortly before they passed away. The results of his quest appear in this book. He conducted interviews in any way that he could: in person, by telephone, or through mail. Peri is a first-rate interviewer who knows his subject well, and his connection to Sharpsteen gave him access to many of those who worked most closely with Disney. The fifteen interviews recounted here, conducted between 1977 and 2005, address all areas of Disney's enterprise, with particular emphasis on animation. Collectively, they provide insight into the animation process, studio life, and what it was like to be a member of Disney's inner circle during his most creative period.The volume begins with an introduction recounting the life and work of Walt Disney, along with the events that prompted Peri to seek out those to tell his story. It also contains an explanation of animation terms for the uninitiated, as well as an index. However, the meat of the book is, of course, the interviews themselves, organized in chronological order, each preceded by a short biography of the interviewee.Peri asked many of his informants the same questions, such as when they first met Disney and their feelings toward him. The word "awe" kept recurring. "We were pretty much in awe of him," says animator Marc Davis, "because after all, you could open up magazines and here were articles about this man" (43). Animator Ollie Johnston concurs, noting, "I would say you were kind of in awe of this guy all of the time, even outside of the studio or wherever you met him, so it was a little difficult to get on the same basis with him that you would with some other worker here or some other animator" (19). Another Disney employee, Xavier (X) Atencio, says he practically fell to the floor and kissed Disney's feet when realized that the big boss knew his name. The interviews suggest many reasons for the awe, such as Disney's total recall of conversations; his powers of observation, such as noticing when one blinks, the lower lid doesn't move; his method of achieving quality animation by having people with incompatible styles work together on characters or scenes; or his ability to tell a good story and generate warmth by interweaving the personalities of the characters, as in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. …
Development of capillary optics for microbeam applications with synchrotron radition

Capillary optics have been suggested some time ago to confine x-ray beams to the size of a few microns. First experiments using glass capillaries of various sizes and shapes have been reported recently. We discuss the design and fabrication of capillary optics at CHESS, the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, for applications such as Laue diffraction, x-ray fluorescence, and small angle scattering. Early results in the production of the glass optics led to the construction of a glass pulling device to ensure a controlled fabrication process. Large efforts have been made to carefully evaluate the quality of these x-ray optics. MEtrology tests show good agreement between the design figure (e.g. linear or parabolic taper) and the actual profile, and indicate a high reproducibility in the production. X-ray tests have been carried out at CHESS employing white synchrotron radiation and monochromatic beams at different energies. Using a variety of glass materials it was discovered that surface roughness is often limiting the performance of these glass optics. Details on a microscopy analysis of the reflecting inner surface from capillaries are presented. In a survey of several glasses, soda-lime material was found to have the smoothest surface structure.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Extreme lateral supracerebellar infratentorial approach to the posterolateral mesencephalon: technique and clinical experience.

OBJECTIVE: Lesions situated posterolaterally along the mesencephalon present neurosurgeons with a special challenge. The midline and paramedian variations of the supracerebellar infratentorial approaches do not adequately expose this region. The subtemporal approach risks injury to the vein of Labbe. An extreme lateral supracerebellar infratentorial approach with more radical resection of bone superiorly and laterally, and skeletonization of the sigmoid and transverse sinuses, was used to approach lesions at this location in eight patients. The clinical series is presented, and the regional surgical anatomy is described. METHODS: Five cavernous malformations, two juvenile pilocytic astrocytomas, and one peripheral superior cerebellar artery aneurysm located in this region were approached in eight patients. In this extreme lateral approach, the sigmoid sinus is unroofed more superiorly and the bone flap includes not only a posterior fossa craniotomy but also a portion that extends just above the transverse sinus. The dural opening is based along the transverse and sigmoid sinuses. After the cerebrospinal fluid has been drained, the lateral aspect of the brainstem is approached via the cerebellar surface. A proximal tentorial incision offers additional rostral exposure where needed. RESULTS: Seven patients in this series underwent successful resection of their lesion. The remaining patient's aneurysm was clipped successfully with no major complications. CONCLUSION: The extreme lateral supracerebellar infratentorial approach differs from the midline and paramedian supracerebellar infratentorial variants in the area of exposure, patient positioning, and location of the craniotomy. The technique is effective for approaching the posterolateral mesencephalon.
Localization of gallium-67 during embryogenesis.

SummaryIsotope uptake in embryos and tissues of pregnant mice was determined 24 hr after intravenous inoculation of pregnant mice with either 67Ga or [3H]TdR. 67Ga concentration in embryos and associated maternal tissue at 6–8 days was comparable to values reported previously in normal adult mouse tissues, whereas in embryos at 9–11 days, it equaled or surpassed concentrations reported in leukemic tissues of adult AKR and BALB/c mice. By Day 13, 67Ga counts were diminished in the embryos. The 67Ga concentration in the thymus of pregnant mice decreased progressively with increasing gestation time, as did [3H]TdR uptake in embryonic tissue. Autoradiograms revealed that the 67Ga localized in fetal membranes, limb buds, and vertebrae of the embryos and in the decidua. Conversely, embryos and de–cidua labeled with [3H]TdR indicated no such selectivity. 67Ga did not localize in crypt cells of the intestinal tract, whereas [3H]TdR did. Therefore, incorporation of 67Ga in the fetal tissues and decidua did not app...
Coagulation factor X inhibitor from hundred-pace snake (Deinagkistrodon acutus) venom

Abstract Deinagkistrodon acutus venom contains a collection of anticoagulant proteins that has been reported to prevent prothrombinase assembly ( Teng and Seegers , 1981, Thromb. Res. 23, 255). A partial sequence indicates that these proteins are related to the functionally equivalent protein in Trimeresurus flavoviridis ( Atoda et al., 1991, J. Biochem. 106, 808). Inhibition of prothrombinase, the complex of Factors Xa and Va combined with phospholipids, is expressed in bovine, human, and rat plasmas as indicated by an assay dependent on only prothrombinase activity. The concentration dependence of inhibition of prothrombin conversion by different combinations of the components of bovine prothrombinase under the same conditions yielded estimates of apparent dissociation constants of 104 nM and 2 nM for complexes of the inhibitor with Factor Xa and with Factors Xa and Va, respectively. Because this inhibitor does not prevent Factor Xa alone from converting prothrombin, but blocks the other combinations, we conclude the inhibitor prevents the complex of Factors Xa and Va from binding to phospholipid surfaces and to prothrombin. The inhibitor also blocks the activation of Factor X by Factor VIIa and thromboplastin as well. However, the inhibitor has no effect on thrombin-induced clotting or fibrinolysis induced by either plasminogen activator or streptokinase. Therefore, this inhibitor has several properties required of an anticoagulant, therapeutic agent.
Activity of quinupristin/dalfopristin and its components against Haemophilus influenzae

Quinupristin/dalfopristin is an injectable streptogramin antibiotic that is constituted in a 30:70 (w/w) ratio of the two components. Quinupristin and dalfopristin are thought to act synergically by binding to two separate sites on the bacterial 50S ribosomal subunit. The in-vitro activities of the two components separately and together in different ratios were determined for a collection of 100 Haemophilus influenzae strains representing various antimicrobial resistance phenotypes. The NCCLS microdilution susceptibility testing procedure incorporating Haemophilus test medium (HTM) broth was used to determine MICs of quinupristin, dalfopristin and seven other antimicrobial agents. The MIC 50 and MIC 90 values were 4 and 8, 4 and 16, and 64 and 128 mg/L for quinupristin/dalfopristin (30:70), dalfopristin and quinupristin, respectively. MICs of quinupristin and dalfopristin were also determined in Mueller-Hinton lysed horse blood broth and by HTM agar dilution testing. Compared with HTM broth-derived results, the MICs of quinupristin/dalfopristin and its components were the same or one dilution higher in lysed horse blood and HTM agar incubated in air, and were equivalent or one dilution lower in HTM agar incubated in a CO 2 atmosphere. The MICs of quinupristin and dalfopristin separately or together were directly proportional to erythromycin MICs, but were otherwise unaffected by any of the resistance mechanisms represented in these strains. MICs of quinupristin and dalfopristin combined in ratios of 10:90, 70:30 and 90:10 did not differ significantly from those of the 30:70 ratio. Thus, unlike the synergic activity noted against Gram-positive bacteria, the activity of quinupristin/ dalfopristin against H. influenzae appears to be due almost entirely to the dalfopristin component of the combination.
The relative efficacy of respirators and room ventilation in preventing occupational tuberculosis

Objectives To evaluate the relative efficacy of personal respiratory protection as the concentrations of infectious aerosols increase or as room ventilation rates decrease. Methods We modified the Wells-Riley mathematical model of airborne transmission of disease by adding a variable for respirator leakage. We modeled three categories of infectiousness using various room ventilation rates and classes of respirators over a 10-hour exposure period. Results The risk of infection decreases exponentially with increasing room ventilation or with increasing personal respiratory protection. The relative efficacy of personal respiratory protection decreases as room ventilation rates increase or as the concentrations of infectious aerosols decrease. Conclusions These modeling data suggest that the risk of occupational tuberculosis probably can be lowered considerably by using relatively simple respirators combined with modest room ventilation rates for the infectious aerosols likely to be present in isolation rooms of newly diagnosed patients. However, more sophisticated respirators may be needed to achieve a comparable risk reduction for exposures to more highly concentrated aerosols, such as may be generated during cough-inducing procedures or autopsies involving infectious patients. There is probably minimal benefit to the use of respirators in well-ventilated isolation rooms with patients receiving appropriate therapy.
Instructor Perceptions of Plagiarism: Are We Finding Common Ground?.

This study examined instructor views of what constitutes plagiarism. The authors collected questionnaire data from 158 participants recruited through three teaching-related electronic listservs. Results showed that most participants agreed that behaviors that claim credit for someone else’s work constituted plagiarism. Instructors differed in their perceptions of whether “recycling” one’s work was plagiarism. Exploratory analyses showed that being likely to “do nothing” in response to plagiarism was related to perceiving recycling as appropriate, whereas being likely to consult the appropriate university committee when faced with plagiarism was related to perceiving recycling as inappropriate. Thus, common ground is emerging in definitions of plagiarism, though instructors should discuss among themselves, and clarify to students, the appropriateness of recycling one’s work.
Effect of atomic size on the effective polarizability of physisorbed atoms

Calculations of the effective polarizability of atoms adsorbed on metal surfaces have usually represented the atom by a polarizable point dipole. A simple model which includes an atomic size parameter but neglects exchange and correlation effects between the atom and the metal is used to investigate the validity of the polarizable point atom approach. A gradient expansion technique within the density functional formalism is used in this calculation. Results indicate that atomic size can greatly reduce the enhancement of the effective polarizability found from the polarizable point atom approximation. Les calculs de polarisabilite effective des atomes adsorbes sur les surfaces metaliques ont d'ordinaire represente l'atome par un point dipole polarisable. Une simple modele qui comprend un parametre de dimension atomique mais neglige les effets d'echange et de correlation entre l'atome et le metal est utilise pour examiner la validite du modele point polarisable. Une technique d'expansion du gradient dans la densite fonctionnelle formale est utilise dans ce calcul. Les resultats indiquent que les dimensions atomiques peuvent reduire fortament l'augmentation de la polarisabilite effective obtenue par l'approximation du point atome polarisable.
Progressive Source Transmissions Using Joint Source-Channel Coding and Hierarchical Modulation in Packetized Networks

With Unequal Error Protection (UEP), more important symbols are given greater protection against channel errors than are less important symbols. The protection can be accomplished by various methods, including joint source-channel coding (JSCC) and hierarchical modulation. In this paper, a robust progressive source transmission system using forward error correction (FEC) and a bits-to-symbol assignment methodology that provides UEP is proposed. UEP is not only provided by hierarchical modulation but also by the packetization methodology combined with channel coding. It is demonstrated by simulation that our system improves performance compared to an Equal Error Protection (EEP) technique and to a baseline JSCC-only mechanism.
TPM Meets DRE: Reducing the Trust Base for Electronic Voting Using Trusted Platform Modules

We reduce the required trusted computing base for direct recording electronic (DRE) voting machines with a design based on trusted platform modules (TPMs). Our approach ensures election data integrity by binding the voter's choices with the presented ballot using a platform vote ballot (PVB) signature key managed by the TPM. The TPM can use the PVB key only when static measurements of the software reflect an uncompromised state and when a precinct judge enters a special password revealed on election day. Using the PVB with the TPM can expose authorized software, ballot modifications, vote tampering, and creation of fake election records early in the election process. Our protocol places trust in tamper resistant hardware, not in mutable system software. Although we are not the first to suggest using TPMs in voting, we are the first to provide a detailed engineering protocol that binds the voter choices with the presented ballot and uses the TPM to enforce election policy. We present the protocol, architecture, assumptions, and security arguments in enough detail to support further analysis or implementation.
Growth and Characterization of BxGal-xN on 6H-SiC (0001) by MOVPE

Boron was incorporated into GaN in order to determine its limits of solubility, its ability of reducing the lattice constant mismatch with 6H-SiC, as well as its effects on the structural and optical properties of GaN epilayers. B x Ga l-x N films were deposited on 6H-SiC (0001) substrates at 950 °C by low pressure MOVPE using diborane, trimethylgallium, and ammonia as precursors. A single phase alloy with x=0.015 was successfully produced at a gas reactant B/Ga ratio of 0.005. Phase separation into pure GaN and B x Ga l-x N alloy with x=0.30 was deposited for a B/Ga reactant ratio of 0.01. This is the highest B fraction of the wurtzite structure alloy ever reported. For B/Ga ratio ≥ 0.02, no B x Ga l-x N was formed, and the solid solution contained two phases: wurtzite GaN and BN based on the results of Auger and x-ray diffraction. The band edge emission of B x Ga l-x N varied from 3.451 eV for x=0 with FWHM of 39.2 meV to 3.465 eV for x=0.015 with FWHM of 35.1 meV. The narrower FWHM indicated that the quality of GaN epilayer was improved with small amount of boron incorporation.
A Cognitive Map for an Artificial Agent

We show how a general-purpose cognitive architecture augmented with a general diagrammatic component can represent and reason about Large-scale Space. The diagrammatic component allows an agent built in this architecture to represent information both symbolically and diagrammatically as appropriate. Using examples we show (a) how the agent’s bimodal representation captures its knowledge about large-scale space as well as how it learns this information while problem solving and (b) the agent’s flexibility when it comes to using learned information and incorporating new information in solving problems involving large-scale space.
ArtSurf: a method for deformable partial matching of protein small-molecule binding sites

Proteins and many other biologically relevant molecules are flexible, and the flexibility of a given molecule is one of its important characteristics. In particular, the degree of global and local flexibility of proteins is an important characteristic of protein small-molecule binding sites. In this article, the binding site comparison problem [31, 11, 20, 30, 24, 33] is presented as a deformable partial surface matching problem [7, 13]. The problem is labeled as partial matching because we seek the best match for a given smaller query site (e.g. a small molecule fragment binding site) with respect to each larger binding site (in the search dataset). The question we address is "how can a given part of a binding site be realistically deformed to obtain the best partial match between that part and a full binding site"? This goal is addressed by optimizing the similarity between the site representations subject to modeling the proteins as kinematic chains. The preliminary results of our implementation (ArtSurf) show that the proposed approach is feasible, and that the implementation gives physically reasonable results which improve the detection of partial binding site similarity.
Corruption in sub‐Saharan Africa: A phenomenological study

The author conducted a qualitative phenomenological study to identify and describe the challenges of government leaders with regard to addressing corrupt practices in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Tanzania. The author interviewed 12 senior government leaders to explore their perceptions on corrupt practices in sub-Saharan Africa. Interview data collected resulted in five themes encompassing the need for change in education and behaviors among citizens, media freedom, government transparency, election reform, and global sanctions. The study findings provide a fresh perspective on the challenges of corrupt practices particularly facing leaders in sub-Saharan Africa, which extend beyond the prevailing theories of corruption.
A framework for software development for distributed parallel computing systems

A framework for software development for distributed parallel computing systems based on the parallel object-oriented functional computational model PROOF is presented. The authors approach enables programming to be independent of the configuration of the computing system on which the program is executed. In their approach, the programmer does not need to be bothered by the parallelism in the application or the architectural details. These considerations can be handled at the translation and the allocation stages. Their approach retains the benefits of both the object-oriented as well the functional paradigms. >
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of protein L-isoaspartyl O-methyltransferase from wheat germ.

Wheat-germ protein l-isoaspartyl O-methyltransferase (WPIMT) can initiate the conversion of l-isoaspartyl residues in a protein or peptide, which accumulate during the aging process in wheat-germ seeds, to normal l-aspartyl groups. The recombinant protein of WPIMT was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. The protein was crystallized in the presence of S-­adenosine-l-homocysteine using 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol. Preliminary X-ray analysis indicated a tetragonal space group P41212 or P43212, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 77.3, c = 152.9 A for cryofrozen crystals at 90 K. The crystals diffracted to 3.3 A and contain two molecules per asymmetric unit.
An alternative approach to macro processing

This paper presents the basic principles of, and the motivation for, an alternative method of processing syntax macros. The inspiration for this work derives from some obvious shortcomings and inefficiencies in conventional macro processing schemes. However, our primary interest is not in designing a faster macro processor; rather it lies in isolating the underlying ideas of syntax macros, realizing their implications, and producing a clean and economical scheme based on these principles. The compiler model in terms of which we shall couch our discussions is a very familiar one, namely that of the two-pass compilation process. The first pass consists of syntactic and semantic analysis, and converts a source language program into an intermediate language (computation tree) form, which represents the meaning of the program. The second pass is then either an object code selector or an interpreter.
New records of adventive Carabidae (Coleoptera) found in California

Abstract One new state record and two range extensions are documented in California for three species of adventive European carabid species: Harpalus affinis (Schrank, 1781) and Amara apricaria (Paykull, 1790) and Agonum muelleri (Herbst, 1784), respectively.