cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interface- and diffusion-limited capillary rise of reactive melts with a transient contact angle

The kinetics of unidirectional capillary penetration by a reactive fluid under the limiting cases of diffusion control and interface control has been derived for the reactive infiltration phenomenon characterized by a shrinking capillary radius due to interphase formation and an exponentially decaying contact angle. The computational outcomes for the reactive penetration of Si3N4 capillaries by AgCuTi brazes and of carbon capillaries by Si show that greater lengths are attained at lower values of the parabolic rate constant (under diffusion control), and the limiting length is reached earlier at larger values of the linear rate constant (under interface control). A capillary-driven flow analysis (Washburn equation) overestimates the infiltration kinetics, whereas an analysis that considers pore shrinkage but assumes the contact angle and the capillary pressure to be constant during flow underestimates the kinetics. The penetration lengths predicted by the analysis at pore closure due to reaction choking exhibit a slightly better agreement with the recent measurements in the Si/C system than the models of reactive flows currently in vogue.
The self-consistent random phase approximation

Abstract An analysis is made of the self-consistent random phase approximation (SCRPA) in which the ground-state function satisfies the annihilation condition. It is shown that the ground state for a two-electron system is identical with that obtained by a variational calculation including doubly-excited configurations and that the excitation energies are the same as the Tamm-Dancoff values corrected for the ground-state correlation energy. To illustrate the iterative procedure by which the SCRPA solution is obtained, an application to H2 is included.
Cryothermodynamics: the chaotic dynamics of paleoclimate

Abstract What: The evidence for irregular climatic change between warm (thermos) and cold (cryos) extremes is reviewed, concentrating on the last two million years, the Quaternary. Who: The suspects in generating this irregular evolution of temperature and ice volume are the climatic subsystems, atmosphere, oceans, ice sheets, bedrock and biota. Processes within each subsystem are briefly described, including major feedback mechanisms that characterize their collective behavior. How: Simple, semi-empirical models are formulated and shown to have irregular behavior with both quasi-periodic and aperiodic components. Model behavior is compared with the evidence, to determine the likeliest set of suspects.
Biomaterials and collagen synthesis

A highly reactive biomaterial (clay) and a relatively nonreactive substance (silicone) were implanted separately in primarily closed incisions on the backs of rats. Collagen synthesis was determined in biopsies from each test site after 8 days. The biochemical measurements of collagen synthesis showed a significant correlation with the gross pathologic and histologic findings.
SN 1006 in context: from Type Ia supernova to remnant

The evolutionary phases in going from a Type Ia supernova explosion to a 1000-yr-old remnant are reviewed. The explosion sets up the density and composition structure of the ejecta and can have radiative effects on the surroundings. The early shock interactions may be observable at radio and X-ray wavelengths if the circumstellar density is sufficiently high. The later interaction with the interstellar medium is affected by the collisionless shock physics and hydrodynamic instabilities.
New polyphenylated phthalocyanine derivatives

A new class of polyphenylated phthalocyanine derivatives containing near-planar aromatic rings attached to the phthalocyanine core has been synthesized. The aromatic rings contributed to a significant red shift of the Q-band absorption. Linear optical and electrochemical properties of these derivatives are described.
Chemical reactions in chaotic flows

Abstract Chemical reactions in time-periodic 2D chaotic flows are examined by solving numerically the convection-diffusion-reaction equation. Three flow conditions are considered: a predominantly regular system, a predominantly chaotic system with a few regular islands, and a globally chaotic system devoid of noticeable islands. Chaotic mixing has a strong impact on systems undergoing a single bimolecular reaction A + B → C. Maximum concentration of C occurs in well-mixed chaotic regions; in comparison, little reaction takes place inside poorly mixed non-chaotic islands. Chaotic mixing also has a significant impact on competitive-consecutive reactions A + B → P, B + P → W. The relative amounts of P and W generated by the reactions are strongly affected by the presence of islands. While the desired product P predominates in chaotic regions, most of the waste W is generated inside islands.
Prolegomena to a Commentary on Mark

IN my Genius of Paul: A Study in History I set forth some opinions and tentative suggestions about the Gospel According to Mark, and these brought a flattering invitation from the editor of JBR to expand and develop them. These opinions, for whatever they are worth, derive in greatest part from whatever academic and strictly scholarly inclinations I have, yet also from my being a teacher. I teach, "an introduction to the New Testament," a course prescribed in our curriculum for rabbinic students. The course has several purposes, and among them that of leading the students to a beginning appreciation of the religion and the Scripture of our Christian neighbors and friends. The friendly interpreter and the pedant are often blended harmoniously in one single person, but at times they are not. For me to try to portray affirmatively what seem to me to be Christian attitudes toward the Gospels cannot always preclude the assessment which the pedant in me must make of the Gospels. Accordingly, there are junctures at which I am impelled to say something of this kind, that while the Gospels have come over the centuries to mean "X" to Christians, in my judgment, when they were written they meant "Y."
Predicting hyperarticulate speech during human-computer error resolution

Abstract When speaking to interactive systems, people sometimes hyperarticulate — or adopt a clarified form of speech that has been associated with increased recognition errors. The goals of the present study were (1) to establish a flexible simulation method for studying users' reactions to system errors, (2) to analyze the type and magnitude of linguistic adaptations in speech during human-computer error resolution, (3) to provide a unified theoretical model for interpreting and predicting users' spoken adaptations during system error handling, and (4) to outline the implications for developing more robust interactive systems. A semi-automatic simulation method with a novel error generation capability was developed to compare users' speech immediately before and after system recognition errors, and under conditions varying in error base-rate. Matched original-repeat utterance pairs then were analyzed for type and magnitude of linguistic adaptation. When resolving errors with a computer, it was revealed that users actively tailor their speech along a spectrum of hyperarticulation, and as a predictable reaction to their perception of the computer as an “at risk” listener. During both low and high error rates, durational changes were pervasive, including elongation of the speech segment and large relative increases in the number and duration of pauses. During a high error rate, speech also was adapted to include more hyper-clear phonological features, fewer disfluencies, and change in fundamental frequency. The two-stage CHAM model (Computer-elicited Hyperarticulate Adaptation Model) is proposed to account for these changes in users' speech during interactive error resolution.
Making It Real: Enhancing Curriculum Delivery Through the Use of Student-Generated Training Videos

ABSTRACT This article describes and critiques the creation of a student-centered, reality-based training video undertaken by students and faculty from the departments of social work and visual arts at a northeastern university. There are several key and innovative aspects to this video. It is a collaboration between faculty and students of the schools of social work and the arts: social work students play themselves and students and affiliates of the school of the arts play clients and were responsible for all technical aspects of the video. The interactions portrayed are based on real social work student process recordings, and client-worker interactions are followed by a supervisory session, underscoring the importance of feedback for learning. The relevant literature on a variety of teaching techniques on which we based our work, including the use of role plays, simulated clients, and video technology, is reviewed. Social work educators are encouraged to develop their own videos depicting their student...
Naphthalene-induced crayfish muscle membrane hyperpolarization

Abstract 1. Resting membrane potentials were recorded intracellularly from crayfish walking leg muscles. Application of 5, 12 or 15 ppm naphthalene produced a reversible hyperpolarization of membrane potential to 150% of normal resting level. 2. Excitatory postsynaptic potentials (SPSPs) were recorded following nerve stimulation and found to be significantly increased in amplitude following naphthalene (5 ppm) addition. 3. Membrane hyperpolarization was unaffected by tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA), but eliminated by ouabain suggesting that naphthalene may act via stimulation of an electrogenic membrane pump.
Bayesian inference of epistatic interactions in case-control studies

Epistatic interactions among multiple genetic variants in the human genome may be important in determining individual susceptibility to common diseases. Although some existing computational methods for identifying genetic interactions have been effective for small-scale studies, we here propose a method, denoted 'bayesian epistasis association mapping' (BEAM), for genome-wide case-control studies. BEAM treats the disease-associated markers and their interactions via a bayesian partitioning model and computes, via Markov chain Monte Carlo, the posterior probability that each marker set is associated with the disease. Testing this on an age-related macular degeneration genome-wide association data set, we demonstrate that the method is significantly more powerful than existing approaches and that genome-wide case-control epistasis mapping with many thousands of markers is both computationally and statistically feasible.
Induction of T-cell proliferation and enhancement of NK activity by supernatants from Con A-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells: A new lymphokine

Abstract Supernatants from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells activated by Con A contain a factor(s) that stimulates blastogenic activity of normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. This Con A supernatant (CAS) contains stimulatory activity for E-rosette positive lymphocytes (T cells) and requires adherent cells for stimultion of T-cell proliferation. CAS does not contain detectable amounts of IL-2 as determined by its inability to support CTLL cell growth. Nor does it contain IL-1 or interferon. Examination of functional activity of lymphocytes stimulated for 3 days by CAS revealed that NK activity is augmented. This supernate does not appear to have any direct effect on B-cell function, although it induces suppression of polyclonal PWM stimulation of immunoglobulins. Thus, CAS appears to contain a new cytokine with immunomodulating potential.
Theoretical analysis of microcapsule mass transport behavior

Abstract Fundamental microcapsule mass balance equations are used to describe the mass transport behavior of a diffusing species into or out of a microcapsule with a continuous, spherical core/shell structure. These equations demonstrate that a capsule shell thickness of 1 6 the capsule outer diameter maximizes the time required for the diffusing species to reach a specified concentration within the inner core region of the microcapsule. This optimum capsule thickness depends solely upon capsule geometry and corresponds to an active agent loading well below that often found in current microcapsules.
Interpreting protein/DNA interactions: distinguishing specific from non-specific and electrostatic from non-electrostatic components

We discuss the effectiveness of existing methods for understanding the forces driving the formation of specific protein–DNA complexes. Theoretical approaches using the Poisson–Boltzmann (PB) equation to analyse interactions between these highly charged macromolecules to form known structures are contrasted with an empirical approach that analyses the effects of salt on the stability of these complexes and assumes that release of counter-ions associated with the free DNA plays the dominant role in their formation. According to this counter-ion condensation (CC) concept, the salt-dependent part of the Gibbs energy of binding, which is defined as the electrostatic component, is fully entropic and its dependence on the salt concentration represents the number of ionic contacts present in the complex. It is shown that although this electrostatic component provides the majority of the Gibbs energy of complex formation and does not depend on the DNA sequence, the salt-independent part of the Gibbs energy—usually regarded as non-electrostatic—is sequence specific. The CC approach thus has considerable practical value for studying protein/DNA complexes, while practical applications of PB analysis have yet to demonstrate their merit.
959-102 What “Dose” of Oxygen is Required in Treating Prolonged Cardiac Arrest

Introduction Selective aortic (Ao) perfusion and oxygenation (SAPO) with oxygenated ultra-purified polymerized bovine hemoglobin (UPBH) is an effective adjunct to ACLS in the treatment of cardiac arrest. The optimal volume of oxygenated UPBH, equivalent to a dosage of oxygen, is not known. Purpose Determine the dose/response relationship between intra-Ao UPBH and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Methods Randomized, interventional study using a canine model of VF with a prolonged “down-time” and CPR based on external chest compression. After chloralose anesthesia, the blood gases and vital signs were normalized. ECG, Ao arch and intra-esophageal pressures were measured continuously. A descending Ao occlusion-infusion balloon catheter was placed through the femoral artery. Ventricular fibrillation was induced and BLS begun after 10 min, Inter-animal differences in BLS were minimized by standardization of esophageal pulse pressure and Ao blood gases. At 13 min. the Ao occlusion balloon was inflated and 10, 20 or 30 cc/kg of UPBH (equivalent to 1.8,3.6, and 5.4 ml 02/kg) was infused at 300 cc/min. Defibrillation with 8 J/kg was attempted at end infusion. Results N = 17. Only 2 of 5 animals given 10 cc/kg of UPBH had ROSC, verses 4 of 5 given 20 cc/kg, and all 7 animals given 30 cc/kg had ROSC (p = 0.05). All resuscitated animals were alive at one hour. Conclusions There is a dose-response relationship between the volume of oxygen administered by SAPO and the rate of ROSC after prolonged cardiac arrest. Thirty cc/kg of UPBH, equivalent to 5.4 ml 02/kg, appeared optimal in this model.
Vocal cord paralysis in children.

Purpose of review Vocal fold paralysis (VFP) is an increasingly commonly identified problem in the pediatric patient. Diagnostic and management techniques honed in adult laryngologic practice have been successfully applied to children. Recent findings Iatrogenic causes, including cardiothoracic procedures, remain a common cause of unilateral VFP. Neurologic disorders predominate in the cause of bilateral VFP. Diagnosis with electromyography is currently being evaluated in children. Treatment of VFP is centered around symptomology, which is commonly divided between voice and airway concerns. Speech therapy shows promise in older children. Surgical management for unilateral VFP with injection laryngoplasty is commonly performed and well tolerated. Laryngeal reinnervation is currently being applied to the pediatric population as a permanent treatment and offers several advantages over laryngeal framework procedures. For bilateral VFP, tracheotomy is still commonly performed. Glottic dilation procedures are performed both openly and endoscopically with a high degree of success. Summary VFP is a well recognized problem in pediatric patients with disordered voice and breathing. Some patients will spontaneously recover their laryngeal function. For those who do not, a variety of reliable techniques are available for rehabilitative treatment.
Low frequency noise spectroscopy in InAs/GaAs resonant tunneling quantum dot infrared photodetectors

We have studied the temperature dependence of low-frequency noise in InAs-GaAs resonant tunneling quantum dot infrared photodetectors (T-QDIPs). The noise in these devices has been investigated in the temperature range of 78-300K. The noise spectrum showed a weak Lorentzian component superimposed upon the 1/fγ spectrum. The change in the cut-off frequency of the Lorentzian was analyzed as a function of temperature. The activation energy of the trap associated with this Lorentzian was obtained as 0.155eV, which is in good agreement with the energy of the lowest energy state in the quantum dot.
What are Degrees of Freedom

(1973). What are Degrees of Freedom? The American Statistician: Vol. 27, No. 5, pp. 227-228.
Genome-wide mRNA profiling reveals heterochronic allelic variation and a new imprinted gene in hybrid maize endosperm.

We have taken a genomic approach to examine global gene expression in the maize endosperm in relation to dosage and parental effects. Endosperm of eight hybrids generated by reciprocal crosses and their seven inbred parents were sampled at three developmental stages: 10, 14, and 21 days after pollination (DAP). These samples were subjected to GeneCalling, an open-ended mRNA-profiling technology, which simultaneously analyzes thousands of genes. Results indicated that the overall level of gene expression in the maize endosperm was dosage-dependent, that is, the gene expression was proportional to the parental genome contribution of 2n maternal : 1n paternal. However, approximately 8% of the genes deviated from such allelic additive expression and exhibited differential expression in hybrids of reciprocal crosses, resembling either maternally or paternally expressed genes. There were more genes with maternal-like expression (MLE) than those with paternal-like expression (PLE). Allele-specific expression analysis of four selected genes using the WAVE denaturing HPLC (dHPLC) system revealed several mechanisms responsible for the deviation from the allelic additive expression in the hybrid endosperm: heterochronic allelic variation, allelic variation in the level of expression, and genomic imprinting. We discovered a novel imprinted gene no-apical-meristem (NAM) related protein1 (nrp1) that was expressed only in the endosperm and regulated by gene-specific imprinting. The nrp1 gene, a putative transcriptional factor, may play an important role in endosperm development.
The Significance of Laryngeal Edema Following Radiotherapy of Carcinoma of the Vocal Cord

Laryngeal edema persisting for more than three months following radiotherapy developed in 38 of 247 (15.4%) patients irradiated for carcinoma of the vocal cord. In 17 (44.7%) of these patients, the laryngeal edema was associated with persistent or recurrent disease, although only 25.4% of the patients with uncontrolled disease had laryngeal edema. The incidence of laryngeal edema was 13.1% for T1 disease, 23.8% for T2, and 21.4% for T3 and T4 disease. It increased significantly with increase of minimum tumor dose greater than or equal to 7000 rads or with NSD greater than 1900 ret, being 46.2% with minimum tumor dose greater than or equal to 7000 rad and 13.7% with minimum tumor dose less than 7000 rad and 43% with NSD greater than 1900 ret and 17% with NSD less than or equal to 1900 ret. It also increased with increase of field size, being 13.4% with field sizes less than 6.0 x 6.0 cm2, and 24.4% with field sizes greater than or equal to 6.0 x 6.0 cm2. When laryngeal edema is progressive and unresponsive to conservative measures, multiple biopsies should be performed to establish the presence of persistent or recurrent disease before salvage surgery is attempted. However, if it is mild, stable, no visible recurrence develops, and especially if it is limited to the arytenoids, no biopsy should be attempted because of the risk of inducing laryngeal necrosis.
Transfer matrix relationships for repeated structures

Abstract When a system consists of repeated identical sections, the method of transfer matrices offers a simple solution. The system equation is expressed in terms of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the transfer matrix element.
Learning from legacies: fiber types, phenotypes, and human performance.

> “ Men love to wonder, and that is the seed of our science ….” > > —Ralph Waldo Emerson ([4][1]) emerson, echoing Aristotle's famous dictum, suggests that scientific inquiry begins in wonder. In the comparatively new discipline of exercise physiology, this wonder often has its roots in our
Some Factors Affecting the Resistance to Flexing

Abstract Failure on flexing has been shown to be due to oxidation rather than mechanical fatigue or the action of ozone. The action of secondary aromatic amines of the type of phenyl-β-naphthylamine in retarding the failure of rubber on flexing lies in their antioxidant properties. WITHIN the last few years the deterioration of vulcanized rubber under dynamic strain has received considerable attention from the rubber industry. The cracking of tire treads, carcass, and belting separation, the cracking of boot uppers and shoe soles are types of failure which come in this class. In order to study this type of deterioration it is necessary to have a quick method of laboratory evaluation. To meet this need, a large number of the rubber manufacturers have developed flexing machines, many of which are designed to make only specific tests. In addition, there are several general-duty flexing machines, for example, the De Mattia, the Torrence-Peterson, the du Pont, and the United States Rubber Company machines. All...
Guest Editor's Introduction: Computation in Physics Courses

You know one if you see one, but can you define a computational physics course in general? Even more fundamentally, can you specify what role numerical computations should have in any standard physics course? The quest to address such questions was the motivation for a project that has culminated in the publication of this special issue. I believe and hope that our nonphysicists readers will regard this special issue as an opportunity to gather information and learn lessons that extend beyond physics to other disciplines
Glucocorticoid effect on human mesangial cell cytoskeletal proteins.

Abstract In human mesangial cells (HMCs), we assessed the effect of dexamethasone on the expression and levels of tyrosine phosphorylation of two cytoskeleton-associated proteins: focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and paxillin. Dexamethasone, 10–7 mol/L, increased levels of tyrosine phosphorylation of both proteins within 15 to 30 minutes without a change in protein levels. The exposure of HMCs to cytochalasin B, a disrupter of the cytoskeleton assembly, reduced basal tyrosine phosphorylation of both proteins. This effect was reversed by dexamethasone. These observations support a stabilizing effect of dexamethasone on the mesangial cell cytoskeleton. This may constitute a cytoprotective mechanism in the context of the anti-inflammatory action of the steroids in various glomerulopathies. (J Lab Clin Med 1999;133:378-83)
Women Dentists at a Health Maintenance Center

About 1% of the dentists in the United States are women. The opportunity to work in a health maintenance center might induce more women to think of dentistry as a career.
Micromechanical Finite Element Models for Micro-Damage and Complex Constitutive Behavior of Asphalt Mixtures

This paper presents a comprehensive review of recently developed micromechanical modeling approaches for asphalt mixture in pavement engineering by the authors. These approaches include the Micro-Frame Finite Element Network Model (FENM) and microstructure-based Continuum Finite Element Model (CFEM) for predicting micro-damage behavior and constitutive properties of asphalt mixtures. Both models consider the multi-phase and heterogeneous microstructure and aggregate-to-aggregate interaction of asphalt mixture. Both finite element modeling schemes and their advanced features were described and addressed. Based on these developed models, the virtual laboratory simulation was conducted to compare with the laboratory specimen test results. Simulation samples were generated from surface photographic data of actual laboratory specimens by using image processing. Model simulation results of the overall sample behavior and evolving micro-damage patterns compared favorably with experimental data collected on the test specimens.
On the perceptron learning algorithm on data with high precision

We investigate the convergence rate of the perceptron algorithm when the patterns are given with high precision. In particular, using the result of A. Dembo (Quart. Appl. Math.47 (1989), 185-195), we show that when the n pattern vectors are independent and uniformly distributed over {+1, -1}^n^l^o^g^n, as n -> ~, with high probability, the patterns can be classified into all 2^n possible ways using perceptron algorithm with O(n log n) iteration. Further, the storage of parameters requires only O(n log^2n) bits. We also indicate some interesting mathematical connections with the theory of random matrices.
Temporally Resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopy of a Microarray-Based Vapor Sensing System

This paper describes a method to measure the complete fluorescence spectrum from numerous fluorescent microspheres in a microarray simultaneously during exposure to a vapor. The technique, called spectrally resolved sensor imaging (SRSI), positions a transmission grating directly in front of the microscope objective on a standard epi-fluorescence microscope. This modification produces a hybrid image on the CCD camera that contains a conventional fluorescence image in the zero-order diffracted light and a fluorescence spectral image in the first-order diffracted light. Three types of surface-functionalized silica microspheres were coated with a solvatochromic dye. The surface functionality on the microspheres influences the maximum emission wavelength of the dye and generates a fluorescence spectral signature that is used to identify each sensor type. These sensors were randomly distributed into a photolithographically fabricated microarray platform, and the spectral signature of each individual sensor was measured. The time resolution of spectral acquisition is short enough to capture dynamic changes in the fluorescence emission as a vapor is presented to the array. The ability to measure the entire fluorescence spectrum from each sensor simultaneously during a vapor exposure increases the dimensionality of the response data and significantly improves the classification accuracy of the system.
Role of Ground State Structure in Photoinduced Tautomerization in Bifunctional Proton Donor−Acceptor Molecules: 1H-Pyrrolo[3,2-h]quinoline and Related Compounds

Spectral, synthetic, and theoretical studies were performed for a family of bifunctional compounds possessing both a hydrogen bond donor (aromatic NH group) and an acceptor (pyridine-type nitrogen atom). The series included 1H-pyrrolo[3,2-h]quinoline, 7,8,9,10-tetrahydropyrido[2,3-a]carbazole, pyrido[2,3-a]carbazole, dipyrido[2,3-a:3‘,2‘-i]carbazole, and 2-(2‘pyridyl)indoles. In alcohol solutions, all these compounds reveal the phenomenon of excited state intermolecular double proton transfer, occurring in complexes of the excited chromophore with an alcohol molecule. This process was identified by comparing the fluorescence of the phototautomeric products with the emission of molecules synthesized to serve as chemical models of the tautomeric structures. Detailed investigations demonstrate that the excited state reaction occurs in solvates that, already in the ground state, have an appropriate stoichiometry and structure. These species correspond to 1:1 cyclic, doubly hydrogen bonded complexes with alcoh...
The Implications of Grandparent Coresidence for Economic Hardship Among Children in Mother-Only Families:

Estimates suggest that more than 6 million children live with at least one grandparent. Despite evidence establishing the growing prevalence of this arrangement, limited research has focused on estimating the implications of coresidence for the economic well-being of grandchildren. Using data from the 2001 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation, this article examines levels of financial hardship among a particularly vulnerable group of children—those living in mother-only families. Findings suggest that children living in mother-only families that include a grandparent are substantially less likely to be living below or near the poverty level, compared with children living in mother-only families without a grandparent present. The financial security of children in these three-generation households is enhanced through significant economic contributions of the grandparents and from household receipt of a wide range of financial resources, including means-tested cash transfers and other inco...
Sex education and cultural values: experiences and attitudes of Latina immigrant women

The paper aims to further explore the role that culture plays in the provision and assimilation of sex education among Latina immigrants in the USA. To accomplish this, researchers conducted focus groups and interviews with 30 women from Central and South America who have lived in the USA for at least five years. Participants were asked to reflect on their experience with sex education in their home country and in the USA, and to assess how their attitudes towards sex education may impact their behavioural choices as parents and as sexually-active women. The findings demonstrate a wide range of views that did not follow patterns by common demographical proxy variables, suggesting that such variables are not enough to predict adoption of new cultural values that are different from their family's traditional norms. Instead, adherence to traditional cultural beliefs appeared to be a better predictor of attitudes and behaviours.
N-Myristoyltransferase isozymes exhibit differential specificity for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Gag and Nef.

Myristoylation of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) proteins Gag and Nef by N-myristoyltransferase (NMT) is a key process in retroviral replication and virulence, yet remains incompletely characterized. Therefore, the roles of the two isozymes, NMT1 and NMT2, in myristoylating Gag and Nef were examined using biochemical and molecular approaches. Fluorescently labelled peptides corresponding to the N terminus of HIV-1 Gag or Nef were myristoylated by recombinant human NMT1 and NMT2. Kinetic analyses indicated that NMT1 and NMT2 had 30- and 130-fold lower K m values for Nef than Gag, respectively. Values for K cat indicated that, once Gag or Nef binds to the enzyme, myristoylation by NMT1 and NMT2 proceeds at comparable rates. Furthermore, the catalytic efficiencies for the processing of Gag by NMT1 and NMT2 were equivalent. In contrast, NMT2 had approximately 5-fold higher catalytic efficiency for the myristoylation of Nef than NMT1. Competition experiments confirmed that the Nef peptide acts as a competitive inhibitor for the myristoylation of Gag. Experiments using full-length recombinant Nef protein also indicated a lower K m for Nef myristoylation by NMT2 than NMT1. Small interfering RNAs were used to selectively deplete NMT1 and/or NMT2 from HEK293T cells expressing a recombinant Nef–sgGFP fusion protein. Depletion of NMT1 had minimal effect on the intracellular distribution of Nef–sgGFP, whereas depletion of NMT2 altered distribution to a diffuse, widespread pattern, mimicking that of a myristoylation-deficient mutant of Nef–sgGFP. Together, these findings indicate that Nef is preferentially myristoylated by NMT2, suggesting that selective inhibition of NMT2 may provide a novel means of blocking HIV virulence.
Longitudinal change in the use of services in autism spectrum disorder: Understanding the role of child characteristics, family demographics, and parent cognitions:

The aim of this study was to identify child characteristics, family demographics, and parent cognitions that may affect access to early intervention, special education, and related services. The sample included 70 families of young children with autism spectrum disorders. All parents were enrolled in a short education program, providing them with basic information and resources on advocating for a young child with autism spectrum disorders (Parent Advocacy Coaching). Longitudinal change in children’s intervention program in the community was evaluated over a period of about 27 months, starting 12 months prior to enrollment in Parent Advocacy Coaching. Results revealed large individual differences in the intensity of children’s individual and school-based services. Despite this variability, only two child characteristics (age, gender) emerged as independent predictors. In contrast, the intensity of children’s intervention programs was independently predicted by a broad range of demographic characteristics,...
Poverty and inequality across space: sociological reflections on the missing-middle subnational scale*

The study of stratification is a foremost concern of sociologists. Historical engagement with this topic creates a distinct conceptual lens on poverty and inequality and a voluminous body of empirical work that set sociology apart from economics and to some degree, geography. At the same time, the discipline is limited in developing a spatial understanding of stratification processes. In this article, we put forth a critique of sociological research on poverty and other inequalities across space. We focus on a disciplinary impasse, the lack of a coherent, well-developed tradition at the subnational or regional scale. Drawing from research on the United States, we address how sociologists are making inroads against this impasse, in an emergent body of work.
Ontogeny of Progesterone Receptor Expression in the Subplate of Fetal and Neonatal Rat Cortex

The progesterone receptor (PR) is transiently expressed in the rat cortex during development and its expression is initiated in the developmentally critical layer, the subplate. As subplate neurons pioneer thalamocortical and corticofugal connectivity, the expression of PR in this layer suggests an important function for PR in cortical development. Using immunocytochemistry for PR, the present study determined the precise ontogeny of PR expression in subplate neurons. The number of cells containing PR immunoreactivity (PRir) within the subplate was quantified from embryonic day (E) 17 through postnatal day (P) 14. The subplate was positively identified by the marker calretinin and by BrDU birthdating. The results demonstrate that PRir is undetectable in fetal cortex on E17, but is first observed in the subplate on E18. The number of PRir cells peaks on P2 and then steadily declines, until PRir is once again not detectable in subplate by P14. This developmental window of PR expression within the subplate coincides with establishment of early cortical circuitry and the gradual demise of subplate cells, suggesting that PR may play a critical role in mediating these fundamental developmental processes.
DC Microgrid Stabilization Through Fuzzy Control of Interleaved Heterogeneous Storage Elements

A DC microgrid comprised of a random power source, a random impedance load, a fixed ballast and a stabilizer unit (lead acid battery + ultra-capacitor bank) was modeled and constructed. A fuzzy-logic control algorithm was implemented to demonstrate stabilization of a DC microgrid to a given tolerance while demonstrating improved management of the storage systems when compared against a tradition proportional-integral control algorithm.
Graph-based Consensus Maximization among Multiple Supervised and Unsupervised Models

Ensemble classifiers such as bagging, boosting and model averaging are known to have improved accuracy and robustness over a single model. Their potential, however, is limited in applications which have no access to raw data but to the meta-level model output. In this paper, we study ensemble learning with output from multiple supervised and unsupervised models, a topic where little work has been done. Although unsupervised models, such as clustering, do not directly generate label prediction for each individual, they provide useful constraints for the joint prediction of a set of related objects. We propose to consolidate a classification solution by maximizing the consensus among both supervised predictions and unsupervised constraints. We cast this ensemble task as an optimization problem on a bipartite graph, where the objective function favors the smoothness of the prediction over the graph, as well as penalizing deviations from the initial labeling provided by supervised models. We solve this problem through iterative propagation of probability estimates among neighboring nodes. Our method can also be interpreted as conducting a constrained embedding in a transformed space, or a ranking on the graph. Experimental results on three real applications demonstrate the benefits of the proposed method over existing alternatives1.
Combining information from different sources to estimate a common effect and use of multiple measurements for ecological assessment

A statistical analysis for combining information from different sources to estimate an unknown parameter is outlined. A new index is then proposed as a measure of the quality of the site.
Ionic mechanisms of electrophysiological heterogeneity and conduction block in the infarct border zone

The increased incidence of arrhythmia in the healing phase after infarction has been linked to remodeling in the epicardial border zone (EBZ). Ionic models of normal zone (NZ) and EBZ myocytes were...
Identifying an ERG-positive subclass with clinical progression using expression profiling.

Preventing overtreatment of prostate cancer (PCa) that will not progress or that will progress at a slower pace is particularly important in an era of early diagnosis and widespread prostate-specific antigen screening. The molecular subclassification of PCa has the potential to affect clinical approaches to treatment for localized and advanced disease. Numerous approaches have been taken to achieve a clinically relevant molecular subclassification. These studies include candidate gene approaches, gene expression
Examining Diversity Research Literature in School Psychology from 2004 to 2010.

One indicator of school psychology's capacity to provide culturally responsive practice is the percentage of articles in leading school psychology journals that have a “significant diversity focus.” To date, there have been three published empirical studies (Brown, Shriberg, & Wang, 2007; Miranda & Gutter, 2002; Rogers Wiese, 1992) that have defined and examined this construct. These three articles collectively provide empirical data on the percentage of articles appearing in leading school psychology journals that met criteria from a time period spanning 1975–2003. This manuscript provides the results of the most recent iteration of this study, covering the years 2004–2010. In this study, 15.5% of articles met criteria, up from figures found from 1975–1999, but a decline from the 2000–2003 figure of 16.9%. Several potential implications of this ongoing lack of empirical and theoretical scholarship are offered.
Length 3 complexes of abelian sheaves and Picard 2-stacks

Abstract We define a tricategory T [ − 2 , 0 ] of length 3 complexes of abelian sheaves, whose hom-bigroupoids consist of weak morphisms of such complexes. We also define a 3-category 2 PIC ( S ) of Picard 2-stacks, whose hom-2-groupoids consist of additive 2-functors. We prove that these categories are triequivalent as tricategories. As a consequence we obtain a generalization of Deligne's analogous result about Picard stacks in SGA4, Expose XVIII (Deligne (1973) [11] ).
The Proboscis Hooks in Karkinorhynchidae and Gnathorhynchidae (Turbellaria, Kalyptorhynchia) as Basement Membrane or Intracellular Specializations

Doe, D. A. (Department of Zoology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514, USA.) The proboscis hooks in Karkinorhynchidae and Gnathorhynchidae (Turbellaria, Kalyptorhynchia) as basement membrane or intracellular specializations. Zool. Scr. 5 (3–4): 105–115, 1976.—The fine structure analysis of the proboscis hooks in the genus Cheliplana Beauchamp revealed that these structures are specializations within the basement lamina enclosing the proboscis. The fine structure analysis of the proboscis hooks in the genus Gnatho-rhynchus Meixner revealed that these structures are intracellular specializations within a fold of epithelium located at the junction of the proboscis sheath and proboscis cone. The electron dense hook material is deposited primarily in microvilli along the outer cell surface of the cone epithelium. The fine structural analysis of the unarmed proboscis in the genus Proschizorhynchus Meixner agrees with the description for the armed schizorhynchs and these findings support the view that the Schizorhynchia is a monophyletic group. The fine structural analysis of the unarmed proboscis in Florianella bipolaris Rieger & Sterrer agrees with the description for Gnathorhynchus. A comparison of the proboscis and hooks in the two kalyptorhynch suborders suggests a more distant relationship between them. A discussion of the methods for the anchorage of intracellular, intercellular and extracellular hard structures is also included.
Un Nuevo Estatus para Sorocea sprucei subsp. subumbellata (Moraceae)

A species-level status for Sorocea sprucei (Baillon) J. F. Macbride subsp. subumbellata C. C. Berg is proposed here, recognizing the subumbellate infructescences and the sharply distinctive, previously unknown, and recently discovered staminate inflorescences and flowers.
Ecological feedbacks and the evolution of resistance

1. The idea that parasites can affect host diversity is pervasive, and the possibility that parasites can increase host diversity is of particular interest. In this review, we focus on diversity in the resistance of hosts to their parasites, and on the different ways in which parasites can increase or decrease this resistance diversity. 2. Theoretically, parasites can exert many different types of selection on host populations, which each have consequences for host diversity. Specifically, theory predicts that parasites can exert negative frequency-dependent selection (NFDS) and disruptive selection on resistance, both of which increase host diversity, as well as directional selection and stabilizing selection on resistance, both of which decrease host diversity. 3. Despite these theoretical predictions, most biologists think of only NFDS or directional selection for increased resistance in response to parasitism. Here, we present empirical support for all of these types of selection occurring in natural populations. Interestingly, several recent studies demonstrate that there is spatiotemporal variation in the type of selection that occurs (and, therefore, in the effects of parasitism on host diversity). 4. A key question that remains, then, is: What determines the type of parasite-mediated selection that occurs? Theory demonstrates that the answer to this question lies, at least in part, with trade-offs associated with resistance. Specifically, the type of evolution that occurs depends critically on the strength and shape of these trade-offs. This, combined with empirical evidence for a strong effect of environment on the shape and strength of trade-offs, may explain the observed spatiotemporal variation in parasite-mediated selection. 5. We conclude that spatiotemporal variation in parasite-driven evolution is likely to be common, and that this variation may be driven by ecological factors. We suggest that the feedback between ecological and evolutionary dynamics in host-parasite interactions is likely to be a productive area of research. In particular, studies addressing the role of ecological factors (e.g. productivity and predation regimes) in driving the outcome of parasite-mediated selection on host populations are warranted. Such studies are necessary if we are to understand the mechanisms underlying the observed variation in the effects of parasites on host diversity.
Resistance of Macrophages to Mycobacterium avium Is Induced by α2-Adrenergic Stimulation

The ability of macrophages to control the growth of microorganisms is increased by macrophage activation. Previously, it was shown that epinephrine activated mouse macrophages to resist the growth of Mycobacterium avium via alpha(2)-adrenergic stimulation. In the present study, we show that the alpha(2)-adrenergic agonist (alpha(2)-agonist) clonidine induced resistance to M. avium growth in the RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cell line. The ability of catecholamines to induce resistance to mycobacteria was specific to alpha(2)-adrenergic stimulation, as alpha(1)-, beta(1)-, and beta(2)-agonists had no effect. Receptor signaling through Gi proteins was required. A G-protein antagonist specific for the alpha subunits of the Go/Gi family blocked the increased resistance induced by clonidine, while a Gs-protein antagonist was without effect. Both nitric oxide (NO) production and superoxide (O(2)(-)) production were required for the increased resistance to M. avium growth induced by clonidine. Although NO production was required, clonidine did not increase the level of NO in M. avium-infected cells. Since NO and O(2)(-) interact to produce peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)), we examined whether ONOO(-) mediates the increased resistance to M. avium induced by clonidine. 5,10,15,20-Tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)prophyrinato iron (III) chloride (FeTPPS), a specific scavenger of ONOO(-), inhibited the effect of clonidine on M. avium growth. Clonidine also increased the production of ONOO(-) in M. avium-infected RAW264.7 cells, as measured by the oxidation of 123-dihydrorhodamine and the production of nitrated tyrosine residues. We therefore conclude that alpha(2)-adrenergic stimulation activates macrophages to resist the growth of M. avium by enhancing the production of ONOO(-).
Elevated levels of TNF in the joints of adjuvant arthritic rats

The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether local levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) were elevated in chronically inflamed joints in rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA). We also wished to develop methodology for the quantitative measurement of joint TNF, and to examine the effects of known anti-inflammatory agents on joint TNF levels. TNF levels were measured in joints from AA rats taken during the systemic phase (day 20) of arthritic disease. Using the L929 bioassay, joint extracts from AA rats had significantly greater TNF levels (1054 +/- 147 pg/g tissue) than joint extracts from normal rats (110 +/- 42 pg/g tissue). Administration of ibuprofen failed to significantly inhibit TNF levels in the joint at a time point when paw swelling was significantly reduced. The immunomodulating agents, methotrexate, cyclosporin A (CSA) and HWA486 profoundly inhibited both joint TNF levels and paw swelling. The specificity of this assay for TNF was supported by studies with a polyclonal rabbit anti-mouse TNF antibody which neutralized 78-87% of the TNF activity in the joint extracts. Our studies demonstrate a quantitative increase in local TNF expression in adjuvant arthritis and support a role for TNF in chronic inflammation.