cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of alpha-tubulin deacetylation in intact neurons

The majority of the alpha-tubulin in cultured neurons is acetylated (Black and Keyser, 1987). The present studies examine the relationships of the acetylation and deacetylation reactions to tubulin assembly and disassembly in intact neurons. Extraction assays which separate assembled and unassembled tubulin pools reveal that greater than or equal to 99% of the total acetylated, as well as newly acetylated, tubulin is cytoskeletal associated. Treatment of neurons with depolymerizing drugs results in a progressive decrease in the levels of total tubulin in polymer and a corresponding increase in the levels of soluble tubulin. These drugs also cause a progressive decrease in the levels of acetylated alpha-tubulin in polymer that closely parallels in rate and extent that of total alpha-tubulin. However, there is no corresponding increase in soluble acetylated tubulin. Because the total levels of alpha-tubulin remain unchanged during drug treatment, the decrease in levels of acetylated alpha-tubulin during depolymerization must reflect its rapid conversion to nonacetylated alpha-tubulin. These findings suggest alpha-tubulin is acetylated in the polymeric form and that deacetylation is closely coupled to depolymerization. The close coupling between alpha-tubulin deacetylation and depolymerization provided a means of estimating the rate at which subunits cycle off microtubules in intact neurons. Acetate turnover on tubulin in intact neurons was determined both by pulse-chase protocols with 3H-acetate and by measuring the loss of acetylated subunits (using quantitative immunoblotting) under conditions of net microtubule depolymerization induced by colchicine. Both methods yielded similar results. Acetate turnover occurred biphasically; 30-50% of the acetate on tubulin turns over with a t1/2 of 1.5-2 hr, and the remaining half or more turns over with a t1/2 of 5-10 hr. We suggest that these kinetically distinguishable pools of acetylated alpha-tubulin reflect distinct pools of acetylated microtubules that differ in their average rates of subunit turnover.
Sustaining beauty. The performance of appearance

Sustainable landscape design is generally understood in relation to three principles – ecological health, social justice and economic prosperity. Rarely do aesthetics factor into sustainability discourse, except in negative asides conflating the visible with the aesthetic and rendering both superfluous. This article examines the role of beauty and aesthetics in a sustainability agenda. It argues that it will take more than ecologically regenerative designs for culture to be sustainable, that what is needed are designed landscapes that provoke those who experience them to become more aware of how their actions affect the environment, and to care enough to make changes. This involves considering the role of aesthetic environmental experiences, such as beauty, in re-centering human consciousness from an egocentric to a more bio-centric perspective. This argument in the form of a manifesto is inspired by American landscape architects whose work is not usually understood as contributing to sustainable design.
Mechanism of inactivation of γ-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase by (S,E)-4-amino-5-fluoropent-2-enoic acid

Evidence for an enamine mechanism of inactivation of pig brain γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) aminotransferase by (S,E)-4-amino-5-fluoropent-2-enoic acid is presented. apo-GABA aminotransferase reconstituted with [3H]pyridoxal 5′-phosphate is inactivated by (S,E)-4-amino-5-fluoropent-2-enoic acid and the pH is raised to 12. All of the radioactivity is released from the enzyme as an adduct of the cofactor; no [3H]pyridoxamine 5′-phosphate is generated.
The design and economics of low carbon fuel standards

Low carbon fuel standards (LCFS) are increasingly common policy tools used to decrease emissions and increase the penetration of renewable energy technologies in the transportation sector. In this paper, we discuss important design elements of the policy, and provide a background on prominent policies that are currently enacted or proposed. The economics of an LCFS are presented using a simple conceptual model, and the economic literature on the policy is reviewed. Important opportunities to build on the extant literature are identified, including studying the role of low carbon fuel standards in spurring technical change, and the interaction of the policy with other federal and state transportation policies.
The HR Diagram for Normal Radio Stars

It is found that nonthermal radio emission is associated with stars in very specific locations on the HR diagram. The four classes of objects are typified by early-type mass-loss stars (05/WR), late-type giants and supergiants (M2II), subgiant K-stars (KO IV–III), and flare stars (dMe). The members of each class exhibit about the same maximum radio luminosities, log (LR/Lbol), and flaring timescales, spectra, and polarizations. Membership in a binary system is not found to be a necessary condition for detectable nonthermal emission.
Comparison of achievement and affiliation arousal on nAch.

Summary Using TAT slides and a neutral achievement arousal condition, 91 Susquehanna University students were tested for need to achieve (nAch). Male nAch scores were not significantly affected by achievement or affiliation arousal. In comparison, female nAch scores increased significantly (p <.001) after affiliation arousal and decreased significantly (p <.001) after achievement arousal. A positive significant (p <.01) correlation of nAch score and grade-point average was computed. Science majors were significantly (p <.1) higher in nAch score than humanities majors, and humanities majors were significantly (p <.1) higher in nAch than business majors.
Trapping of a Resonant Phonon by a Pair of Paramagnetic Ions

The trapping of a resonant phonon by a pair of paramagnetic ions is studied in the limit of zero temperature with the aid of the Heitler damping formalism. The probability amplitudes of the states (spin 1 up, spin 2 down, no phonon), (spin 1 down, spin 2 up, no phonon), and (spin 1 down, spin 2 down, one phonon) are computed. Provided coherence is maintained between the two spins, the transfer of energy to the crystal lattice takes place in the time ${T}_{10}{(1\ensuremath{-}\frac{sin{k}_{0}{r}_{12}}{{k}_{0}{r}_{12}})}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. Here ${T}_{10}$ is the spin-lattice relaxation time for an isolated ion at zero degrees, ${k}_{0}$ is the wave vector of the resonant phonon, and ${r}_{12}$ is the distance between the spins. The relation of this result to the general problem of spin-lattice relaxation at low temperature is discussed.
Electrical Phenomena Associated with the Activity of the Membrane-Bound Acetylcholinesterase

Treatment of isolated electroplax with physiological solutions supplemented with either 1 molar sodium chloride, 2 molar urea, or 2 molar sucrose renders the cell insensitive to carbamylcholine, phenyltrimethylammonium, or decamethonium even at high concentrations. The treated cells have a residual resting potential of -20 ± 10 millivolts (negative inside) and are depolarized by acetylcholine at concentrations larger than 10-3 mole per liter. This response is not affected by d- tubocurarine but is blocked by physostigmine, diisopropylphosphorofluoridate, or strong buffers and thus depends on the catalytic activity of the membrane-bound acetylcholinesterase.
Expression of activated checkpoint kinase 2 and histone 2AX in exfoliative oral cells after exposure to ionizing radiation.

Abstract Yoon, A. J., Shen, J., Wu, H-C., Angelopoulos, C., Singer, R. S., Chen, R. and Santella, R. M. Expression of Activated Checkpoint Kinase 2 and Histone 2AX in Exfoliative Oral Cells after Exposure to Ionizing Radiation. Radiat. Res. 171, 771–775 (2009). γ-H2AX (activated histone 2AX) and pChk2 (activated checkpoint kinase 2), which are DNA damage response molecules, are produced in irradiated cells and may be signature molecules of radiation exposure. We investigated their use as potential biomarkers to identify individuals exposed to ionizing radiation. We collected exfoliated oral epithelial cell samples from 100 healthy individuals undergoing routine dental radiographic examination (2.34 cGy) both before and after the radiograph using a non-invasive technique. The expression levels of pChk2 and γ-H2AX in oral cells were assessed by immunohistochemical assay. Both biomarkers showed statistically significant increases in levels of expression after the radiation exposure (P < 0.001). This suggests...
Differential effects of proteases involved in intracellular degradation of amyloid β-protein between detergent-soluble and -insoluble pools in CHO-695 cells

The deposition of amyloid β-protein (Aβ or βA4) is a key feature of Alzheimer's disease. Most studies have focused on the generation of Aβ, but little is known about the degradation of Aβ. Recent reports suggest that insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) and neutral endopeptidase (NEP) are involved in the extracellular degradation of Aβ. To date, however, far less is known about the degradation of intracellular Aβ. To elucidate the protease(s) responsible for the degradation of intracellular Aβ, we investigated the effect of various protease inhibitors on Aβ in two distinct intracellular pools (i.e., nonionic detergent-soluble and detergent-insoluble pools) in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Treatment with thiol and metal inhibitors resulted in the accumulation of intracellular Aβ and oligomers in detergent-soluble and -insoluble fractions. The overexpression of thiol-metalloprotease IDE resulted in a marked reduction in levels of detergent-soluble intracellular Aβ as well as extracellular Aβ40 and Aβ42. Moreover, ...
Theory of electromigration failure in polycrystalline metal films

We introduce a dynamic fuse model for the damage done to a current-carrying polycrystalline metal thin film by electromigration. We determine the exact scaling behavior of the crack tip velocity for a single crack oriented perpendicularly to the direction of the ambient current. A Lifshitz-type theory works well only when the initial density of defects (p) is small. For all p, the mean failure time is to an excellent approximation proportional to the average length of the shortest path across the film in a certain metric. This conclusion is supported by our simulations and by analytical work based on a variational formulation of our problem. Using the shortest-path approximation, we show that the mean failure time tends to zero as (${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{c}}$-p${)}^{4/3}$ as the percolation threshold p=${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{c}}$ is approached. We also use the shortest-path approximation to account for experimental results on the lifetime of long polycrystalline metal wires of varying lengths and widths.
On random 2---3 trees

It is shown that ¯n (N), the average number of nodes in an N-key random 2---3 tree, satisfies the inequality 0.70 N < ¯n(N) <0.79 N for large N. A similar analysis is done for general B-trees. It is shown that storage utilization is essentially ln 2?69% for B-tree of high orders.
Evaluation of the PROMIS physical function item bank in orthopaedic patients.

The patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS) physical function item bank v1 (PPFIB) contains 124 item response theory (IRT) calibrated items (Rose et al. 2008. J Clin Epidemiol 61:17–33). We report the psychometric properties of these items within an outpatient, orthopaedic patient population. In particular, we investigated whether a single unidimensional IRT scale can adequately define physical function of patients presenting with primarily upper or lower extremity orthopaedic complaints. We conducted a prospective study at an orthopaedic outpatient clinic to collect data from 865 adult patients with all 124 PROMIS physical function items and seven demographic items. Items were evaluated by a Rasch model. Total variance (60.6%) across the 124 items was explained by a single Rasch dimension. The variance explained by the second dimension was 7.7%, reflecting differential item functioning in the upper and lower extremity patients. The upper extremity physical function items had a pronounced ceiling effect. A single physical function dimension accounts for most of the item variance in the PPFIB, suggesting that the items are measuring predominately one single construct. Separate subscales for lower versus upper extremities, especially with additional items at the upper trait level of the upper extremity subscale, may further enhance evaluation of physical function in orthopaedic patients. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 29:947–953
Vascular responses to syntactic processing: Event‐related fMRI study of relative clauses

Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to investigate the localization of syntactic processing in sentence comprehension. Matched pairs of sentences containing identical lexical items were compared. One member of the pair consisted of a syntactically simpler sentence, containing a subject relativized clause. The second member of the pair consisted of a syntactically more complex sentence, containing an object relativized clause. Ten subjects made plausibility judgments about the sentences, which were presented one word at a time on a computer screen. There was an increase in BOLD hemodynamic signal in response to the presentation of all sentences compared to fixation in both right and left occipital cortex, the left perisylvian cortex, and the left premotor and motor areas. BOLD signal increased in the left angular gyrus when subjects processed the complex portion of syntactically more complex sentences. This study shows that a hemodynamic response associated with processing the syntactically complex portions of a sentence can be localized to one part of the dominant perisylvian association cortex.
Laser Bandwidth and Wavelength Stability Measurements Using Self-Scanning Linear Diode Arrays:

The capability of tunable dye lasers to generate high power densities with very narrow bandwidths has been used extensively in molecular spectroscopy, photochemistry, and reaction dynamics to selectively populate excited states with highly specific molecular properties (e.g., rovibronic excitation). Instrumentally, both the bandwidth and wavelength stabilities of the laser radiation determine the degree of specificity with which an excited state can be selectively populated. Thus, in experiments using narrow bandwidth excitation, these two characteristics are an essential part of the laser diagnostics.
The United States, Great Britain, and Egypt, 1945-1956: Strategy and Diplomacy in the Early Cold War

Egypt figured prominently in United States policy in the Middle East after World War II because of its strategic, political, and economic importance. Peter Hahn explores the triangular relationship between the United States, Great Britain, and Egypt in order to analyze the justifications and implications of American policy in the region and within the context of a broader Cold War strategy. This work is the first comprehensive scholarly account of relations between those countries during this period. Hahn shows how the United States sought to establish stability in Egypt and the Middle East to preserve Western interests, deny the resources of the region to the Soviet Union, and prevent the outbreak of war. He demonstrates that American officials' desire to recognize Egyptian nationalistic aspirations was constrained by their strategic imperatives in the Middle East and by the demands of the Anglo-American alliance. Using many recently declassified American and British political and military documents, Hahn offers a comprehensive view of the intricacies of alliance diplomacy and multilateral relations. He sketches the United States' growing involvement in Egyptian affairs and its accumulation of commitments to Middle East security and stability and shows that these events paralleled the decline of British influence in the region. Hahn identifies the individuals and agencies that formulated American policy toward Egypt and discusses the influence of domestic and international issues on the direction of policy. He also explains and analyzes the tactics devised by American officials to advance their interests in Egypt, judging their soundness and success.
Impact of position sensor accuracy on the performance of IPM drives

In this paper, the influence of rotor position sensor accuracy on the performance of an Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM) motor drive for automotive propulsion is presented. Analytical equations describing the torque production in IPM machines show the need for rotor position feedback with high accuracy and resolution, especially for operation in the flux weakening region. Finite element analysis was performed to substantiate this conclusion and also to estimate the torque and power degradation due to the position sensor error. The dynamic angle error of various high resolution/accuracy sensors was measured on the test bench at various operating speeds and temperatures and the measured data was used for computing the impact of angle error on the torque ripple. The details of these results are presented in the paper.
NEUROLOGIC DEVELOPMENT OF PREMATURES TREATED FOR NEONATAL HYPOCALCEMIA(HC)

During the first 72 hrs of life, 30% of premature (≤37wks) develop HC. Possible sequelae of early HC have not been examined. Twelve well AGA prematures were studied in matched pairs (gestation and Apgar) and given prophylactic doses of 1, 25 dihydroxyvit 03 (l,25(OH)2D3 - the active D metabolite), or vit D2 400 IU(controls) during the first 3 days. Infants were studied prospectively for degree of tremors on day 1, 2, 3; Brazelton Behavior Assessment (BBA) at 40wks postconception; and Gesell Developmental Exam at 3 & 6 mos. Exams were blinded to ionized Ca (ICa, Orion SS-20) and treatment group. All prestudy iCa were <3.5mg%. By 48hrs, the 1,25(OH)2D3 group had significantly higher iCa, 3.6±0.1mg% (mean±SEM) vs 3.2±0.1 at 12 hrs (paired t, p<.05); controls did not change. Degree of tremors was not related to iCa. Controls were less responsive to BBA orientation (visual, auditory and combined) items than 1, 25(OH)2D3 group, 4.1±.16vs 5.0±.21(t test, p<.01). The 3 mo Gesell was lower for controls vs 1, 25(OH)2D3, 89±3 vs 99±4 (p<.06) and was 110±1 vs 116±1 at 6 mo (p<.01). Eight of the 12 infants were rematched blindly in pairs for Apgar, gestation and HC at 48 hrs vs normocalcemia (NC). HC infants appeared less responsive than NC in the BBA visual-auditory item, 5±0.6 vs 6±.4 (Wilcoxon-Mann, p<.07), to need more consoling (6.6±0.3 vs 7.6±.4, p<.10) and to be more excitable (5.6±.3 vs 6.3±.4, p<.10). No differences were found between HC and NC in 386 mo Gesell. Early neonatal hypocalcemia appears to have an effect on the newborn's ability to respond to social(orientation) stimuli; long term sequelae are uncertain.
Detection of duodenal ulcer-associated genes in rats.

We assessed the expression of about 8,000 known or unknown genes in the preulcerogenic stages of cysteamine-induced duodenal ulceration in rats, in comparison with the toxic but nonulcerogen ethanolamine. The most prominent gene changes were confirmed by custom gene blots, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time PCR, radio-immunoassay, Western blot, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the levels of their expression in other gastrointestinal organs such as ileum and colon were identified by real-time PCR. The time-course study after cysteamine showed 40 genes with marked changes, belonging to cell surface antigens, transcription factors, DNA binding proteins, ion channels, transport proteins, cellular receptors, and expressed sequence tags (i.e., unknown genes). In comparison with ethanolamine, these 40 genes changed by cysteamine only may represent ulcer-associated genes, such as endothelin receptor B, endothelin 1, caspase 3, transcription factors egr-1, Sp1, the angiogenic growth factors vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and especially egr-1 and endothelin receptor B (ETRB) showed no changes in ileum and colon. Conclusions: (1) These data suggest that duodenal ulcerogenesis may require the interaction of several genes leading to endothelial and epithelial cell injury, mucosal erosion, and ulcer; (2) these new findings may offer a new approach to the identification of potential ulcerogenic genes and provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of duodenal ulceration.
The Effect of Specific Versus Combined Warm-up Strategies on the Voice

Although actors and singers typically warm-up the voice before performing, little is known about the effects of vocal warm-up on the voice. This study was designed to determine the relative effectiveness of specific versus combined warm-up strategies on the voice by group comparison. Twenty participants, 10 male and 10 female actors, completed two warm-up protocols, at least 1 week apart, in a counter-balanced order. Measures of phonation threshold pressure (PTP), jitter, noise-to-harmonics-ratio (NHR), and self-perceived vocal effort were obtained. For the males, there was no significant difference in PTP difference values between vocal warm-up only (specific) and vocal plus aerobic warm-up (combined) conditions. For the females, however, a significant difference was found, with a greater reduction in PTP in the combined warm-up condition. A significant difference was also found in male jitter percent values, with significantly lower values in the specific condition than in the combined condition. There were no significant differences in the remaining comparisons. Females appeared to respond more to the vocal warm-up when it had an aerobic exercise component. It is possible that the males' greater level of physical fitness impacted this finding.
Oxygen Isotope Variations of Basaltic Lavas and Upper Mantle Rocks

This chapter summarizes the oxygen isotope geochemistry of terrestrial basalts and their mantle sources, including the conceptual framework for interpreting such data and the phenomenology of known variations. In particular, the first section outlines the motivations for and first-order results of oxygen isotope studies of terrestrial and lunar basalts over the last 30 years; the second section reviews oxygen isotopic fractionations among phases relevant for studying basalts and mantle rocks; the third summarizes variations in δ^(18)O of various crustal rocks that may contribute to the petrogenesis of basalts either as subducted source components or lithospheric contaminants; and the final and longest section describes observed oxygen isotope variations of major classes of terrestrial basalts and related mantle nodules with an emphasis on data generated within the last six years using laser-based fluorination techniques. In the interests of brevity, I do not describe in detail methods for oxygen isotope analysis or changes in δ^(18)O of volcanic rocks caused by sub-solidus alteration; however, these issues are important practical considerations for anyone studying oxygen isotope compositions of basalts and interested readers are directed to the following references: analytical methods: Sharp (1990), Mattey and Macpherson (1993), and Valley et al. (1995); basalt alteration: Muehlenbachs (1986), Alt (1993), and Staudigel et al. (1995).
Some Implications of Clark Wissler's Race Theory

A recent attempt to place the name of Clark Wissler in a central position in the history of anthropology ignores his blatant racism. Wissler's racism was evident not only in scholarly and popular circles, but, as well, was employed by the United States government to give ‘scientific’ status to its Immigration Act of 1924. The Act favoured the inflow of Northwest Europeans at the expense of Eastern European Jews and other groups who had been immigrating in massive numbers, and whose presence had become increasingly unwelcome. It was used by the Nazi propaganda machine to justify German anti-Semitism in 1933 and thereafter, and by the United States Department of State to turn away the eventual victims of Nazi genocide. Wissler thus provides a profound scholarly and human contrast to Franz Boas, who publicly deplored racism and immigration restriction. Boas' stand as a ‘citizen-scientist’ partly accounts for his under-evaluation by later anthropologists, most recently by Derek Freeman in his Margaret Mead and Samoa.
A geometric reformulation of 4-dimensional surgery☆

Abstract Certain topological generalizations of the Schottky groups are described. These act on the three spheres. The question of finding a suitable extension over B4 is considered an shown to be equivalent to the topological surgery-conjecture. The high-dimensional analogues of these actions are shown to have suitable extensions.
Impact of renal function before mechanical circulatory support on posttransplant renal outcomes.

Background Renal dysfunction is common before mechanical circulatory support (MCS). Mechanical circulatory support frequently improves renal function, but the impact of pre-MCS renal dysfunction on renal function after cardiac transplantation (CTX) is unknown. Methods Patients with MCS from January 1995 until April 2008 at a single center were included if their MCS duration was at least 60 days and they underwent successful CTX. Patients were followed for 1 year after CTX. Results A total of 116 patients were included in the study. Mechanical circulatory support was biventricular assist device in 28% and left ventricular assist device in 72% (continuous flow left ventricular assist device, 14%). Mean duration of MCS was 124 days. Patients were grouped according to tertiles of pre-MCS creatinine clearance (CrCl): group 1, CrCl less than 45 mL/min; group 2, CrCl between 45 and 65 mL/min inclusive; and group 3, CrCl more than 65 mL/min. Group 3 had the best renal outcomes both after MCS and 1 year after CTX. Regardless of group, patients who had a CrCl of at least 60 mL/min before CTX had similar 1-year posttransplant CrCl (55 versus 53 versus 56 mL/min for groups 1 through 3, respectively; not significantly different). However, the ability to achieve this level of renal function after MCS was less likely in those with the worst renal function before the initiation of MCS (53% versus 74% versus 90% for groups 1 through 3, respectively; p = 0.001). Conclusions The use of MCS leads to improvements in renal function in patients after MCS. However, the renal outcomes after CTX seem to be more dependent on the level of renal function achieved during MCS than on the level of renal function before MCS.
Maximizing customer satisfaction by optimal specification of engineering characteristics

The House of Quality has been widely discussed as a mechanism for converting customer attributes into engineering characteristics to ensure the design quality of new products and processes. In the past, this process has been subjective and heuristic. In this paper, we present a mathematical programming model for determining the optimal settings for engineering characteristics based on value functions constructed to capture customer preferences. The model can be used with either traditional subjective measures of customer preference or incorporate empirical models based on quantitative data. The robustness of the optimal solution to randomness in parameter estimates is investigated. An example is used to demonstrate the procedure.
The evolution of endothermy in terrestrial vertebrates: Who? When? Why?

Abstract Avian and mammalian endothermy results from elevated rates of resting, or routine, metabolism and enables these animals to maintain high and stable body temperatures in the face of variable ambient temperatures. Endothermy is also associated with enhanced stamina and elevated capacity for aerobic metabolism during periods of prolonged activity. These attributes of birds and mammals have greatly contributed to their widespread distribution and ecological success. Unfortunately, since few anatomical/physiological attributes linked to endothermy are preserved in fossils, the origin of endothermy among the ancestors of mammals and birds has long remained obscure. Two recent approaches provide new insight into the metabolic physiology of extinct forms. One addresses chronic (resting) metabolic rates and emphasizes the presence of nasal respiratory turbinates in virtually all extant endotherms. These structures are associated with recovery of respiratory heat and moisture in animals with high resting m...
Preliminary studies on sensitization of Lewis rats with sulfated glucuronyl paragloboside.

Abstract A large number of patients with peripheral neuropathy and IgM paraproteinemia have IgM monoclonal antibodies which recognize a carbohydrate determinant shared by myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and sulfated glucuronyl glycolipids (SGGLs). There is considerable evidence that these IgM monoclonal antibodies are responsible for demyelination in this disorder. To study the pathogenic role of SGGLs in this type of neuropathy, we sensitized Lewis rats with sulfated glucuronyl paragloboside (SGPG), a major SGGL. Fifty percent of the animals (8/16) developed neurological symptons such as mild to moderate distal tail tone loss, with or without abnormal posture, along with development of anti-SGPG antibodies. These antibodies reacted with SGGLs, but not with rat MAG. Morphological studies showed: (1) axonal change in the lateral aspects of the dorsal columns in the spinal cord; and (2) damage to the endothelial cells in the spinal cord which suggested a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier. There was no obvious change in the peripheral nerve. Since no marked cellular infiltration was detected in these lesions, the clinicopathological findings observed could be induced by humoral mechanism, most likely anti-SGPG antibodies.
Unified treatment of temperature, concentration, and electric-field dependences of variable-range-hopping conductivity.

The conductivity of ${\mathrm{Ge}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Au}}_{\mathit{x}}$ thin films was studied at temperatures in the range 0.019T4.2 K. In the linear (low-bias) regime, samples with 0x0.14 showed resistivity with exp \ensuremath{\surd}${\mathit{T}}^{\mathrm{*}}$/T behavior. The x dependence of ${\mathit{T}}^{\mathrm{*}}$ accurately followed the theory of Shklovskii and Efros, which includes a Coulomb gap in the electronic density of states. At bias fields exceeding \ensuremath{\sim}${10}^{4}$ V/m, nonlinearity was observed that can be accounted for by introducing the effect of the bias field into a calculation of the optimized hopping exponent.
Boranophosphate siRNA-aptamer chimeras for tumor-specific downregulation of cancer receptors and modulators

There is a need for novel, effective, and cell- and gene-specific therapeutics for cancer. Modified oligonucleotides can be used to modulate specifically and potently the expression of several genes that are upregulated in breast and prostate cancer and have been found to be causal to the tumor phenotype. Synergistic downregulation of these genes may be a potent therapeutic intervention. We are investigating the use of boranophosphate (BP) analogues of RNA as promising candidates for enhancing the potential of three relatively new, gene-specific, anticancer strategies: (1) Tumor-targeted borane siRNA against a combination of genes that control metabolism and transduction; (2) Tumor-specific modified aptamers against prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and ERB2 in breast cancer as delivery agents; and (3) Cancer cell obliteration by cell-specific radiation therapy: Boron-Neutron-Capture-Therapy.
The distribution and residence time of suspended sediment stored within the channel margins of a gravel‐bed bedrock river

Previously undocumented deposits are described that store suspended sediment in gravel-bedded rivers, termed ‘fine-grained channel margin’ (FGCM) deposits. FGCM deposits consist of sand, silt, clay, and organic matter that accumulate behind large woody debris (LWD) along the margins of the wetted perimeter of the single-thread, gravel-bed South River in Virginia. These deposits store a total mass equivalent to 17% to 43% of the annual suspended sediment load. Radiocarbon, 210Pb and 137C dating indicate that sediment in FGCM deposits ranges in age from 1 to more than 60 years. Reservoir theory suggests an average turnover time of 1·75 years and an annual exchange with the water column of a mass of sediment equivalent to 10% to 25% of the annual sediment load. The distribution of ages in the deposits can be fitted by a power function, suggesting that sediment stored in the deposits has a wide variety of transit times. Most sediment in storage is reworked quickly, but a small portion may remain in place for many decades. The presence of FGCM deposits indicates that suspended sediment is not simply transported downstream in gravel-bed rivers in agricultural watersheds: significant storage can occur over decadal timescales. South River has a history of mercury contamination and identifying sediment sources and sinks is critical for documenting the extent of contamination and for developing remediation plans. FGCM deposits should be considered in future sediment budget and sediment transport modeling studies of gravel-bed rivers in agricultural watersheds. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
AUTOMATED DESIGN SYNTHESIS FOR MICRO-ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SYSTEMS (MEMS)

This paper proposes a general architecture for using evolutionary algorithms to achieve MEMS design synthesis. Functional MEMS devices are designed by combining parameterized basic MEMS building blocks together using Multi-objective Genetic Algorithms (MOGAs) to produce a pareto optimal set of feasible designs. The iterative design synthesis loop is implemented by combining MOGAs with the SUGAR MEMS simulation tool. Given a high-level description of the device’s desired behavior, both the topology and sizing are generated. The topology or physical configuration includes the number and types of basic building blocks and their connectivity. The sizing of the designs entails assigning numerical values to parameterized building blocks. A sample from the pareto optimal set of designs is presented for a meandering resonator example, along with convergence plots.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Environmental attitudes and political partisanship.

Abstract Objective To explore the impact of political partisanship on environmental attitudes related to climate change in United States and its implications for public health. Study design An integrative literature review. Methods A literature review of English articles was performed from January 2013 to March 2013 using the following databases: CINAHL, PubMed, Academic Search Premier, Business Source Premier, ERIC, psychINFO, and Wiley Online Library. Empirical and review articles and Internet sources were included. Results Continued mass emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases will exacerbate the consequences of global warming and climate change. As one of the key global contributors of carbon emissions, the lack of climate change policy and regulatory practices at the federal level in the United States is of great concern. Political partisanship in the US is largely to blame for this inaction, as efforts for drastic remediation action is met with rejection from conservative groups who do not believe that global warming and climate change are a problem, despite scientific evidence to the contrary. To promote the health of the entire population, there needs to be a paradigm shift from consumption driven economic growth as advocated by the Republicans to a realization of true prosperity beyond growth in order to create a sustainable world. Conclusion This presents a critical challenge to public health professionals as political partisanship has the power to impact environmental attitudes and have serious implications for public health. Preserving the environment must take precedence over economic growth if we want a habitable planet low in carbon.
`Press 1 for English': textual and ideological networks in a newspaper debate on US language policy:

This article examines 180 texts that together form a newspaper-mediated debate of language policy in reaction to US Senate legislation declaring English the national language of the United States. ...
Tape Cloud: Scalable and Cost Efficient Big Data Infrastructure for Cloud Computing

Magnetic tapes have been a primary medium of backup storage for a long time in many organizations. In this paper, the possibility of establishing an inter-network accessible, centralized, tape based data backup facility is evaluated. Our motive is to develop a cloud storage service that organizations can use for long term storage of big data which is typically Write-Once-Read-Many. This Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) cloud can provide the much needed cost effectiveness in storing huge amounts of data exempting client organizations from high infrastructure investments. We make an attempt to understand some of the limitations induced by the usage of tapes by studying the latency of tape libraries in scenarios most likely faced in the backing up process in comparison to its hard disk counterpart. The result of this study is an outline of methods to overcome these limitations by adopting novel tape storage architectures, filesystem, schedulers to manage data transaction requests from various clients and develop faster ways to retrieve requested data to extend the applications beyond backup. We use commercially available tapes and a tape library to perform latency tests and understand the basic operations of tape. With the optimistic backing of statistics that suggests the extensive usage of tapes to this day and in future, we propose an architecture to provide data backup to a large and diverse client base.
Pulsatile adrenocorticotropic hormone : An overview

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is secreted by corticotrophic cells in pulsatile bursts. This paper reviews the extant literature on the phenomenon of pulsatile ACTH after addressing basic issues of hormone pulsatility in neuroendocrine systems. The following themes emerged from reviewing 51 studies measuring plasma ACTH at intervals of 20 min or less: marked inter-individual variability in the pattern of ACTH, the dependence of pulse identification on sampling frequency, the similarity in ACTH pulse amplitude and frequency across species, and the predominance of amplitude over frequency changes in ACTH pulses in altered physiological states. As the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis plays a critical role in orchestrating adaptation and survival, the ability to modulate the shape of ACTH signals may prove to be an important means of transmitting complex information to ACTH responsive cells. The clinical and neurobiological significance of temporal alterations in ACTH secretion represents an area for future investigation.
A complete theory of psychosis and autism as diametric disorders of social brain must consider full range of clinical syndromes

We argue that autism and psychosis spectrum disorders cannot be conceptualized as polar extremes of mentalizing ability. We raise two main objections: (1) the autistic-psychotic continuum, as conceptualized by the authors, excludes defining features of schizophrenia spectrum: negative symptoms, which correlate more strongly with mentalizing impairments; and (2) little evidence exists for a relationship between mentalizing ability and positive symptoms.
Dipicolinate Sensitization of Europium Luminescence in Dispersible 5%Eu:LaF3 Nanoparticles

An earlier synthetic procedure was adapted to produce water-dispersible, citrate-stabilized LaF3 nanoparticles of 3−4 nm diameter, which exhibit a high degree of crystallinity (tysonite structure). The samples, as isolated from synthesis, consist of nanoparticles with a monolayer coverage of citrate capping ligands (with no excess, unbound citrate) and ammonium ions which balance charge. In aqueous dispersions, dipicolinate (DPA) displaces citrate on the surface of 5%Eu-doped LaF3 nanoparticles and strongly sensitizes Eu3+(5D0) emission. At low concentrations, the DPA does not adversely affect the dispersibility or the structural integrity of the nanoparticles and binds to the particle surface, selectively sensitizing Eu3+ surface and near-surface sites. The DPA, therefore, serves both as a sensitizer of Eu3+ luminescence and as a selective probe of the surface. The dipicolinate strongly sensitizes Eu3+(5D0) emission, increasing the 614 nm emission intensity by a factor of 100 with less than 1% citrate re...
FTIR spectroscopy for bacterial spore identification and classification

The ability to distinguish endospores from each other, from vegetative cells, and from background particles has been demonstrated by PNNL and several other laboratories using various analytical techniques such as MALDI and SIMS. Recent studies at PNNL using Fourier transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with statistical analysis have shown the ability to characterize and discriminate bacterial spores and vegetative bacteria from each other, as well as from background interferents. In some cases it is even possible to determine the taxonomical identity of the species using FTIR. This effort has now grown to include multiple species of bacterial endospores, vegetative cells, and background materials. The present work reports on advances in being able to use FTIR, or IR in combination with other techniques, for rapid and reliable discrimination.
THE SONOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF CHRONIC PROLIFERATIVE SYNOVITIS IN THE METACARPOPHALANGEAL JOINTS OF A HORSE

Chronic proliferative synovitis is an insidious condition affecting the metacarpophalangeal joints of horses. It results in proliferation of the synovium in the dorsal pouch of the joint in question. Treatment involves surgical excision, thus confirmation of the lesion is important. Classically this has been achieved by means of positive-contrast arthrography, but this article addresses the attributes of ultrasonography, a less invasive imaging technique.
Some Methodological Considerations in Theory-Based Health Behavior Research

As this special issue shows, much research in social and personality psychology is directly relevant to health psychology. In this brief commentary, we discuss three topics in research methodology that may be of interest to investigators involved in health-related psychological research. The first topic is statistical analysis of mediated and moderated effects. The second is measurement of latent constructs. The third is the Multiphase Optimization Strategy, a framework for translation of innovations from social and personality psychology into behavioral interventions.
Scaling laws for symmetry breaking by blowout bifurcation in chaotic systems

Recent works have demonstrated that a blowout bifurcation can lead to symmetry breaking in chaotic systems with a simple kind of symmetry. That is, as a system parameter changes, when a chaotic attractor lying in some invariant subspace becomes unstable with respect to perturbations transverse to the invariant subspace, a symmetry-broken attractor can be born. As the parameter varies further, a symmetry-increasing bifurcation can occur, after which the attractor possesses the system symmetry. The purpose of this paper is to present numerical experiments and heuristic arguments for the scaling laws associated with this type of symmetrybreaking and symmetry-increasing bifurcations. Specifically, we investigate ~1! the scaling of the average transient time preceding the blowout bifurcation and ~2! the scaling of the average switching time after the symmetry-increasing bifurcation. We also study the effect of noise. It is found that small-amplitude noise can restore the symmetry in the attractor after the blowout bifurcation and that the average time for trajectories to switch between the symmetry-broken components of the attractor scales algebraically with the noise amplitude. @S1063-651X~97!11807-4#
Clinical evaluation of wavelet-compressed digitized screen-film mammography

Rationale and Objectives. The authors compared diagnostic accuracy and callback rates with conventional screen-film mammograms and wavelet-compressed digitized images. Materials and Methods. Sixty sets of mammograms (four views per case) were digitized at a spatial resolution of 100 μm. The images were wavelet compressed to a mean compression ratio of 8:1 and reviewed by three mammographers. Five regions were evaluated in each breast. Suspicion of malignancy was graded on a scale of 0% to 100%, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed. Callback rates were calculated by using the American College of Radiology's Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System lexicon scale. Results. The mean diagnostic accuracy with compressed and conventional images was 0.832 and 0.860, respectively. The upper 95% confidence bound for the difference in ROC areas was 0.061. The mean false-positive rate at a fixed sensitivity of 0.90 was 0.041 for compressed images and 0.059 for conventional images. The mean callback rates for normal, benign, and malignant regions were 0.023, 0.305, and 0.677, respectively, for compressed images and 0.036, 0.447, and 0.750, respectively, for conventional images. The upper 95% confidence bound for the (absolute) differences in callback rates was 0.012 for normal regions, 0.163 for benign regions, and 0.138 for malignant regions. Conclusion. Diagnostic accuracies were equivalent for both compressed and conventional images. The mean false-positive rate at fixed sensitivity was much better with the compressed images. However, the callback rates for malignant lesions were lower when the compressed images were used.
Large Area Deposition of Field Emission Cathodes for Flat Panel Displays

The convention for field emission cathode (FEC) synthesis involves coating with a very-high tolerance in thickness uniformity using a planetary substrate fixture and a large source-to-substrate separation. New criteria for a deposition process must facilitate a reduction in the operating voltage by increasing the density of emitters through a reduction of cathode size and spacing. The objective of scaling the substrate size from small (less than 30 cm{sup 2}) to large (greater than 500 cm{sup 2}) areas further compounds manufacturing requirements to a point beyond that easily obtained by modifications to the convention for FEC deposition. A new patented approach to design, assemble, and operate a coating system enables FEC deposition over large areas through process control of source divergence coupled to incremental substrate positioning.
Effects of translational and rotational nonequilibrium on cw chemical laser performance

A previous model used to describe cw chemical laser performance is generalized to include rotational as well as translational nonequilibria. The resultant equations are simplified by the realistic assumption that translational and rotational relaxation rates are fast compared with convection, chemical pumping, and collisional deactivation rates. As a consequence, translational and rotational relaxation are in equilibrium with stimulated emission. A further simplification is introduced by the assumption |1 − (Rt/Rr)|(Δνh/Δνd) ≪ 1, where Rt/Rr is the ratio of translational to rotational relaxation rates, and Δνh/Δνd is the ratio of homogeneous to Doppler widths. The resultant system of equations is independent of rotational relaxation. An amplifier solution is presented that predicts saturation effects in accord with experiments. Fabry-Perot oscillator solutions are also presented for a multiline saturated laser and a partly saturated single-line laser. The present results provide a basis for simplification of numerical codes. It is concluded that a reasonable first estimate for cw chemical laser performance can be obtained by assuming rotational equilibrium and translational nonequilibrium.