cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Buckling of orthotropic plates with free and rotationally restrained unloaded edges

Abstract Solutions and parametric studies are presented for the buckling of rectangular plates whose axes of material orthotropy coincide with the axes of the plate. The results presented apply to homogeneous orthotropic plates, stiffened orthotropic plates, and laminated composite material plates having flexural orthotropy (i.e. single ply and multiply unidirectional, and symmetric cross-ply composite plates). The plates considered are subjected to uniform uniaxial compression and simply supported on the loaded edges. The boundary conditions are different on the two unloaded edges; one edge being free and the other edge being elastically restrained against rotation. Parametric studies showing the effect of the orthotropic properties of the plate materials, the plate aspect ratio, the rotational restraint of the one unloaded edge and the buckle half-wavelength are discussed. Results in the form of nondimensional buckling curves are given in terms of orthotropy ratios and in terms of properties of common unidirectionally reinforced composite material. The use of the solution in conjunction with experimental data to predict the edge rotational restraint coefficient for thin-walled composite material beams is described.
Mucolipidosis III (pseudo Hurler polydystrophy): cytological and ultrastructural observations of cultured fibroblast cells

Cultured fibroblast cells from four patients with mucolipidosis III (pseudo-Hurler polydystrophy) were examined by phase contrast, dark-field and electron microscopy. Both phase and dark-field microscopy revealed striking abnormalities in three of these patients which were indistinguishable from those seen in mucolipidosis II (I-cell disease). While electron microscopy indicated that the structural alterations found in both mucolipidosis II and III may he due to an increased storage of material within the cytoplasm, clear differences in the ultrastructural morphology were detectable between the two disorders.
Studies on the prevention of nigericin action in neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid (NG108-15) cells.

Electrophysiological analysis of neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid (NG108-15) cells was used as an in vitro neuronal model system to evaluate antagonists of the K+-selective carboxylic ionophore, nigericin. Changes in membrane electrical characteristics induced by nigericin with and without the simultaneous administration of antagonists were measured using intracellular microelectrode techniques. Bath application of nigericin (3 microM) produced a severe hyperpolarization and blocked the generation of action potentials in response to electrical stimulation. Simultaneous administration of nigericin plus the Na+-K+ pump inhibitor ouabain or drugs known to influence Ca++ signaling in cells, i.e., quinidine, compound R24571, verapamil or haloperidol, was able to significantly attenuate the hyperpolarization. All antagonists acted in a concentration-dependent manner. However, nigericin plus maximally effective concentrations of ouabain (1 microM), verapamil (3 microM) and haloperidol (3 and 10 microM) resulted in moderate-to-severe depolarization by the end of 24 min. superfusions, suggesting that the concentrations of antagonists were excessive and that NG108-15 cell damage had occurred. In addition, none of the compounds studied was able to effectively prevent nigericin-induced blockade of action potentials. Thus, none of these antagonists appears suitable for transition to in vivo antidotal protection studies.
An electron paramagnetic resonance study of the binding of manganese to ribulose-1,5-diphosphate carboxylase Inhibition by magnesium

Abstract Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) was used to measure the extent of binding of Mn 2+ to ribulose-1,5-diphosphate carboxylase purified from spinach leaves. In the Mn 2+ concentration range 0.60 to 0.04 mM three Mn 2+ binding sites having K d = 0.06 mM were observed. Mg 2+ was found to competitively inhibit the binding of Mn 2+ , and K d = 0.54 mM was calculated for Mg 2+ .
Josephson phase qubit circuit for the evaluation of advanced tunnel barrier materials

We have found that crystalline Josephson junctions have problems with the control of critical current density that decrease the circuit yield. We present a superconducting quantum bit circuit designed to accommodate a factor of five variation in critical current density from one fabrication run to the next. The new design enables the evaluation of advanced tunnel barrier materials for superconducting quantum bits. Using this circuit design, we compare the performance of Josephson phase qubits fabricated with MgO and Al2O3 advanced crystalline tunnel barriers to AlOx amorphous tunnel barrier qubits.
Hepatic artery: variability in measurement of resistive index and systolic acceleration time in healthy volunteers.

PURPOSE: To determine the intrinsic sampling variability of measurements of hepatic artery resistive index and systolic acceleration time in healthy subjects and to estimate the components of variability attributable to the sonographer, individual measurement, and subject. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a randomized, controlled (blinded) fashion, nine sonographers measured hepatic artery resistive index and systolic acceleration time in five healthy subjects by using Doppler ultrasound (US). Analysis of variance was used to estimate the contribution of several factors to the observed variability in measurements. RESULTS: The standard deviation for a single measurement was 0.08 for resistive index and 39 msec for systolic acceleration time. For resistive index, the estimated variance components were 0.0012 (18%), 0.0004 (6%), and 0.0050 (76%) for the subject, sonographer, and intrinsic variability, respectively. For systolic acceleration time, the estimated variance components were 59 msec (4%), 264 msec (17%),...
Decentralized Fault-Tolerant Event Correlation

Despite the prognosed use of event correlation techniques for monitoring critical complex infrastructures or dealing with disasters in the physical world, little work exists on making event correlation systems themselves tolerant to failure. Existing systems either provide no guarantees on event deliveries, do not support multicast and thus provide no guarantees across individual processes, or then rely on centralized components or strong assumptions on the infrastructure. The FAIDECS system attempts to reconcile strong guarantees with practical performance in the presence of process crash failures. To that end, the FAIDECS system uses an overlay network with specific guarantees aligned with its proposed correlation language and guarantees. However, the language proposed lacks expressivity, and the system itself supports only very specific rigid semantics, incapable of supporting even fundamental features like sliding windows. After providing a comprehensive overview of the FAIDECS model and system, this article bridges the gap between strong guarantees and more established correlation languages and systems in several steps. First, we propose alternative semantics for several modules of the FAIDECS matching engine and revisit guarantees. Second, we pinpoint which guarantees are contradicted by which combinations of semantic options. Third, we investigate four correlation languages—StreamSQL, EQL, CEL, and TESLA—showing which semantic options their respective features correspond to in our model, and thus, ultimately, which guarantees of FAIDECS are maintained by which language features.
Repression of calcitonin gene-related peptide expression in trigeminal neurons by a Theobroma cacao extract.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Cocoa bean preparations were first used by the ancient Maya and Aztec civilizations of South America to treat a variety of medical ailments involving the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. Diets rich in foods containing abundant polyphenols, as found in cocoa, underlie the protective effects reported in chronic inflammatory diseases. Release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from trigeminal nerves promotes inflammation in peripheral tissues and nociception.
mAPC-GibbsOS: an integrated approach for robust identification of gene regulatory networks

Identification of cooperative gene regulatory network is an important topic for biological study especially in cancer research. Traditional approaches suffer from large noise in gene expression data and false positive connections in motif binding data; they also fail to identify the modularized structure of gene regulatory network. Methods that are capable of revealing underlying modularized structure and robust to noise and false positives are needed to be developed. We proposed and developed an integrated approach to identify gene regulatory networks, which consists of a novel clustering method (namely motif-guided affinity propagation clustering (mAPC)) and a sampling based method (called Gibbs sampler based on outlier sum statistic (GibbsOS)). mAPC is used in the first step to obtain co-regulated gene modules by clustering genes with a similarity measurement taking into account both gene expression data and binding motif information. This clustering method can reduce the noise effect from microarray data to obtain modularized gene clusters. However, due to many false positives in motif binding data, some genes not regulated by certain transcription factors (TFs) will be falsely clustered with true target genes. To overcome this problem, GibbsOS is applied in the second step to refine each cluster for the identification of true target genes. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed method, we generated simulation data under different signal-to-noise ratios and false positive ratios to test the method. The experimental results show an improved accuracy in terms of clustering and transcription factor identification. Moreover, an improved performance is demonstrated in target gene identification as compared with GibbsOS. Finally, we applied the proposed method to two breast cancer patient datasets to identify cooperative transcriptional regulatory networks associated with recurrence of breast cancer, as supported by their functional annotations. We have developed a two-step approach for gene regulatory network identification, featuring an integrated method to identify modularized regulatory structures and refine their target genes subsequently. Simulation studies have shown the robustness of the method against noise in gene expression data and false positives in motif binding data. The proposed method has been applied to two breast cancer gene expression datasets to infer the hidden regulation mechanisms. The experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of the method in identifying key regulatory networks related to the progression and recurrence of breast cancer.
Effect of annealing on the superconducting transition temperatures of Nb3Al and Nb3Al-alloys

Abstract Arc melted Nb3Al and alloys in which Al was replaced by As, Ga and GaAs showed optimal Tc's after annealing between 600–700°C. Lattice constant measurements suggest this to be the result of improved stoichiometry.
Amphibolic role of the Krebs cycle in the insulin-stimulated protein synthesis

Abstract It has been a generally held view that insulin does not significantly affect the incorporation of amino acids into liver protein. This interpretation was based on data obtained from studies using the branched chain amino acids, which are poorly metabolized by the hepatic tissue. The effect of insulin on 14CO2 formation and protein incorporation of several 1-14C-labeled or U-14C-labeled amino acids was studied in isolated rat hepatocytes and diaphragm pieces. It was shown that insulin enhanced 14CO2 formation and protein incorporation primarily of those carbons of amino acids which are metabolized through the mitochondrial Krebs cycle. Using aminooxyacetic acid (0.5 m m ), a potent inhibitor of the transamination reaction, it was shown that there exists an “insulin-sensitive” pool of glutamate which is preferentially utilized for protein synthesis in the presence of insulin. The insulin effect on protein incorporation of 14C-labeled glutamate generated in the Krebs cycle was abolished in the presence of aminooxyacetic acid. We interpret these results to signify that mitochondrial transamination of α-ketoglutarate to glutamate is essential for insulin stimulation of 14C incorporation into hepatocyte protein.
Application of global positioning system methods for the study of obesity and hypertension risk among low-income housing residents in New York City: a spatial feasibility study

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using global positioning system (GPS) methods to under- stand the spatial context of obesity and hypertension risk among a sample of low-income housing residents in New York City (n = 120). GPS feasibility among participants was measured with a pre- and post-survey as well as adherence to a pro- tocol which included returning the GPS device as well as objective data analysed from the GPS devices. We also conducted qualitative interviews with 21 of the participants. Most of the sample was overweight (26.7%) or obese (40.0%). Almost one-third (30.8%) was pre-hypertensive and 39.2% was hypertensive. Participants reported high ratings of GPS acceptabil- ity, ease of use and low levels of wear-related concerns in addition to few concerns related to safety, loss or appearance, which were maintained after the baseline GPS feasibility data collection. Results show that GPS feasibility increased over time. The overall GPS return rate was 95.6%. Out of the total of 114 participants with GPS, 112 (98.2%) delivered at least one hour of GPS data for one day and 84 (73.7%) delivered at least one hour on 7 or more days. The qualitative interviews indicated that overall, participants enjoyed wearing the GPS devices, that they were easy to use and charge and that they generally for- got about the GPS device when wearing it daily. Findings demonstrate that GPS devices may be used in spatial epidemiology research in low-income and potentially other key vulnerable populations to understand geospatial determinants of obesity, hypertension and other diseases that these populations disproportionately experience.
Stability and bifurcation of finite deformations of elastic cylindrical membranes—Part I. Stability analysis

Abstract The stability of an inflated and extended cylindrical elastic membrane is studied by using an energy stability criterion. Three types of loading devices are considered, that control the internal pressure, the mass of enclosed gas, and the volume of enclosed fluid, respectively. Four boundary conditions are considered for different end clamping conditions. The stability conditions are derived and compared for twelve combinations of these loading devices and boundary conditions.
Local Armed Uprisings and the Transnational Image of Claim Making: The Kurds of Turkey and the Zapatistas of Mexico in Comparative Perspective

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to explore why and how some local armed uprisings are able to go global with a transnational image of ‘social justice’ while others fail to build such image despite becoming transnational. The cases to be analyzed in the article are the pro-Kurdish mobilization in the leadership of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Turkey and the pro-Mayan Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) movement in Mexico. In explaining the relative success of the latter, the study seeks to make connections with the globalization literature in general and the transnational social movement literature in particular. Particularly, the article focuses on the ability of social movements to market their causes in international arena with a good image. Overall, this study lays out several key strategic differences between the two movements such as the holding and the use of arms, duration of armed resistance, and the leadership and organizational structure to unpack why some social movemen...
Echocardiographic Assessment of Pulmonary Hypertension in Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Systematic Review of Literature and a Proposed Algorithm for Assessment

Background As survival and outcomes continue to improve in neonates born prematurely, there is an increasing need to promptly identify and treat pulmonary hypertension (PHT) in this population. Several echocardiographic indices have been used to evaluate for PHT. There is no clear consensus on how to utilize these parameters specifically for the evaluation of PHT in infants with chronic lung disease of prematurity. Objectives Τhe objectives of the study were (1) to identify the different echocardiographic techniques for assessment of PHT in infants with chronic lung disease of prematurity in an evidence-based manner and (2) to establish an echocardiographic screening protocol based on available literature using different echocardiographic techniques. Methods We conducted a systematic review of the literature regarding use of echocardiographic techniques for evaluation of PHT in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. On the basis of the available evidence, we came up with a screening algorithm using various echocardiographic techniques. Results We identified nine techniques that had been employed for detection of PHT noninvasively using echocardiography in 23 studies. Using these echocardiographic parameters, we came up with a flow chart to diagnose PHT in infants born prematurely, based on presence or absence of tricuspid regurgitation, presence or absence of patent ductus arteriosus, and direction of flow. Conclusions We have proposed a new screening strategy for assessment of PHT using echocardiography in infants with chronic lung disease of prematurity. Further studies will be necessary to confirm its validity.
Plasmon-polaritons for a nanotube in an intense terahertz field

We calculate the exact time-dependent single-particle eigenstates for electrons in an intense terahertz laser field applied along the axis of a cylindrical nanotube. Making use of these results and linear-response theory, we obtain the charge density fluctuations for an interacting electron gas confined to the surface of the nanotube. The dispersion equation for the collective plasmon-polariton excitations is derived. Numerical results are presented for the dispersion relation as a function of the wave vector along the axis of the nanotube.
Intracellular gold nanoparticles enhance non-invasive radiofrequency thermal destruction of human gastrointestinal cancer cells

Background Novel approaches to treat human cancer that are effective with minimal toxicity profiles are needed. We evaluated gold nanoparticles (GNPs) in human hepatocellular and pancreatic cancer cells to determine: 1) absence of intrinsic cytotoxicity of the GNPs and 2) external radiofrequency (RF) field-induced heating of intracellular GNPs to produce thermal destruction of malignant cells. GNPs (5 nm diameter) were added to 2 human cancer cell lines (Panc-1, Hep3B). 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and propidium iodide-fluorescence associated cell sorting (PI-FACS) assessed cell proliferation and GNP-related cytotoxicity. Other GNP-treated cells were exposed to a 13.56 MHz RF field for 1, 2, or 5 minutes, and then incubated for 24 hours. PI-FACS measured RF-induced cytotoxicity.
VIABILITY OF THE SPORES FORMED AFTER UV IRRADIATION IN DICTYOSTELIUM DISCOIDEUM

— Both abilities of germination of spores formed after UV irradiation and of growth of amoeboid cells emerged from the spores were studied on two kinds of Dictyostelium discoideum strains, NC-4 and ys-13. An inhibition of germination was observed on the spores of ys-13 when formed after UV irradiation, while no inhibition was detected on the ability of germination of spores of NC-4. The amoeboid cells of ys-13 emerged from the spores showed a heavy delay of growth, although no delay of growth was detected even on the amoeboid cells of NC-4 emerged from the spores formed after UV irradiation. The strain of NC-4 must repair UV lesions fully before spore formation, while the spores of ys-13 must keep some UV lesions unrepaired and send them to the next generation of amoeboid cells. The characters of UV lesion inheritable through the spores to the next amoeboid cells in ys-13 were discussed.
Massively parallel aerodynamic shape optimization

Abstract We consider the problem of finding the shape of an airfoil which produces a pressure distribution closest to a desired one. The flow is modeled by the nonlinear potential equations of compressible flow. The problem is formulated as an optimization problem constrained by a discrete approximation to a nonlinear boundary value problem. We present a new parallel infeasible path method for this class of optimization problem. The method is based on a null space representation tailored to the structure of the constraint Jacobian matrix. The resulting null space projections formally involve inverses of the stiffness matrix. The algorithm requires only two stiffness matrix solves per optimization iteration, in contrast to a conventional path-following method, which resolves the full physics at each iteration. The algorithm has been implemented on a CM-2, and requires no new data structures or communication patterns beyond those needed for numerical solution of the boundary value problem. We discuss numerical evidence for the superiority of the new method relative to a conventional path-following approach.
Effects of genetic polymorphisms on the pharmacokinetics of calcineurin inhibitors.

Purpose. The effects of genetic polymorphisms on the pharmacokinetics of calcineurin inhibitors were examined. Summary. The bioavailability and metabolism of cyclosporine and tacrolimus are primarily controlled by efflux pumps and members of the cytochrome P-450 (CYP) isoenzyme system found in the liver and gastrointestinal tract. The number and severity of adverse effects from these drugs are related to the overall exposure, measured by length of therapy and blood drug concentration. One contributing factor to the inconsistent pharmacokinetics of calcineurin inhibitors may be variable expression of functional CYP3A4, CYP3A5, and P-glycoprotein (PGP) efflux pumps, which may be the result of single-nucleotide polymorphisms found on the genes encoding for CYP3A4, CYP3A5, and PGP. CYP3A5*3 and CYP3A5*6 are the most common polymorphisms of CYP3A5. Using genetic markers to adjust initial doses of cyclosporine or tacrolimus may prove difficult, considering the variety of polymorphism known to affect CYP3A4, CYP3A5, and the multidrug resistance-1 (MDR1) gene (the gene that codes for PGP). Studies have found that carriers of CYP3A5*1 consistently have higher clearance rates of tacrolimus than do CYP3A5*3 homozygotes. The influences of CYP3A5 alleles on cyclosporine metabolism and the MDR1 C3435T polymorphism on tacrolimus metabolism remain controversial. Conclusion. For renal transplant recipients receiving tacrolimus as an immunosuppressant, practitioners can expect CYP3A5*1 carriers to have a tacrolimus clearance 25–45% greater than that of CYP3A5*3 homozygotes, with proportional dosing needs to maintain adequate immunosuppression. Since inadequate immunosuppression is linked to graft rejection, evaluation of CYP3A5 polymorphisms may be helpful in determining an appropriate starting dosage, rapidly achieving adequate immunosuppression, and ultimately improving the outcome of renal transplantation.
Continuous viral replication and cellular neoplastic transformation in cultures of normal rat thymus infected with gross leukemia virus.

To develop a system for the study of Gross leukemia virus (GLV) replication in vitro, cultures of embryonal rat thymus were infected, grown for long intervals, and periodically examined for infectious virus. Supernatants assayed in susceptible animals induced leukemia in 93%, and electron micrographs of cultures confirmed the presence of abundant virus particles. Comparable cultures of spleen and kidney did not support viral replication. Morphologic differences were noted between the appearance of virus-infected and control cultures. Isotransplantation of the former in conditioned rats resulted in formation of tumors at the site of injection. These tumors had the histologic pattern of reticulum-cell sarcomas, were serially transplantable in non-conditioned hosts, and continued to carry the initial GLV. The thymus, which is a target organ for GLV in vivo, appears to be similarly favorable for its replication in vitro. In addition, neoplastic transformation has occurred in these cultures, presumably induced by GLV.
Assessing Quality in Programs of University Without Walls Graduates.

The University Without Walls (UWW) program at the University of Minnesota completed a study of “correlates of quality,” those parts of students' programs that were thought to influence the quality of students' work. Graduation dossiers were rated according to graduates' fulfillment of seven graduation criteria. Quality ratings were correlated with barriers possessed by graduates at admission, major area of study, length of time in UWW, and narrative evaluations of graduates' work. Narrative evaluations from university faculty had the greatest effect on dossier quality ratings.
Development of an Epi-Fluorescence Assay for Monitoring Yeast Viability and Pretreatment Hydrolysate Toxicity in the Presence of Lignocellulosic Solids

Biochemical conversion of cellulosic renewable resources to ethanol uses cel-lulolytic enzymes to hydrolyze the polymeric carbohydrates of the biomass to soluble sugars and subsequently ferment the sugars to ethanol using ethanologenic microorganisms. The cellulose reactivity is increased significantly if the biomass is pretreated by dilute acids (0.5-1% w/w sulfuric acid) at high temperatures (160-200°C) (1). This process solubilizes most of the hemicellulose and part of the lignin in the biomass and, thus, improves the accessibility of the cellulosic matrix to cellulase enzymes. However, the solubilized sugars are unstable under the pretreat-ment conditions and degrade to furfural and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde (HMF) (2). These sugar degradation products, along with the hemicellulose-derived acetate and phenolic lignin fragmentation products, inhibit cell metabo-lism (3) and might detrimentally affect fermentation performance. Therefore, monitoring the activity of the biocatalysts is fundamentally important in evaluat-ing the performance of the conversion process and in estimating process yields (4).
Loop shaping design related to LQG/LTR for SISO minimum phase plants

One method of model-based compensator design for linear systems consists of two stages: state feedback design and observer design. A key issue in recent work in multivariable synthesis involves selecting the observer (state feedback) gain so that the final loop transfer function is the same as the state feedback (observer) loop transfer function. This is called loop transfer recovery (LTR)(Athans and Stein 1987, Kazerooni and Houpt 1986, Kazerooni et al. 1985, Doyle and Stein 1981). This paper shows how identification of the internal mechanism of the LTR provides simple design rules with little algebra for single-input single-output (SISO) systems. In the SISO case, the LQG/LTR reduces to computation of a compensator that shapes the loop transfer function by (i) cancelling the zeros of the plant with the compensator poles, and (ii) locating a new set of zeros for the compensator to shape the loop transfer function.
Gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric analysis of partially dechlorinated 1,1-diphenyl ethane and ethylene

Abstract Gas chromatographic relative retention time data and 70 eV electron impact mass spectra of partially dechlorinated derivatives of 1,1-bis- p -chlorophenyl-2,2,2-trichloroethane (DDT), and the corresponding, 2,2-dichloroethylene (DDE) are presented. The mass spectra of all partially dechlorinated ethane intermediates are characterized by fragmentation across the aliphatic CC bond, whereas the mass spectra of the corresponding olefins are characterized principally by CCl bond rupture. The mass spectral data, coupled with the observed systematic decrease in relative retention time that is a function of aromatic chlorine substitution, provides an almost complete set of relative retention time data for the homologous series of compounds between both DDT and 1,1-diphenylethane and DDE and 1,1,-diphenylethylene.
Idiotype vaccine strategies for improving outcomes in follicular lymphoma.

Background: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is a common indolent lymphoma associated with a relapsing course. Preclinical models and clinical studies demonstrate that immunizing FL patients against their own tumor idiotype induces humoral and cellular immunity and supresses tumor growth. Methods: We review idiotype vaccine strategies that have been tested in FL patients in frontline and relapsed settings to examine the safety and efficacy of this approach. Results: Several Phase II trials of recombinant or hybridoma-produced vaccines or vaccines combined with other immunotherapy demonstrate cellular and humoral anti-idiotype responses and clinical responses, indicating that idiotype vaccines provide promise for improving FL outcomes. Conclusion: These strategies are now being evaluated in Phase III trials but have yet to demonstrate clear advantages in progression-free survival.
Synthetic Strategy of Nonreducing Iterative Polyketide Synthases and the Origin of the Classical “Starter Unit Effect”

Polyketides isolated from fungi are typically derived from “iterative” Type I (multidomainal) polyketide synthases (PKSs), where individual catalytic domains are fused into single large proteins, and reused a fixed number of times in the “programmed” synthesis of a given product [1, 2]. The best known examples of iterative Type I enzymes are the yeast and animal fatty acid synthases (FASs) [3]. Animal fatty acid biosynthesis is initiated by acetyl-CoA, which is brought onto the enzyme by a bifunctional acyl transferase, malonyl-CoA:acyl-carrier protein (ACP) transacylase (MAT), which primarily shuttles units of malonyl-CoA for each successive two-carbon homologation leading to palmitate [4]. On the other hand, in fungi an α6β6 heterododecameric FAS complex harbors a specific acetyl transacylase for starter unit introduction [5]. In classical precursor incorporation experiments with fatty acids and fungal natural products it was commonly observed that an acetate starter unit would bear a higher specific incorporation of radiolabel from [14C]-acetate than the rest of the labeled sites in the molecule, in keeping with the intermediary conversion of acetyl-CoA to malonyl-CoA for each chain extension [6]. Conversely, if the complementary incorporation of [14C]-malonate were examined, the starter carbons would often be distinguishably less labeled than the remaining portions of the polyketide metabolite. This general pattern came to be known as the “starter unit effect” [7].
Experimental investigations into morphogenesis in Micrasterias

The effect of some chemicals (cycloheximide, puromycin, actinomycin D, ribonuclease, cytochalasin B, caffeine, colchicine IPC, CIPC and glusulase) upon morphogenesis inMicrasterias was studied, and some of our results are compared to studies by other investigators. Cycloheximide and actinomycin D inhibited differentiation of the expanding primary wall and the cells exhibited signs of recovery if the exposure to the drug was short. Puromycin had little effect upon morphogenesis. Cytochalasin B and caffeine drastically disrupted differentiation and expansion of the primary wall apparently by inhibiting wall secretion. The effect of cycloheximide and glusulase upon wall secretion itself has been investigated. The patterning of accumulated wall material, characteristic of deposition under reduced turgor, was at least partially disrupted during exposure to cycloheximide. Cells were also centrifuged so as to force the chloroplast against the plasmalemma, thereby presumably interfering with wall secretion and stopping cell expansion and differentiation.
Swarm methodology: the Consumer Electronic Show, contagion, and visual data collection

This report documents the process of collecting visual data at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. After defining CES as a network and the concept of the swarm as a phenomenon with distinctive data collection implications, a two-stage process is outlined. Understood from the point of contagion theory, the first stage of the data collection process resembled a formalistic approach while the second stage focused on specific data content. The goal was to understand swarm as a relatively unique way of studying ephemeral social phenomena and systematize its data collection procedures.
A Relational Model for Managing Second Language Anxiety

Researchers and teachers in the fields of speech communication and second language acquisition have been concerned with the phenomenon of communication anxiety. Although the anxieties experienced by native speakers of a language differ somewhat from those experienced by nonnative speakers, we suggest that students' perceptions of their communication abilities and performances must be taken into account when dealing with the anxiety responses of both groups. This article proposes that a relational model of communication competence developed by Spitzberg and Cupach (1984) can be used as a foundation for understanding and working with students experiencing anxiety in using a second language. Specific exercises for helping students manage their perceptions of their communication are offered.
Racial resentment and smoking

Racial resentment (also known as symbolic racism) is among the most widely tested measures of contemporary prejudice in political science and social psychological research over the past thirty years. Proponents argue that racial resentment reflects anti-black emotion obtained through pre-adult socialization. In light of affect-based models of substance use, this paper examined the association between racial resentment and smoking in a national sample of non-Hispanic white, black, and Hispanic respondents. Data come from the 2012 American National Election Study, which contained two measures of smoking. The results of ordinal logistic regression models indicate a positive association between racial resentment and smoking among non-Hispanic whites (N = 2133) that is not present among blacks (N = 693) or Hispanics (N = 660). Models controlled for age, education, income, gender, political ideology, region, and mode of interview. Furthermore, analyses indicated that a measure of race-related affect, admiration and sympathy towards blacks, partially mediated the association between racial resentment and smoking. For non-Hispanic whites, racial resentment appears to constitute a risk factor for smoking. Future studies should further specify the conditions linking substance use to the race-related affective component of racial resentment.
Heidegger on meaning and reference

This paper is an attempt to criticize the reification of language present in Heidegger’s writings after the Kehre. The steps of the argument are as follows. First, it is argued that the specific fe...
A New Approach To Inference From Accelerated Life Tests

In a recent paper, the authors have proposed a new approach for making inferences from accelerated life tests. Their approach is appreciably different from those that have been considered in the past, and is motivated by what is actually done in practice. Prior information which is generally available to the engineer is incorporated by adopting a Bayesian point of view. The usual assumptions about the failure distributions and the acceleration functions, which are appealing from a statistical point of view, have been sacrificed to achieve greater reality. We apply this new approach to some real life data arising from an accelerated life test. In the process, we explain our new approach in a manner which makes it easy to understand and apply by the reliability practitioner. Because of the nonparametric nature of the approach, the statistical precision of the results is less than that which can be achieved by making parametric assumptions. On the other hand, the chance of selecting an incorrect model is diminished.
A Warm Toast to a Dear Friend

Friendship between Ethel Tobach and me is a New York story. From 1950 we lived about 12 blocks apart in Manhattan. For years I took my sons to the Museum in which she was a Curator, and I still hav...
The characterization of total and leachable metals in foundry molding sands

Waste molding sands from the foundry industry have been successfully used as a component in manufactured soils, but concern over metal contamination must be addressed before many states will consider this beneficial use. Since there is little data available on this topic, the purpose of this study was to characterize total and leachable metals from waste molding sands. A total elemental analysis for Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn was conducted on 36 clay-bonded and seven chemically bonded molding sands. Total metal concentrations in the molding sands were similar to those found in agricultural soils. The leaching of metals (i.e. Ag, As, Ba, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Zn) was assessed via the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP), and ASTM water leach test. Based on the TCLP data, none of the 43 molding sands would meet the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) characteristic for toxicity due to high Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Cr, and Pb. Compared to the TCLP results, the metal concentrations were generally lower in the SPLP and ASTM extracts, which is likely related to the buffering capacity of the extraction fluids.
Renin Inhibition Improves the Survival of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in a Mouse Model of Myocardial Infarction

The aim of this study was to determine if renin inhibition is able to improve the survival of transplanted stem cells in a mouse model of myocardial infarction. Myocardial infarction was induced in FVB/NJ inbred mice (n = 23). Bone marrow-derived mouse mesenchymal stromal cells (mMSCs, 3 × 10(5)) expressing the reporter gene firefly luciferase were delivered intramyocardially (n = 12) and monitored non-invasively by bioluminescence imaging. A group of these mice (n = 6) received aliskiren (15 mg/kg/day) via an osmotic pump implanted subcutaneously. The survival of mMSCs was significantly increased in those animals that received aliskiren leading to a significant improvement in systolic function after myocardial infarction. Histological analysis revealed a significant reduction in inflammation and collagen deposition in those mice that received aliskiren compared to controls. Renin inhibition of the ischemic myocardium is able to modulate the microenvironment improving the survival and efficacy of transplanted mMSCs in a mouse model of myocardial infarction.
Reference material certification by prompt-gamma activation analysis

Neutron-capture prompt-gamma-ray activation analysis (PGAA) shares most of the virtues of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) for reference material certification: highly penetrating probe and response radiation, simple physics, and few interelement interferences or matrix related non-linearities. PGAA complements INAA in determining a different suite of elements using the same tools: a neutron source and gamma-ray spectrometry. Several important elements that are difficult to measure by other techniques are measurable by PGAA, notably H, B, C, N, and S. A survey of published applications and NIST Standard Reference Material certification work shows over thirty different SRMs analyzed by PGAA, including biological materials (botanical and food), coal and fly ash, metals, and several other matrices.
Transport of a lysosomally targeted Rous sarcoma virus envelope glycoprotein involvestransient expression on the cell surface

The details of intracellular transport pathways for glycosylated proteins remain incompletely described. We previously described a mutant Rous sarcoma virus envelope glycoprotein (gp), mu 26, with an altered membrane-spanning domain that was targeted to lysosomes after traversing the trans-Golgi. This mutant protein was not detectable on the cell surface by immunofluorescence, but its pathway for degradation remained unclear. To investigate this we have employed a second env mutation, S19, that results in a protein which is defective for normal cleavage/activation by intracellular enzymes, but remains susceptible to cleavage by extracellular proteases. Cleavage/activation of the double mutant by trypsin, which could only occur if it was exposed on the cell surface, was observed, indicating that the plasma membrane is an intermediate destination in the transport of this mutant protein. To substantiate these results, cells expressing the mu 26 glycoprotein were incubated with an antibody specific for the native protein in the presence of chloroquine. The specific accumulation of this antibody/gp complex in vesicles, as detected by internal immunofluorescence, confirmed the trypsin cleavage results. We conclude that this rapidly degraded mutant protein is transported from the trans-Golgi to the cell surface, where it is only transiently exposed, and then rapidly endocytosed and lysosomally degraded. The relevance of these results to the targeting of lysosomal proteins is discussed.
Identification of novel neuroprotective agents using pharmacophore modeling.

In addition to its endocrine function, for which it was named, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) has substantial neuroprotective actions as well as other physiological effects. We have developed a number of modified TRH analogues as well as cyclic dipeptides structurally related to a major metabolic product of TRH, which have enhanced neuroprotective activity but none of the other major physiological effects of TRH. The extensive structure–activity data developed with these compounds were used to develop a pharmacophore model. Subsequently, a web-based pharmacophore searching program was used to query several large three-dimensional databases. Of the 219 compounds identified whose structures met the pharmacophore model, 15 were chosen for study in a classical model of neuronal cell death in vitro; five of these, 2–6, showed neuroprotective activity. Thus, pharmacophore modeling developed from neuroprotective small peptides can be used to identify novel lead compounds as neuroprotective agents.
Quantum splitting and its dynamics in GdLiF 4 : Nd

Efficient quantum splitting and sensitization of ${\mathrm{Gd}}^{3+}$ is demonstrated for the ${\mathrm{Gd}}^{3+}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ system in ${\mathrm{GdLiF}}_{4}:\mathrm{Nd}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}2%$. The quantum splitting results from a two-step cross-relaxation energy transfer between ${\mathrm{Gd}}^{3+}$ and ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ that first involves a transition $^{6}\mathrm{G}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}^{6}\mathrm{I}$ on ${\mathrm{Gd}}^{3+}$ and an excitation within the $4{f}^{3}$ configuration of ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ followed by a second cross-relaxation energy transfer that brings ${\mathrm{Gd}}^{3+}$ to $^{6}P_{7∕2}$. The excited ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ ion rapidly relaxes, nonradiatively, to the emitting $^{4}F_{3∕2}$. The excited ${\mathrm{Gd}}^{3+}$ ion then transfers its energy back to ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$, which gives rise to the second photon. The process is studied by emission and excitation spectroscopy. The result is a quantum yield for the emission of IR photons, which has its maximum of about $1.05\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.35$, at 175 nm. The dynamics of both the ${\mathrm{Gd}}^{3+}$ and ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ excited states are studied in detail, providing information about the mechanisms and rates for the various energy transfer processes. It appears that the second step in the quantum splitting is less efficient than the first. It is found that energy migration among the ${\mathrm{Gd}}^{3+}$ ions plays an important role in the quantum splitting and that there is strong evidence that the exchange interaction is the dominant mechanism in the energy transfer. This system provides excellent insights into the quantum splitting process, especially with regard to an evaluation of the details of the dynamics.
Sex‐role stereotyping in FCC‐mandated children's educational television

This study examined sex‐role stereotyping within FCC‐mandated children's educational programming. A content analysis revealed that males had a greater representation than females and both male and female characters exhibited significantly more sex‐role stereotypical behavior. Also, males were more likely to evoke some consequence for their actions while female actions tended to be ignored altogether. The subtlety and consistent nature of stereotyped social behavior on educational programs may help naturalize gender‐stereotyped views of the world within the children who watch them.
Going Public: Responsibilities and Strategies in the Aftermath of Ethnography

This paper examines professional responsibilities following the fieldwork and writing stages of anthropological work. After reassessing Boas’s public anthropological stance with respect to Native and African Americans, it identifies an alternative history that includes Morgan, Cushing, Wilson, Goldschmidt, and recent practitioners of advocacy anthropology. It then discusses the author’s experiences with public audiences and media following publication of an ethnography of political change in a multiracial Queens, New York, neighborhood. It concludes with an overview of anthropological approaches to engaging “society as a whole.”
Oceanic export of relict carbon by small mountainous rivers

Small mountainous rivers (SMR) export globally significant quantities of particulate organic carbon (POC) to the oceans, the composition of which may be distinct from POC delivered by major world rivers. To better constrain the controls on the Δ14C signatures of POC suspended in SMR, we examined the temporal variability of Δ14C and δ13C of POC suspended in the Santa Clara River, a SMR in California, USA. Our data suggest mixing of bedrock and contemporary soil, which can be applied to other SMR in contrasting climate zones and with varying land cover. The data also suggest that chemical denudation is incomplete, but effective to the point that only the most recalcitrant moieties of the parent POC are exported. We further propose sediment yield as a potentially useful proxy for the Δ14C of riverine POC. A preliminary analysis of the existing data for a spectrum of rivers supports this hypothesis.
On the Road to the 21st Century: The Chinese Experience

The article focuses on China's economic system and how it differs from market capitalism in Western countries. It states that China's path to modernization is distinct from the path Western countries took in modernizing. It mentions a historical analysis charting how Western countries moved from the feudal system to a market-driven capitalism, with feudal systems evolving into bureaucracies that were regulated by impersonal hierarchical structures, and that eventual economic growth and decentralization evolved into the current market-driven capitalist system. It comments that Communist China's bureaucratic system was more closely related to feudal fiefs than the rational-legal bureaucracies of Western countries.