cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New Trends, News Values, and New Models.

In Megatrends 2000. Naisbitt and Aburdene (1990) predicted that the public will experience a scarcity of knowledge and a surplus of information in the next millennium. Their forecast holds implications for the role communication scholars and journalists will play in meeting the public's need to know. This article explores these implications by reviewing research that suggests that journalists focus on four contemporary news values: emphasizing how and why, devaluing immediacy, specializing and analyzing, and representing a constituency. It also examines two new models of journalism that accommodate the values: enterprise reporting and public journalism. It is noted that journalists who practice the emergent values and adopt a new model can accommodate the interests of publishers, producers, and the public. By disseminating information and conveying knowledge, they will serve the public interest, attract a loyal following, and generate a commercial profit.
Simulated dipeptide recognition by vancomycin.

The antimicrobial activity of vancomycin and related glycopeptide antibiotics is due to stereospecific recognition of polypeptide components in bacterial cell walls. To better understand how these antibiotics recognize polypeptide determinants, we have developed dynamic models of the complexes formed by the vancomycin aglycon and two different dipeptide ligands, Ac-D-ala-D-ala and Ac-D-ala-gly. Molecular dynamics simulations of the two complexes, initially conditioned with distance constraints derived from two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies, are conformationally stable and propagate in a manner consistent with the NMR-derived constraints after the constraints are removed. Free energy calculations accurately predict the relative binding affinity of these two complexes and help validate the simulation models for detailed structural analysis. Although the two ligands adopt similar conformations when bound to the antibiotic, there are clear differences in the configuration of intermolecular hydrogen bonds, the overall shape of the antibiotic, and other structural features of the two complexes. This analysis illustrates how complex structural and dynamic factors interrelate and contribute to differences in binding affinity. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Solid-phase synthesis of nonhydrolyzable phosphotyrosyl peptide analogues with Nα-Fmoc-(O,O-di-t-butyl)phosphono-p-methylphenylalanine

Abstract A new, protected derivative of phosphonomethylphenylalanine is used to synthesize nonhydrolyzable analogs of phosphotyrosyl peptides for use as inhibitors and affinity ligands of proteins that recognize phosphotyrosyl sequences.
Encapsulation of functional moieties within branched star polymers: effect of chain length and solvent on site isolation.

Porphyrin and pyrene photoactive cores have been encapsulated within an isolating polymeric shell using an efficient and general strategy based on the use of dendritic initiators for the ring-opening polymerization of e-caprolactone to yield functional core star polymers. The isolation of the core functionalities has been studied using fluorescence quenching and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) techniques as well as solvatochromic probes. With increasing chain length as well as solvent polarity, enhanced site isolation of the core has been observed. These findings have been correlated to actual molecular dimensions independently measured by pulsed field gradient spin−echo (PGSE) NMR. The developed synthetic methodology offers a rapid route to efficient encapsulation of functional moieties and therefore has potential for the design of new materials.
Micromechanical analysis of fatigue cracks in cord–rubber composites

Abstract Analyses of two different types of cracks due to fatigue of cord–rubber composites is carried out using micromechanical two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) finite element analysis. The fracture parameter, tearing energy (TE)/ J -integral that characterizes the severity of crack tip stresses in rubber composites, is computed from the finite element results of stresses and strains. The results obtained are validated with existing analytical methods in the literature. Numerical results of J -integral values are presented for two crack types, and crack sizes under transverse strain and shear strain loading conditions. The results presented illustrate that crack type, loading, and crack size have a strong effect on the values of J -integral. The results of the J -integral should help our understanding in estimating the severity of local failures in cord–rubber composites.
Pineal Control of a Seasonal Reproductive Rhythm in Male Golden Hamsters Exposed to Natural Daylight and Temperature

When intact adult male golden hamsters are exposed to natural photoperiodic and temperature conditions during the winter months, their reproductive organs degenerate and plasma levels of LH decrease significantly. Pinealectomized hamsters kept under identical conditions do not experience the winter decline in reproductive activity. As spring approaches, the gonads of the non—pinealectomized hamsters regenerate to a functionally mature state. If hamsters with intact pineal glands are placed in near continuous darkness beginning in May (after having experienced reproductive atrophy in the previous winter), their reproductive systems do not regress. These results indicate that the neuroendocrine— gonadal axis may normally be refractory to pineal secretory products during the summer months or the pineal gland may be physiologically “exhausted” after a period of activity. The findings show that: (a) the photoperiod normally controls the seasonal reproductive rhythm in this species, and (b) the effects are medi...
Contraceptive decision-making in urban, black female adolescents: its relationship to cognitive development

Abstract Contraceptive education and accessible contraceptive methods have not reduced significantly the incidence of adolescent pregnancy. The cognitive development of adolescents makes contraceptive decision-making difficult. This study examined how cognitive development affected contraceptive decision-making among 86 urban black female adolescents attending three family planning clinics. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that the stage of cognitive development was the best single predictor of contraceptive decision-making. Age and relevant sexual knowledge added to the explanation of decision-making variance. Potential nursing implications include: (1) screening of stage of cognitive development prior to rendering care, (2) continuation of contraceptive education and (3) presentation of contraceptive education at appropriate cognitive levels.
Temporal relationships betweenZea mays, ostrinia nubilalis (Lep.: Pyralidae) and endophyticBeauveria bassiana

The entomopathogenic fungus,Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin, was applied to whorl-stage (V7) corn,Zea mays L., by foliar application of a granular formulation of corn grits containing conidia or by injection of a conidial suspension. All plants were infested with European corn borer larvae,Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), at the V7 (whorl), V12 (late-whorl), or V17 (pretassel) stage of plant development. Plants infested at whorl and late-whorl stages had significantly more European corn borer tunneling than did plants infested at the pretassel stage. The percentage of plants colonized byB. bassiana did not differ significantly among the whorl, late-whorl, and pretassel stages. As the plants matured,B. bassiana was isolated from different plant areas, with the pith more frequently colonized than the leaf collars. Foliar application ofB. bassiana provided immediate suppression ofO. nubilalis in those plants infested at whorl stage. The reduced efficacy ofB. bassiana at the intermediate plant stages relative to efficacy at harvest is discussed.
Benzene C−H Activation at a Charge Neutral Zwitterionic Platinum(II) Complex

Cationic, coordinatively unsaturated metal centers exhibit a wide range of both stoichiometric and catalytic transformations. Such species are frequently generated by methide abstraction with a strong Lewis acid, or alternatively by protonation with an acid whose conjugate base is noncoordinating or weakly coordinating.3 We are targeting charge neutral, zwitterionic complexes that display reaction chemistry reminiscent of these reactive metal centers. Of particular interest is the development of species that exhibit transformations at X-H bonds, where an X-H bond refers generally to a C-H or other robust σ bond. A conceptual diagram illustrating this strategy is shown in Scheme 1.
A novel cholic acid-based contrast enhancement agent for targeted MRI

The novel Gd(III) complexes of heptadentate ligands NE3TA and NE3TA-Bn were prepared, and their relaxivities were measured and favorably compared to the commercially available MRI contrast enhancement agent Gd(DOTA). NE3TA was conjugated with cholic acid (CA) to produce CA-NE3TA. TEM images of Gd(CA-NE3TA) indicate that the complex self-assembles forming nano-sized micelles and displays an over threefold increased relaxivity compared to Gd(DOTA). The new cholic acid-conjugated nanoparticle MR contrast enhancement agent, Gd(CA-NE3TA) possesses great promise for use in targeted MRI.
Risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in those with hypertension: reply

We appreciate the detailed description of potential mechanisms that may link blood pressure and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Similar pathophysiological pathways were …
Structure and Catalytic Mechanism of Nicotinate (Vitamin B3) Degradative Enzyme Maleamate Amidohydrolase from Bordetella bronchiseptica RB50

The penultimate reaction in the oxidative degradation of nicotinate (vitamin B3) to fumarate in several species of aerobic bacteria is the hydrolytic deamination of maleamate to maleate, catalyzed by maleamate amidohydrolase (NicF). Although it has been considered a model system for bacterial degradation of N-heterocyclic compounds, only recently have gene clusters that encode the enzymes of this catabolic pathway been identified to allow detailed investigations concerning the structural basis of their mechanisms. Here, the Bb1774 gene from Bordetella bronchiseptica RB50, putatively annotated as nicF, has been cloned, and the recombinant enzyme, overexpressed and purified from Escherichia coli, is shown to catalyze efficiently the hydrolysis of maleamate to maleate and ammonium ion. Steady-state kinetic analysis of the reaction by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) established kcat and KM values (pH 7.5 and 25 °C) of 11.7 ± 0.2 s–1 and 128 ± 6 μM, respectively. The observed KD of the NicF·maleate (E·P...
Instream flow assessment and economic valuation: a survey of nonmarket benefits research

Instream flow benefits for United States streams and rivers have recently been investigated by a number of resource economists. These valuation efforts differ in scope, method, and quantitative results. An assessment and review of these valuation efforts is presented. The various sources of differences in non‐market values produced by these studies are explored in some detail. The considerable difficulty of producing estimates of instream flow benefits values that consider all of the pertinent policy and technical issues is delineated in various policy contexts. Evidence is presented that indicates that the considerable policy impact of recent research on this topic is justified despite considerable variation in the magnitude of the estimates.
The Family: The Missing Variable in Organizational Research$

Few studies in the mainstream management literature have included the family as a variable. The focus of this article is to describe (1) why there is a dearth of research using family as a variable...
Analysis of the relationship between nurse influences over flexible working and commitment to nursing

Background. The paper explores the theoretical and practical bases of both commitment and control within the context of temporal aspects of flexible working in nursing. Aim. The aims of the paper are to examine the relationships between nurses' shift patterns, influence over shift pattern and realization of shift preference and commitment to nursing. Methods. Data were collected through a postal questionnaire completed by 2987 British nurses employed in hospitals, care homes and hospices. Principal components analysis was used to identify common factors among responses to a series of 33 statements about working life. Data were analysed using ANOVA and multiple regression techniques. Results. Permanent night shift nurses reported lower levels of commitment to nursing. As predicted, influence over shift patterns and realization of preferred shift pattern were positively associated with commitment to nursing, although the relationship was weak. Positive perceptions of career development opportunities were a stronger predictor of commitment to nursing. Results are discussed in light of previous ethnographic research on nurses' shift patterns. Conclusion. The opportunity to explore quantitatively the effects of shift-related decisions on commitment using a large sample is useful. While influence and shift type were predictors of commitment, the positive impact they were expected to have was smaller than expected. Similarly, the negative effects of not having influence or of working permanent night shifts were smaller than expected and the statistical significance of such small effects relies heavily on the large sample obtained. Other variables, particularly career development prospects, outweigh the influence of shift-related variables on commitment. The research gives a clear message to human resource managers involved with nurse management: so long as nurses have a strong perception of career development potential the otherwise negative influences of shift impact can be minimized.
Effect of age and apoptosis on the mouse homologue of the huWRN gene

Werner's syndrome (WS) is an inherited disease with clinical symptoms which resemble premature aging. The Werner's syndrome gene (WRN), which is located on human chromosome 8p12, encodes a predicted protein of 1432 amino acids and shows significant similarity to DNA helicases. We have cloned the full-length mouse cDNA homologue of the human WRN gene encoding a predicted protein of 1320 amino acids and have obtained a full-length 70 kb genomic clone containing the moWRN gene. This gene has been mapped to chromosome 8A3 in mice. The expression of the moWRN gene was increased during apoptosis after IL-2 deprivation, and decreased in the spleen of aged mice. Lymphoid cells isolated from a patient with WS exhibited increased apoptosis after incubation with anti-Fas but not after incubation with the topoisomerase inhibitor VP16. RNase protection reviled dysregulation of the ICE family of apoptosis molecules in the WS cell line. These results indicate that the WS helicase is involved in certain pathways of apoptosis, and defective WS gene expression leads to accumulation of cells that are highly susceptibility to Fas-induced apoptosis.
Stark beats in lyman-beta emission

Abstract Intensity fluctuations in the emission of Lyman-β radiation from hydrogen atoms formed by beam-foil excitation were observed. A theoretical calculation of the intensity pattern is compared with the observed patterns to yield information about the initial density matrix of the atom. It is found that σ s / σ p = 1.65±0.15 at a particle energy of 255 keV.
Immediate loading and implant-bar overdenture

Immediate loaded implants may be used with an implant-bar overdenture to provide fixed splinting. This is a relatively new system that provides for immediate implant placement and restoration.
Quantitative interactions between Pb2+ and Ca2+ homeostasis in cultured osteoclastic bone cells

Cellular calcium homeostasis and calcium-mediated cell functions are conceptually attractive processes to be involved in the manifestation(s) of lead toxicity including impaired skeletal growth and cardiovascular and neurological dysfunction. Knowledge of Ca:Pb and Pb:Ca ratios in different structural and functional compartments of cells is essential for identifying, characterizing, and understanding the significance of Pb2+-Ca2+ interactions. Experiments were conducted to characterize the steady-state kinetic distribution and behavior of 45Ca in primary cultures of murine osteoclastic bone cells. Bone cells, derived from mouse calvaria, were enriched for osteoclasts by a sequential collagenase digestion and maintained in primary culture for 1 week. Cultures were labeled with 45Ca for two or 24 hr and the kinetic parameters were obtained by analysis of 45Ca washout curves. Cellular metabolism was based upon a model with three kinetic pools of intracellular Ca2+ containing approximately 45, 25, and 30% of the total cell calcium. In addition, we describe quantitative measurements of Ca:Pb and Pb:Ca ratios at important functional cell sites of Ca2+ transport and storage in intact cells. The intracellular relationships of Ca2+ and Pb2+ were calculated concurrently in individual cultures, using kinetic analysis of dual-label 45Ca and 203Pb washout curves. The Ca:Pb ratios of the rate constants and half-times were approximately 1:1, supporting the concept of similar cellular metabolism of the two elements. The Ca:Pb ratios for the kinetic pools and fluxes were considerably higher than 1:1. These in situ Ca:Pb relationships should be useful for designing and evaluating Ca-Pb studies with calmodulin, isolated mitochondria, and other individual components of the calcium messenger system. Moreover, these data demonstrate both similarities and differences in the kinetic distribution and behavior of Ca2+ and Pb2+ in osteoclastic bone cells.
Abrasive wear behavior of Al–Cu–Fe quasicrystalline composite coatings

Abstract Quasicrystals are a relatively new class of materials which exhibit unusual atomic structure and useful physical and chemical properties. The inherent brittleness of quasicrystals has limited their potential use to primarily surface coating applications. This study examined the effect on abrasive wear behavior of Al–Cu–Fe quasicrystalline coatings through the addition (e.g. 0–100 v/o) of a relatively ductile Fe–Al phase. Coatings were deposited by plasma arc spraying techniques. The incorporation of discrete Fe–Al particles into the quasicrystalline coating matrix improves the abrasive wear resistance. Moreover, it is observed that low-level additions of the Fe–Al phase (e.g. 1 v/o) produce the most abrasive wear-resistant coating. The wear behavior of the quasicrystalline and composite coatings is discussed in terms of wear mode and coating hardness.
Pharmacokinetics of hydralazine and its acid-labile hydrazone metabolites in relation to acetylator phenotype.

The pharmacokinetics of hydralazine (H) and its acid-labile hydrazone metabolites were compared in rapid and slow acetylators. Following a 20-mg intravenous infusion, the elimination half-life (t1/2β) and the apparent volume of distribution of H did not differ between the two groups. Plasma clearance estimates approached hepatic blood flow. When a single 100-mg dose of H was given-orally, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and systemic availability (θ) in slow acetylators were, on the average, twice as high as in the rapid acetylators, indicating a difference in the extent of first-pass metabolism of the drug. Furthermore, the observed θ in the slow individuals exceeded theoretical predictions. Hence saturation of first-pass metabolism of H is suggested, and a nonlinear relationship between AUC and oral dose of H was indeed observed in the three subjects studied with two doses. The half-life of decline of the acidlabile metabolites was similar to the t1/2β of H. The AUCs for metabolites were 4–12 times larger than for the parentdrug. However, the ratio between the metabolite AUC and drug AUC did not differ irrespective ofroutes of administration or the acetylator status.
Bioactive Materials for Regenerative Medicine: Zeolite‐Hydroxyapatite Bone Mimetic Coatings

Signiﬁcant improvements in materialproperties such as corrosion resistance, elastic modulus,hydrophilicity are required to obtain an optimal biomater-ial–bone interface for improving osteointegration for longerimplant lifespan. We anticipate that the zeolite-hydroxypatitecoating demonstrated in this study can overcome theaforementioned barriers and reduce the need for recurringimplant replacement surgeries.Hydroxyapatite is widely used in bioactive glass andbioceramics to form biocompatible coatings on metallicimplants. It is inert in nature, and has a chemical compositionsimilar to that of bone. In addition, hydroxyapatite is secretedby bone cells to form the extracellular matrix, which turns intosolid bone. Hence, osteoblasts have favorable interactionswith hydroxyapatite allowing them to adhere well to thebioceramic coating on the metallic implant. Existing methodsof choice for depositing hydroxyapatite coatings on metallicimplants include physical vapor deposition, sintering, andelectrochemical growth of hydroxyapatite. Although adhe-sion of cells to the hydroxyapatite coatings has been shown tobegood,
Use of Tisseel fibrin sealant in neurosurgical procedures: incidence of cerebrospinal fluid leaks and cost-benefit analysis in a retrospective study.

Objective To determine the clinical efficacy and cost effectiveness of using the fibrin sealant (FS) Tisseel (Baxter Healthcare Corp., Deerfield, IL) for patients undergoing anterior cranial base, infratemporal, and retromastoid surgical procedures. Methods A retrospective review was performed, comparing two matched populations of patients who underwent surgical procedures using anterior cranial, infratemporal, or retromastoid approaches to intracranial pathological lesions. The incidences of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks in matched groups treated with the FS Tisseel or treated without FS were compared. The costs of Tisseel use were examined in comparison with the costs of postoperative management of CSF leaks and/or tension pneumocranium with spinal drainage and occasionally surgical reexploration, when lumbar drainage failed. Results Patients who received the FS Tisseel exhibited no detectable postoperative CSF leaks or tension pneumocranium. Patients who did not receive Tisseel demonstrated 4 to 16% incidences of postoperative leaks, depending on the surgical approach used. The costs of treating those leaks far exceeded the costs of using Tisseel, even if it were used indiscriminately for all patients. Conclusion This retrospective review indicates that the FS Tisseel reduces the incidence of postoperative CSF leaks and tension pneumocranium while reducing overall management costs. Further prospective study is needed to determine which patients can benefit most from FS use.
Identification of tryptic peptides from large databases using multiplexed tandem mass spectrometry: simulations and experimental results

Multiplexed tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) has recently been demonstrated as a means to increase the throughput of peptide identification in liquid chromatography (LC) MS/MS experiments. In this approach, a set of parent species is dissociated simultaneously and measured in a single spectrum (in the same manner that a single parent ion is conventionally studied), providing a gain in sensitivity and throughput proportional to the number of species that can be simultaneously addressed. In the present work, simulations performed using the Caenorhabditis elegans predicted proteins database show that multiplexed MS/MS data allow the identification of tryptic peptides from mixtures of up to ten peptides from a single dataset with only three "y" or "b" fragments per peptide and a mass accuracy of 2.5 to 5 ppm. At this level of database and data complexity, 98% of the 500 peptides considered in the simulation were correctly identified. This compares favorably with the rates obtained for classical MS/MS at more modest mass measurement accuracy. LC multiplexed Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance MS/MS data obtained from a 66 kDa protein (bovine serum albumin) tryptic digest sample are presented to illustrate the approach, and confirm that peptides can be effectively identified from the C. elegans database to which the protein sequence had been appended.
Reduction of ion magnetron motion and space charge using radial electric field modulation

Abstract Ions of the same m/z must remain in phase with each other during the detection time period used for FTICR-MS signal acquisition for optimal performance. The loss of coherence of the ion cloud during detection leads to faster rates of signal decay which results in a decrease in the achievable resolution and mass measurement accuracy with FTICR-MS technology. As the ions spin on their excited cyclotron orbit, many factors contribute to de-phasing of ion motion, such as the presence of radial electric fields and the Coulombic interaction of ion clouds of different mass-to-charge ratios. With the application of Electron Promoted Ion Coherence or EPIC, signal duration can be increased. Since FTICR-MS achieves high performance through measurement of frequency, the ability to observe ions over a longer time period increases the performance of FTICR-MS. Radial electric fields are an unavoidable consequence of applied trapping potentials to confine ion motion parallel to the magnetic field in the ICR cell; however, the presence of radial electric fields also induces magnetron motion. With EPIC it is possible to control the shape of the radial electric fields that the ions experience by changing the number of electrons that are sent through the center of the ICR cell. Furthermore, the electric field shape produced with EPIC can be altered to decrease space charge contributions by increasing the length of the ion oscillation path along the axis of the ICR cell and decrease radial electric field effects, which alter detected ion cyclotron frequencies. Here we report theoretical and experimental results to evaluate and describe the impact of EPIC on the performance of FTICR-MS.
Endogenous swimming activity rhythms of postlarvae and juveniles of the penaeid shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus, Farfantepenaeus duorarum, and Litopenaeus setiferus

Abstract Selective tidal-stream transport is commonly used by marine animals to migrate between oceanic and estuarine habitats as they undergo ontogenetic migrations, but behaviors used to accomplish these migrations may differ among species, life history stages, or locations. The ecologically and commercially important brown shrimp, Farfantepenaeus aztecus, pink shrimp, Farfantepenaeus duorarum, and white shrimp, Litopenaeus setiferus, undergo ontogenetic migrations between spawning locations on the continental shelf and juvenile nursery habitats in estuaries. This study evaluated the role of endogenous rhythms in vertical swimming activity in Flood Tide Transport (FTT) of postlarvae entering estuaries and the potential for shifts in behavior between the postlarval and juvenile stages. Brown and pink shrimp postlarvae exhibited circatidal rhythms in vertical swimming activity with period lengths of approximately 12.4 h that coincided with the time of early flood tide in the field, whereas white shrimp postlarvae did not exhibit an endogenous rhythm in swimming activity. Pink shrimp juveniles (20-40 mm total length) exhibited a distinct circadian activity rhythm with a mean period length of 23.8 ± 3.7 h and peak swimming during the time of night in the field. Juvenile brown and white shrimp exhibited relatively weak circatidal activity rhythms with peak vertical swimming around the times of ebb and early flood tide in the field, respectively. These results suggest that 1) brown and pink shrimp postlarvae exhibited endogenous activity rhythms that would enhance FTT, 2) white shrimp postlarvae likely depend on environmental cues associated with flood tide to accomplish FTT, and 3) pink shrimp are unique among these three species in exhibiting a shift from a circatidal to a nocturnal swimming activity rhythm between postlarval and juvenile stages.
Memory function in cats with lesions of the fornix and mammillary bodies

Abstract Bilateral lesions of the mammillary bodies and fornix produced no significant disturbances in acquisition, performance, extinction, or retention of a variety of conditioned tasks in the cat. Conditioning was of operant approach and avoidance types and tested aspects of memory function known to be disturbed in humans with a Korsakoff type of memory deficit. The discrepancy between these findings and human pathologic reports linking the aspects of memory function that were studied to these areas is discussed.
Nucleation and early-stage growth of creep cavities in hot-pressed silicon carbide

Abstract Fine-grained silicon carbide with a continuous second phase grain boundary film was crept under compressive loading at 1600°C. The resultant nucleation and growth of creep cavities was characterized using small-angle neutron scattering. It was found that nucleation occurred within approximately the first 5% of the lifetime, so that the modeling of failure essentially involves the treatment of cavity growth and ultimate coalescence. The results suggested that cavity nucleation and growth occurred entirely within the viscous grain boundary film. However, the cavities do not grow, crack-like, across the grain boundary facets, but rather nucleate as lens-shaped pores which gradually transform, as the film thickens, to very slowly growing spheroidal cavities. The results are shown to contrast with similar experiments on an alumina with clean grain boundaries, in which pore nucleation, rather than pore growth, controlled creep life.
Protein crystal nucleation: is the pair interaction potential the primary determinant of kinetics?

Fundamental understanding of protein crystal nucleation facilitates crystallization of biological macromolecules for structure determination and control of crystal size distribution. In the studies presented here, nucleation kinetics of hen egg-white lysozyme crystals were measured at solution conditions that exhibited equal solubility by adjusting pH, temperature, or sodium chloride concentration. It was observed that solution conditions that lead to equal solubility resulted in equal nucleation rates and hence kinetic parameters. Since the solubility of globular proteins correlates with the osmotic second virial coefficient, B22, an integral measure of the protein pair interaction potential, this observation indicates that the protein pair interaction plays a key role in determining nucleation kinetic parameters.
Effects of hibernation on dental tissues: A sem analytical study

Abstract 1. 1. The mean acellular cementai width in the hibernating ground squirrel is 25.6 μm mesial while that of the non-hibernating animal is 68 μm. 2. 2. Analyses using X-ray spectrometry with a scanning electron-microscope showed that, in the hibernating animal, Ca and P increased and S decreased in the cementum; Ca, P and S increased in the periodontal ligament; and Ca and P increased in both the dentin and alveolar bone. 3. 3. We believe that these changes represent the mobilization of mineral elements for metabolic use by vital tissues and accompanying ground substance changes.
Estimating compilation time of a query optimizer

A query optimizer compares alternative plans in its search space to find the best plan for a given query. Depending on the search space and the enumeration algorithm, optimizers vary in their compilation time and the quality of the execution plan they can generate. This paper describes a compilation time estimator that provides a quantified estimate of the optimizer compilation time for a given query. Such an estimator is useful for automatically choosing the right level of optimization in commercial database systems. In addition, compilation time estimates can be quite helpful for mid-query reoptimization, for monitoring the progress of workload analysis tools where a large number queries need to be compiled (but not executed), and for judicious design and tuning of an optimizer.Previous attempts to estimate optimizer compilation complexity used the number of possible binary joins as the metric and overlooked the fact that each join often translates into a different number of join plans because of the presence of "physical" properties. We use the number of plans (instead of joins) to estimate query compilation time, and employ two novel ideas: (1) reusing an optimizer's join enumerator to obtain actual number of joins, but bypassing plan generation to save estimation overhead; (2) maintaining a small number of "interesting" properties to facilitate plan counting. We prototyped our approach in a commercial database system and our experimental results show that we can achieve good compilation time estimates (less than 30% error, on average) for complex real queries, using a small fraction (within 3%) of the actual compilation time.
Vision-based mobile robots on highways

Intelligent vehicles are mobile robots on highways. They are expected to improve the safety, efficiency and environmental impacts of the current highway traffic systems. Vision systems will play an important role as sensors for the intelligent vehicles. This paper first compares the vision sensors with other sensing methods from an application point of view and then describes two vision systems, one which we have developed and another which we are developing. Two important features are required for the vision systems applied to intelligent vehicles: three-dimensional (3D) measurement capability and real-time operation. We chose a trinocular stereo vision scheme among a number of 3D vision processing methods because it is suitable for real-time operations with dedicated processor architectures. The trinocular stereo algorithm requires a large number of operations, but all the operations are relatively straightforward and, therefore, they are suitable for custom architecture implementation. The system takes three images simultaneously by using three TV cameras installed on a single horizontal line at the front grill of the test car. Vertical edges are extracted from these images and the spatial offsets (or disparities) among the images are calculated for measuring the distances to the objects. The first version was developed and installed in a car for highway testing. Two custom digital processors were developed: one for edge detection and the other for stereo matching. The test results were encouraging and the architectures based on ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) are 800 and 550 times more efficient, respectively, compared with conventional microprocessors for edge detection and stereo matching. The second version is currently being developed in order to further reduce the silicon area size. It uses hybrid analog/digital circuit technology while the first version uses only digital circuits. We are developing a hybrid analog/digital array processor chip which includes a large number of processing elements. Each processing element includes a digital memory unit, a data flow control switch unit and an analog arithmetic/logic unit. The analog arithmetic/logic unit reduces the silicon area size significantly compared with the digital one. The data flows among multiple processing elements in the array chip in a form of analog voltage. The data flow is controlled by the data flow switches. The digital memory unit controls the set-up of the data flow control switch and arithmetic/logic units.
The sum-capacity of the linear deterministic three-user cognitive interference channel

Inspired by cognitive networks, we consider the linear deterministic three-user cognitive interference channel with one primary and two secondary/cognitive transmitters which approximates the Gaussian channel at high SNR. Outer bounds on the sum-rate are derived and matching transmission schemes are provided in all interference regimes, thereby completely characterizing the sum-capacity. Significant increase in the sum-capacity is demonstrated when comparing the three-user cognitive channel to the classical (non-cognitive) three-user interference channel and to the two-user cognitive channel. The paper discusses extensions to an arbitrary number of users, the relationship between the cognitive channel and the (fully cooperative) broadcast channel, and observations on the behavior of the cognitive transmitters in the different interference scenarios.
Canada's universal-comprehensive healthcare system.

The Canadian healthcare system consists of provincial- and territorial-based health insurance plans that provide universal-comprehensive coverage for medically necessary hospital and physician services, the public funding of healthcare with no financial-access barriers, and the private delivery of care. A profile of the Canadian system and its expenditures fosters some noteworthy comparisons between Canadian and U.S. healthcare.
Stimulation of DNA Replication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by a Glutamine- and Proline-rich Transcriptional Activation Domain

Glutamine-rich Sp1 and proline-rich CTF1, two extensively studied mammalian transcription factors, bind to origins of replication in DNA tumor viruses and stimulate viral DNA replication in mammalian cells. Here it is shown that, when tethered to a plasmid-borne cellular origin of replication, the activation domains of both proteins can enhance origin function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Hydrophobic patches in Sp1 and CTF1 that mediate transcriptional activation in higher eukaryotes are also important for activation of replication in yeast. However, only the activation domain of CTF1 can enhance initiation of replication from a chromosomally embedded origin. This correlates with the ability of CTF1 to alter the local chromatin structure around the chromosomal origin of replication. The CTF1-induced chromatin remodeling occurs at multiple stages of the cell cycle. These findings strongly suggest a high degree of conservation in the mechanisms used by various types of transcription factors to stimulate viral and cellular DNA replication in eukaryotes.
Finite element method for viscoelastic flows based on the discrete adaptive viscoelastic stress splitting and the discontinuous Galerkin method : DAVSS-G/DG

Abstract Accurate and robust finite element methods for computing flows with differential constitutive equations require approximation methods that numerically preserve the ellipticity of the saddle point problem formed by the momentum and continuity equations and give numerically stable and accurate solutions to the hyperbolic constitutive equation. We present a new finite element formulation based on the synthesis of three ideas: the discrete adaptive splitting method for preserving the ellipticity of the momentum/continuity pair (the DAVSS formulation), independent interpolation of the components of the velocity gradient tensor (DAVSS-G), and application of the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method for solving the constitutive equation. We call the method DAVSS-G/DG. The DAVSS-G/DG method is compared with several other methods for flow past a cylinder in a channel with the Oldroyd-B and Giesekus constitutive models. Results using the Streamline Upwind Petrov–Galerkin method (SUPG) show that introducing the adaptive splitting increases considerably the range of Deborah number (De) for convergence of the calculations over the well established EVSS-G formulation. When both formulations converge, the DAVSS-G and DEVSS-G methods give comparable results. Introducing the DG method for solution of the constitutive equation extends further the region of convergence without sacrificing accuracy. Calculations with the Oldroyd-B model are only limited by approximation of the almost singular gradients of the axial normal stress that develop near the rear stagnation point on the cylinder. These gradients are reduced in calculations with the Giesekus model. Calculations using the Giesekus model with the DAVSS-G/DG method can be continued to extremely large De and converge with mesh refinement.
Application of active optical sensors to probe the vertical structure of the urban boundary layer and assess anomalies in air quality model PM2.5 forecasts

In this paper, the simulations of the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) and Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) Models applied to the New York City (NYC) area are assessed with the aid of vertical profiling and column integrated remote sensing measurements. First, we find that when turbulent mixing processes are dominant, the WRFderived planetary boundary layer (PBL) height exhibits a strong linear correlation (R>0.85) with lidar-derived PBL height. In these comparisons, we estimate the PBL height from the lidar measurements using a Wavelet Covariance Transform (WCT) approach that is modified to better isolate the convective layer from the residual layer (RL). Furthermore, the WRF-Lidar PBL height comparisons are made using different PBL parameterization schemes, including the Asymmetric Convective Model-version2 (ACM2) and the Modified Blackadar (BLK) scheme (which are both runs using hindcast data), as well as the Mellor-Yamada-Janjic (MYJ) scheme run in forecast mode. Our findings show that the correlations for these runs are high (>0.8), but the hindcast runs exhibit smaller overall dispersion (≈0.1) than the forecast runs. We also apply continuous 24-hour/7-day vertical ceilometer measurements to assess WRFCMAQ model forecasts of surface PM2.5 (particulate matter has aerodynamic diameter <2.5μm). Strong overestimations in the surface PM2.5 mass that are observed in the summer prior to sunrise are particularly shown to be strongly connected to underestimations of the PBL height and less to enhanced emissions. This interpretation is consistent with observations that TEOM (Tapered Element Oscillating MicroBalance) PM2.5 measurements are better correlated to pathintegrated CMAQ PM2.5 than the near-surface measurements during these periods.
Has it been affect all along? A test of work-to-family and family-to-work models of conflict, enrichment, and satisfaction

Abstract Adopting a dispositional approach, we develop an affective perspective of work and family. Results, based on a diverse international sample of 187 employees, revealed that dispositional affect was significantly related to perceptions of work and family conflict, enrichment, and satisfaction. Specifically, negative affect accounted for 29–38% of the variance in work–family conflict, positive affect accounted for 24% of the variance in work-family enrichment, and our work-to-family and family-to-work models accounted for 29% and 39% of the variance in family and job satisfaction, respectively. Further, results indicated that work-family conflict and enrichment did not mediate affect-satisfaction relationships, suggesting dispositional affect is a driving force behind perceptions of work and family conflict, enrichment, and satisfaction. Implications for addressing the nature of work and family are discussed.
Neutron-scattering measurements of phonon perturbations in irradiated copper

Neutron-scattering measurements have been carried out on the transverse phonons with wave vectors q= (0,0,zeta)2..pi../a for 0.04 split interstitial.« less
Analyzing coherent brain networks with Granger causality

Multielectrode neurophysiological recording and functional brain imaging produce massive quantities of data. Multivariate time series analysis provides the basic framework for analyzing the patterns of neural interactions in these data. Neural interactions are directional. Being able to assess the directionality of neuronal interactions is thus a highly desired capability for understanding the cooperative nature of neural computation. Research over the last few years has identified Granger causality as a promising technique to furnish this capability. In this paper, we first introduce the concept of Granger causality and then present results from the application of this technique to multichannel local field potential data from an awake-behaving monkey.
The Evolution of Central Bank Governance around the World

The past two decades have seen enormous changes in central banks and their practices. In some countries, older institutions have been fundamentally restructured. In other, such as the countries of the former Soviet Union, entirely new central banks have been established. The member countries of the European Union have created a supranational central bank that oversees a monetary union. In all of these situations, central bank law was either revised or written de novo , while institutional objectives, practices, and structures were amended or created from scratch. In this article, we survey and quantify the trends in two major areas of central bank governance: independence and transparency. We document the steady progress toward greater central bank independence and transparency in a large number of industrial and developing countries over the past 10 to 15 years and discuss the effects of these aspects of governance on inflation. Finally, we touch on committee structure and decision making.
Membrane phosphorylation protects the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase against chlorinated oxidants in vitro

Objective : The calcium (Ca) pump of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes is vulnerable to oxidation and hence likely to be damaged by chlorinated compounds, specifically hypochlorite (NaOCl) and monochloramine (NH2Cl), the most potent oxidants produced upon neutrophil activation. This could occur during prolonged ischemia or myocardial infarction when tissue levels of catecholamines are high. Phospholamban (PLN), the phosphorylatable regulator of the Ca pump, plays a central role in the effects of β-adrenergic agonists on the heart. The purpose of this study was to investigate a possible role of PLN in determining the pump's sensitivity to NaOCl and NH2Cl. Methods : Ca-uptake and Ca2+-ATPase activities in purified phosphorylated and control canine cardiac microsomes, incubated at increasing concentrations of NaOCl or NH2Cl, were related to the extent of PLN phosphorylation by protein kinase A, which was quantitated by PhosphorImager analysis. Results and Conclusions : Our data indicate that microsomal phosphorylation protects the Ca pump fully against 10 μM NaOCl or NH2Cl, which inhibit Ca-uptake by 21–41% when assayed at 25 or 37°C and saturating Ca2+ in unphosphorylated microsomes, and protects partially at higher oxidant concentrations. The protective effect of protein kinase A on Ca-uptake is proportional to the amount of phosphorylated PLN. No comparable protection against similar oxidative damage of the Ca pump is observed when light fast skeletal muscle microsomes, which lack PLN, are incubated under conditions favorable for phosphorylation nor when PLN's inhibition of the cardiac Ca pump is relieved by proteolytic cleavage of its cytoplasmic domain. Our findings contribute toward an understanding of possible endogenous protective mechanisms that may promote calcium homeostasis in myocardial cells in inflammatory states associated with neutrophil activation and may suggest an approach toward development of protective strategies against oxidative damage in the heart.