cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computational Design of the Affinity and Specificity of a Therapeutic T Cell Receptor

T cell receptors (TCRs) are key to antigen-specific immunity and are increasingly being explored as therapeutics, most visibly in cancer immunotherapy. As TCRs typically possess only low-to-moderate affinity for their peptide/MHC (pMHC) ligands, there is a recognized need to develop affinity-enhanced TCR variants. Previous in vitro engineering efforts have yielded remarkable improvements in TCR affinity, yet concerns exist about the maintenance of peptide specificity and the biological impacts of ultra-high affinity. As opposed to in vitro engineering, computational design can directly address these issues, in theory permitting the rational control of peptide specificity together with relatively controlled increments in affinity. Here we explored the efficacy of computational design with the clinically relevant TCR DMF5, which recognizes nonameric and decameric epitopes from the melanoma-associated Melan-A/MART-1 protein presented by the class I MHC HLA-A2. We tested multiple mutations selected by flexible and rigid modeling protocols, assessed impacts on affinity and specificity, and utilized the data to examine and improve algorithmic performance. We identified multiple mutations that improved binding affinity, and characterized the structure, affinity, and binding kinetics of a previously reported double mutant that exhibits an impressive 400-fold affinity improvement for the decameric pMHC ligand without detectable binding to non-cognate ligands. The structure of this high affinity mutant indicated very little conformational consequences and emphasized the high fidelity of our modeling procedure. Overall, our work showcases the capability of computational design to generate TCRs with improved pMHC affinities while explicitly accounting for peptide specificity, as well as its potential for generating TCRs with customized antigen targeting capabilities.
Lower bounds on moving a ladder in two and three dimensions

It is shown that Ω(n2) distinct moves may be necessary to move a line segment (a "ladder") in the plane from an initial to a final position in the presence of polygonal obstacles of a total ofn vertices, and that Ω(n4) moves may be necessary for the same problem in three dimensions. These two results establish lower bounds on algorithms that solve the motion-planning problems by listing the moves of the ladder. The best upper bounds known areO(n2 logn) in two dimensions, andO(n5 logn) in three dimensions.
Skeletal rearrangements of some acyclic ketoorganotins on electron impact

Abstract The mass spectra of ketoorganotins of general structure RCO(CH 2 ) n Sn(CH 3 ) 3 where R = CH 3 or Ph and n = 2 or 3, are discussed. Ionisation occurs very largely at the tin atom, resulting in almost complete suppression of the McLafferty rearrangement. In addition to the generation of a fragmentation pattern analogous to that of other organotins 1–7 some novel skeletal rearrangements are observed, including an apparent transfer of the Sn(CH 3 ) 3 moiety to the carbonyl group via a six-membered transition-state, and the transfer of phenyl from carbonyl to tin.
A note on temporal aggregation and serial correlation

Abstract Given a time series of daily price changes, one can estimate first-order serial correlation coefficient over one-day or T-day intervals. It is shown that these coefficients are generally not identical. Their temporal behavior is examined in this note.
Runt-related transcription factor 1 regulates luteinized hormone-induced prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 expression in rat periovulatory granulosa cells.

Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1), a transcription factor, is transiently induced by the LH surge and regulates gene expression in periovulatory granulosa cells. Potential binding sites for RUNX are present in the 5′-flanking region of the Ptgs2 (prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2) gene. Periovulatory Ptgs2 expression is essential for ovulation. In the present study, we investigated the role of RUNX1 in mediating the LH-induced expression of Ptgs2 in periovulatory granulosa cells. We first determined whether the suppression of Runx1 expression or activity affects Ptgs2 expression using cultured preovulatory granulosa cells isolated from immature rat ovaries primed with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin for 48 h. Knockdown of human chorionic gonadotropin-induced Runx1 expression by small interfering RNA or inhibition of endogenous RUNX activities by dominant-negative RUNX decreased human chorionic gonadotropin or agonist-stimulated Ptgs2 expression and transcriptional activity of Ptgs2 promoter reporter constructs. Results from chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed in vivo binding of endogenous RUNX1 to the Ptgs2 promoter region in rat periovulatory granulosa cells. Direct binding of RUNX1 to two RUNX-binding motifs in the Ptgs2 promoter region was confirmed by EMSA. The mutation of these two binding motifs resulted in decreased transcriptional activity of Ptgs2 promoter reporter constructs in preovulatory granulosa cells. Taken together, these findings provide experimental evidence that the LH-dependent induction of Ptgs2 expression results, in part, from RUNX1-mediated transactivation of the Ptgs2 promoter. The results of the present study assign potential significance for LH-induced RUNX1 in the ovulatory process via regulating Ptgs2 gene expression.
Controlling magnetic anisotropy in epitaxial FePt(001) films

Epitaxial equiatomic Fe50Pt50 thin films with a variable order parameter ranging from 0 to 0.9 and Fe100−xPtx thin films with x ranging from 33 to 50 were deposited on MgO (001) substrates by dc sputtering. A seed layer consisting of nonmagnetic Cr (4nm)∕Pt (12nm) was used to promote the crystallinity of the magnetic films. The crystal structure and magnetic properties were gauged using x-ray diffraction and magnetometry. The magnetic anisotropy can be controlled by changing the order parameter. For Fe100−xPtx films, the increase in Fe composition leads to an increase in coercivity in the hard axis loop and causes a loss of perpendicular anisotropy.
Online case-based discussions: examining coverage of the afforded problem space

Case studies hold great potential for engaging students in disciplinary content. However, little is known about the extent to which students actually cover the problem space afforded by a particular case study. In this research, we compared the problem space afforded by an instructional design case study with the actual content covered by 16 graduate students participating in an online case discussion. In addition, we examined prompts used by two instructors to both widen and deepen that coverage. Results showed that 86 % of the afforded problem space was covered during the week-long discussion, although problem-space components were not covered equally. To keep students focused on relevant case details, the instructors used a variety of prompts, accounting for 15 % of the total postings. Implications for research and practice are discussed including ways to use case mapping as both a teaching and analysis tool.
Successful generalized parent training and failed schedule thinning of response blocking for automatically maintained object mouthing

Mouthing of inedible objects maintained by automatic reinforcement can be particularly difficult to treat, given that the functional reinforcer is not socially mediated, and therefore it is difficult or impossible to withhold reinforcement. In the current investigation, response blocking was used to reduce automatically maintained object mouthing. Treatment effects were generalized to the natural environment. An attempt at schedule thinning was not successful; however, the participant's parents were trained to implement the treatment successfully in their home. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Resource allocation and scheduling for energy efficient tracking

We examine the problem of tracking the states of a collection of systems over a finite horizon in a power limited scenario. Specifically, each system has a sensor which can track a property of interest and has a fixed budget with which to make measurements and communicate to a fusion center. The state at each system varies independently according to a Markov model and the transitions between different states occur according known transition matrices. Different systems can have vastly different state evolution statistics. At each time step, the fusion center can request an update from any number of the systems, subject to the constraint that the corresponding sensor has not exhausted its budget to do so. These measurement updates are expensive and hence resource limited. After the fusion center receives all updates, it must estimate the state at each system with minimum error. We give an optimal policy for the fusion center to request updates from each sensor and also provide an optimal policy for the fusion center to allocate the measurement budget to each sensor before deployment, given the transition matrices corresponding to each system.
Time evolution of dynamic heterogeneity in a polymeric glass: a molecular dynamics simulation study

Dynamic heterogeneity, where it is noticed in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations that, for example, conformational transition rates vary greatly from bond to bond, is characteristic of polymeric glasses. The phenomenon can be attributed to the fact that certain local bond sequences are more capable of conformational rearrangement than others. These local sequences become fixed sites when the overall chain trajectory is frozen-in in the glass. Although this is no doubt the case, because of the relatively short times of MD trajectories and the relatively small numbers of transitions it is important to establish that the heterogeneity does evolve in time in the manner expected from the local site picture and is not an artifact of short simulations or small numbers. This is undertaken here using a polyethylene system that has been much studied previously. Long trajectories are generated where the time evolution of heterogeneity can be studied. It is found that both the standard deviation and the mean value of the transitions over the bonds evolve linearly in time. This is consistent with the local fixed site picture and not with a random process involving relatively small numbers of transitions.
Mesotheliomas of spermatic cord

Mesotheliomas of the spermatic cord are exceedingly rare and scarcely mentioned in the urologic literature. An additional case of spermatic cord mesothelioma is presented and the literature reviewed.
Iconographic Tracking: A Digital Research Method for Visual Rhetoric and Circulation Studies

Abstract Drawing on recent scholarship in the disciplines of rhetoric and composition/writing studies and communication, the author advocates for generating new methodologies and methods for studying rhetorical circulation. The author introduces iconographic tracking—a research method that employs traditional qualitative and inventive digital research strategies to investigate the circulation, transformation, and consequentiality of images across genres, mediums, and contexts. As evidence of what this method can afford, the author presents findings from a five-year long case study that employs iconographic tracking to trace Shepard Fairey's now iconic Obama Hope image. To help readers understand some of the theories and philosophies that undergird the method of iconographic tracking, the author also briefly introduces a new materialist approach to rhetorical study. As such, the author points in new directions for visual rhetorical study and circulation studies at large.
The Spectral Analysis of Frobenius Perron Operators

Abstract It is known that the Frobenius-Perron operator P s : L 1 (0,1)→ L 1 (0,1) associated with a transformation S from [0,1] to itself with inf| S ′|>1 is quasi-compact as an operator on the Banach space BV [0,1] of functions of bounded variation in L 1 (0,1), and thus P s : BV [0,1]→ BV [0,1] possesses only the finite peripheral spectrum and in particular 1 is an isolated eigenvalue of P s . In this paper, we show that under mild conditions on S , the spectrum of P s : L 1 ( X )→ L 1 ( X ) is either the closed unit disk {λϵ C :|λ|≤1} or a cyclic subset of {λϵ C :|λ|=1}.
Blood phenylalanine monitoring for dietary compliance among patients with phenylketonuria: comparison of methods.

Purpose: Blood phenylalanine monitoring is critical for the management of phenylketonuria. We compared three methods for measuring blood phenylalanine concentration: the amino acid analyzer, high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorometric detection, and tandem mass spectrometry. Methods: We studied 22 female patients with phenylketonuria, ages 12–48 years, who attended our Metabolic Camp. Blood was collected into heparinized tubes (for analysis by the amino acid analyzer) or filter paper (for analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorometric detection and tandem mass spectrometry). Results: Blood phenylalanine concentrations of plasma measured by the amino acid analyzer were significantly higher than those obtained from whole blood on filter paper by high-performance liquid chromatography (difference: 102 μM; 95% confidence interval: 23, 181) and tandem mass spectrometry (difference: 137 μM; 95% confidence interval: 58, 216). Phenylalanine concentrations from high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry were not significantly different (P = 0.5). Conclusions: When monitoring blood phenylalanine concentrations for dietary compliance, clinicians should be mindful of the method being used; analyses of whole blood on filter paper were consistently approximately 15% lower than analyses of plasma.
Nuclear thyroid hormone receptors in cultured human fibroblasts: Improved method of isolation, partial characterization, and interaction with chromatin

Abstract In order to characterize the nuclear thyroid hormone receptors in human tissue, an improved method for isolation of nuclei from cultured human fibroblasts was developed. This method provided nuclei with a protein/DNA ratio of 2.8 and recovery of 42%. The purity of nuclei was verified by phase contrast and electron microscopy, which showed normal appearance of chromatin structure. Nuclear binding assay was performed by incubation of whole cells at 37°C or isolated nuclei at 22°C with l -triiodothyronine (T3). In both cases, an affinity constant (Ka) of 2.0 – 3.0 × 1010M−1 and an average binding capacity of 41 femtomoles of T 3 100 μ g DNA (3,100 binding sites/nucleus) were obtained. During incubation of the nuclei, 13% to 16% of receptors that had an identical Ka was released into the medium. Salt extraction recovered 85% to 90% of the receptors, which had a Ka of 4.5 × 1010M−1 and the capacity of 0.13 pmol of T3/mg protein. The Ka for l -thyroxine (T4) was seven to 18 times lower than that for T3, but the capacity was the same in isolated nuclei, receptors released during incubation of nuclei, and in salt-extracted receptors. Of the iodothyronines examined, affinity for triiodothyroacetic acid was the highest, followed by l -T3, d -T3, l -T4. Isokinetic glycerol gradient analysis revealed that salt-extracted receptors had a sedimentation coefficient of 3.4 S, whereas micrococcal nuclease digested receptors showed two major (6.0 to 6.5 and 12.5 S), and two minor (17 and 19 S) peaks. These results were virtually identical to those obtained with rat liver nuclei analyzed in parallel studies. Finally, we found that the nuclear receptors of fibroblasts were more heat labile than that of rat liver, especially at temperatures below 40°C.
Neuropsychological sex differences associated with age of initiated use among young adult cannabis users

Introduction. Earlier initiation of cannabis use is associated with poorer neuropsychological functioning across several domains. Given well-documented sex differences in neuromaturation during adolescence, initiation of cannabis use during this time may affect neuropsychological functioning differently for males and females. Method: In the current study, we examined sex differences in the relationship between age of initiated cannabis use and neuropsychological performance after controlling for amount of lifetime cannabis use in 44 male and 25 female young adult cannabis users. Results: We found that an earlier age of initiated use was related to poorer episodic memory, especially immediate recall, in females, but not in males. On the other hand, we found that, surprisingly, an earlier age of initiated use was associated with better decision making overall. However, exploratory analyses found sex-specific factors associated with decision making and age of initiated use, specifically that attention-defici...
Pressure induced structural transitions in CuSbS2 and CuSbSe2 thermoelectric compounds

Abstract We have investigated the structural behavior of CuSbS2 and CuSbSe2 thermoelectric materials under high pressure conditions up to 80 GPa using angle dispersive X-ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell (DAC). We have also performed high pressure Raman spectroscopy measurements up to 16 GPa. We observed a pressure-induced structural transformation from the ambient orthorhombic structure with space group Pnma to a triclinic type structure with space group P1 beginning around 8 GPa in both samples and completing at 13 GPa and 10 GPa in CuSbS2 and CuSbSe2, respectively. High pressure Raman experiments complement the transitions observed by high pressure X-ray diffraction (HPXRD). The transitions were found to be reversible on releasing the pressure to ambient in the DAC. The bulk modulus and compressibility of these materials are further discussed.
Hypospadias Results of surgical treatment and perspectives in management

Abstract An institutional experience with the repair of hypospadias over a fifteen-year period is reviewed. The 119 patients treated surgically serve as the substance of this report. Recommendations concerning options in surgical treatment are predicated on this experience and the contemporary literature.
The contrast and signal difference-to-noise of MRI imaging between muscle and mammary adenocarcinoma at different magnetic field strengths — Analysis results

Purpose To study the effects of T1, T2 changes due to field difference on imaging contrast C and signal difference-to-noise K between a certain tumor model, mammary adenocarcinoma, and muscle. The results may provide a guide in optimizing the imaging sequences for MR imaging at different magnetic fields.
Transcriptional regulation of SM22α by Wnt3a: Convergence with TGFβ1/Smad signaling at a novel regulatory element

Abstract The role of canonical Wnt signaling in myofibroblast biology has not been fully investigated. The C3H10T1/2 mesenchymal cell line recapitulates myofibroblast differentiation in vitro and in vivo , including SM22α expression. Using this model, we find that Wnt3a upregulates SM22α in concert with TGFβ 1 . Wnt1, Wnt5a and BMP2 could not replace Wnt3a and TGFβ 1 signals. Chromatin immunoprecipitation identified that Wnt3a enhances both genomic SM22α histone H3 acetylation and β-catenin association, hallmarks of transcriptional activation. By analyzing a series of SM22α promoter-luciferase (LUC) reporter constructs, we mapped Wnt3a-regulated DNA transcriptional activation to nucleotides − 213 to − 192 relative to the transcription initiation site. In gel shift assays, DNA–protein complexes assembled on this element were disrupted with antibodies to β-catenin, Smad2/3, and TCF7, confirming the participation of known Wnt3a and TGFβ transcriptional mediators. Mutation of a CAGAG motif within this region abrogated recognition by these DNA binding proteins. Wnt3a treatment increased Smad2/3 binding to this element. Mutation of the cognate within the context of the native 0.44 kb SM22α promoter resulted in a 70% decrease in transcription, and reduced Wnt3a + TGFβ 1 induction. A concatamer of SM22α [− 213 to − 192] conveyed Wnt3a + TGFβ 1 activation to the unresponsive RSV promoter. Dominant negative TCF inhibited SM22α [− 213 to − 192]x6 RSVLUC activation. Moreover, ICAT (inhibitor of β-catenin and TCF) decreased while TCF7L2 and β-catenin enhanced 0.44 kb SM22α promoter induction by Wnt3a + TGFβ 1 . RNAi “knockdown” of β-catenin inhibited Wnt3a induction of SM22α . Thus, Wnt/β-catenin signaling interacts with TGFβ/Smad pathways to control SM22α gene transcription.
Predictability, complexity, and catastrophe in a collapsible model of population, development, and environmental interactions

More and more population forecasts are being produced with associated 95 percent confidence intervals. How confident are we of those confidence intervals? In this paper, we produce a simulated dataset in which we know both past and future population sizes, and the true 95 percent confidence intervals at various future dates. We use the past data to produce population forecasts and estimated 95 percent confidence intervals using various functional forms. We, then, compare the true 95 percent confidence intervals with the estimated ones. This comparison shows that we are not at all confident of the estimated 95 percent confidence intervals.
Hardware design of vector code correlation method for high-speed template matching

Template matching has been applied to the image processing of the fields such as security and robot vision to recognize a target from images. The method used in those fields requires the high-speed processing and robustness to illumination change or occlusion. To accommodate this, we employ a method, named the vector code correlation (VCC) that codes the gradient of intensity change, but the method on software is not enough in aspect of image processing time. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to achieve the template matching in real-time by designing hardware to implement the VCC method at high speed. The hardware design consists of five modules doing pipeline processing and is able to realize in relatively small scale. In the present paper, experimental results of 60 fps obtained with the designed hardware and its configuration are shown.
Generalized sparse signal mixing model and application to noisy blind source separation

Sparse constraints on signal decompositions are justified by typical sensor data used in a variety of signal processing fields such as acoustics, medical imaging, or wireless, but moreover can lead to more effective algorithms. The specific sparseness assumption used in this work is that the maximum number of statistically independent sources active at any time and frequency point in a mixture of signals is small. This is shown to result from an assumption of sparseness of the sources themselves, and allows us to solve the maximum likelihood formulation of the noninstantaneous acoustic mixing source estimation problem. We consider an additive noise mixing model with an arbitrary number of sensors and possibly more sources than sensors, when sources satisfy the sparseness assumption above. The solution obtained is applicable to an arbitrary number of microphones and sources, but works best when the number of sources simultaneously active at any time frequency point is a small fraction of the total number of sources.
Topics in Nucleic Acids Structure

This chapter introduces further topics in nucleic acid structure, building upon the minitutorial of the previous chapter. These topics include DNA sequence effects, DNA hydration, DNA/protein interactions, alternative hydrogen bonding schemes, non-canonical helical and hybrid structures, DNA mimics, overstretched and understretched DNA, RNA structure and folding, and DNA supercoiling by computer simulations.
Stimuli-responsive polymers in nanotechnology: Deposition and possible effect on drug release

Stimuli-responsive polymers result in on-demand regulation of properties and function- ing of various nanoscale systems. In particular, they allow stimuli-responsive control of flow rates through membranes and nanofluidic devices with submicron channel sizes. They also allow regu- lation of drug release from nanoparticles and nanofibers in response to temperature or pH variation in the surrounding medium. In the present work two relevant mathematical models are introduced to address precipitation-driven deposition of surface layers of stimuli-responsive polymers and describe a possible effect of swelling-shrinkage transition of such polymers on drug release.
"Keeping Land in Capital Theory: Ricardo, Faustmann, Wicksell, and George"

Most economists today live in a 2-factor world: there are just labor and capital. Land, so central to classical political economy, has been swallowed into capital and “disappeared”. This paper surveys some of the better historical treatments of land and capital, their interrelations, and how they support modern Georgists and Greens who want land to reappear. David Ricardo had a theory of land rent, of course, plus a practical understanding of compound interest and the relationship of capital to labor. He wove these together in his theory of value. He saw how the flow of investing into creating jobs and incomes led to higher employment; he was concerned that excessive conversion of working capital into fixed capital would reduce that vital flow. This concern would resurface with Mill, Jevons, the Austrians, Wicksell, and possibly—indirectly—in Keynes. Martin Faustmann showed how to convert irregular pulses of cost and revenue, as in forestry, into the level annual equivalent, to define and find the regular flow of site rent. He made this a performance standard to maximize. In the process he showed how to find the optimal time to harvest and replace forests. As an important by-product his formula shows that rents vary inversely with interest rates, and this effect tempers the effect of interest rates on financial maturity. An even more important by-product (quantitatively) is to adapt Faustmann to time the salvaging of sites under old buildings by clearing and renewing the sites. He showed how to convert the infinite flow of such rents into a present value, or Discounted Cash Flow. His site value measure combines the DCF of Generation #1 with the Reuse value of a site, providing a mathematical basis for George’s later observations on the damage done by land speculation. There was a flurry of interest in reviving Faustmann, ca. 1957-76. Economists now neglect it again; some industrial foresters may be subverting it for wrong ends. Bohm-Bawerk and other Austrians revived Ricardo’s concept of working capital vs. fixed capital, using other terminology while still crediting Ricardo’s priority. J.B. Clark and Frank Knight expurgated the Austrian idea of a “period of production” because it would up-end Clark/Knight’s conflation of land and capital. Knight’s Chicago School dominates academe today, while Austrians survive only in odd corners.
Action of a One-Dimensional QEF on Non-Coulomb Emitters

This chapter discusses the satellites of dipole-forbidden SL of emitters (radiators) such as helium and alkali atoms (as well as helium-like and alkali-like ions). In the energy spectra of these radiators quasi-isolated subsystems consisting of two or three levels (inside a multiplet) that are most strongly mixed by the EF can be singled out, while other levels may be neglected. Special emphasis is placed on methods of theoretical description beyond the perturbation theory. In Sects. 5.3.2 and 5.5 the analogous effect in spectra of hydrogenlike ions and diatomic polar molecules is investigated. In contrast to all other sections, in Sect. 5.4 we analyze not the direct action of QEF on a radiator but the influence caused by the changes induced by the QEF in the plasma electron distribution functions. In Sect. 5.6 the case of joint action of a resonant laser field and low-frequency QEF is treated, with relevant applications to laser spectroscopy pointed out. The main results of Chap. 5 are contained in [5.1–11].
Multislice fractional ventilation imaging in large animals with hyperpolarized gas MRI

The noninvasive assessment of regional lung ventilation is of critical importance in the quantification of the severity of disease and evaluation of response to therapy in many pulmonary diseases. This work presents, for the first time, the implementation of a hyperpolarized (HP) gas MRI technique to measure whole-lung regional fractional ventilation (r) in Yorkshire pigs (n = 5) through the use of a gas mixing and delivery device in the supine position. The proposed technique utilizes a series of back-to-back HP gas breaths with images acquired during short end-inspiratory breath-holds. In order to decouple the radiofrequency pulse decay effect from the ventilatory signal build-up in the airways, the regional distribution of the flip angle (α) was estimated in the imaged slices by acquiring a series of back-to-back images with no interscan time delay during a breath-hold at the tail end of the ventilation sequence. Analysis was performed to assess the sensitivity of the multislice ventilation model to noise, oxygen and the number of flip angle images. The optimal α value was determined on the basis of the minimization of the error in r estimation: α(opt) = 5-6o for the set of acquisition parameters in pigs. The mean r values for the group of pigs were 0.27 ± 0.09, 0.35 ± 0.06 and 0.40 ± 0.04 for the ventral, middle and dorsal slices, respectively (excluding conductive airways r 0.9). A positive gravitational (ventral-dorsal) ventilation gradient effect was present in all animals. The trachea and major conductive airways showed a uniform near-unity r value, with progressively smaller values corresponding to smaller diameter airways, and ultimately leading to lung parenchyma. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the measurement of the fractional ventilation in large species, and provide a platform to address the technical challenges associated with long breathing time scales through the optimization of acquisition parameters in species with a pulmonary physiology very similar to that of humans.
The Foraging Ecology of the Gray Rat Snake (Elaphe Obsoleta Spiloides)-Visual Stimuli Facilitate Location of Arboreal Prey

Abstract We examined the responsiveness of adult gray rat snakes to avian prey in enclosures that simulated natural habitat conditions. Subjects searched for arboreal nest contents in the presence or absence of a bird model flown so as to simulate avian provisioning behavior. In the absence of the model, gray rat snake latency to capture prey was over 92 % greater than when searching for nest contents with the model. Snakes responded to model flight by turning their heads in the direction of its movement. We conclude that gray rat snakes perceive relatively distant visual cues from prey, and that nest provisioning (activity localized around a nest) may facilitate snakes correctly choosing to ascend trees that contain active nests and ignoring those that do not.
Non-linear effects on canonical MEMS models

In modelling electrostatically actuated micro- and nano-electromechanical systems, researchers have typically relied on a small-aspect ratio to form a leading-order theory. In doing so, small gradient terms are dropped. Although this approximation has been fruitful, its consequences have not been investigated. Here, this approximation is re-examined, and a new theory which includes often neglected small curvature terms is presented. Furthermore, the solution set of the new theory is explored for the unit disk domain and compared to the standard theory. Also, the analytical results are compared to experimental data.
A Model of Buoyancy-Driven Two-Phase Countercurrent Fluid Flow

We seek simple analytical solutions in a model of gas flow driven by a combination of buoyancy, viscous, and capillary forces. Traveling-wave solutions describe propagation of the top and bottom of the gas plume. The top of the plume has low gas saturation, but propagates much faster than the bottom. The theoretical maximum of the velocity of propagation of the top of the plume provides a simple conservative estimate of the time until plume evolution will dramatically slow down. A sequence of rarefaction and traveling-wave solutions characterizes the transition zones between the top and bottom stable regions. The analytical results are applied to studying carbon dioxide flow caused by leaks from deep geological formations used for CO2 storage. The results are also applicable for modeling flow of natural gas leaking from seasonal gas storage, or for modeling of secondary hydrocarbon migration.
A cell‐transverse display algorithm for regular and rectilinear 3D grid data

This paper proposes an efficient direct imaging algorithm for constructing iso-surfaces from regular and rectilinear 3D grid data in scientific and engineering visualization. The basic idea is to generate and draw polygons simultaneously by processing the cells spanned by grids in decreasing order of distance from the current viewpoint. Iso-surfaces are generated in five or six tetrahedrons into which the cells are subdivided, and are sent to a graphics device or drawn into a frame buffer on the fly. The execution order of each of the tetrahedrons is identical and is determined by the current viewpoint. Since the algorithm does not need to store intermediate polyhedral data and does not require a depth buffer memory for hidden surface removal, it is applicable to a large quantity of data on a 3D grid, such as computed tomography (CT) data. It is also particularly powerful for semi-transparent display, because transparency calculation can be reduced to image compositing operations if the polygons are drawn in order of their z-depth from the current viewpoint.
Phospholipid biosynthesis in myelin: presence of CTP ― Phosphoethanolamine cytidylyltransferase in purified myelin of rat brain

Highly purified myelin from rat brain was previously shown to contain the ethanolaminephosphotransferase which completes the synthesis of phosphatidyl ethanolamine. We have now obtained evidence for the presence in myelin of CTP:phosphoethanolamine cytidylyltransferase, the enzyme catalyzing formation of CDP-ethanolamine. Myelin was isolated by two different procedures, one based on the Norton-Poduslo method and the other involving repetitive gradients with osmotic shocking deferred to the end. The fact that activity remained constant through all but the earliest steps suggested that the enzyme is intrinsic to myelin. Comparison of subcellular fractions revealed that approximately half the total activity was in the supernatant, the remainder being distributed among the particulate fractions. Relative specific activity of myelin was 27-31% that of microsomes, thus eliminating the possibility of appreciable contamination by the latter. The possibility of adsorption of the soluble enzyme by myelin was rendered unlikely by retention of activity after washing the myelin with buffered sodium chloride or sodium taurocholate. Furthermore, relative specific activity of the cytidylyltransferase was 10-fold higher than that of lactate dehydrogenase (a cytosolic marker) in myelin. The apparent Km for CTP was approximately the same for myelin and microsomes, but that for phosphoethanolamine was significantly higher for myelin.
A fuzzy-based collaborative localization algorithm for wireless sensor networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are being deployed in a variety of location-dependent applications, where the measurement of data is meaningless without accurate location. Many range-free algorithms were proposed in order to minimize the extra cost that appears in the ranged-based algorithms. Fuzzy logic provides a simple, fast and cost efficient way that can be used in range-free algorithms. In this paper, we propose a fuzzy-based collaborative localization algorithm for wireless sensor networks. Our proposed algorithm implements a Sugeno-type fuzzy system using a collaborative feedback communication scheme. The proposed algorithm provides more accurate localization estimation without any additional hardware implementation. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Poling of Lead Zirconate Titanate Ceramics and Flexible Piezoelectric Composites by the Corona Discharge Technique

In the conventional poling method, piezoelectric ceramics and composites are poled by applying a large dc voltage. Poling of composites having a polymer matrix with 0–3 connectivity is especially difficult because the electric field within the high-dielectricconstant grains is far smaller than in the low-dielectric-constant polymer matrix. Therefore, very large electric fields are required to pole these types of composites. However, large electric fields often cause dielectric breakdown of the samples. In this study for improved poling, the corona discharge technique was used to pole piezoelectric ceramics, fired PZT composites, and 0.5PbTiO3· 0.5BiFeO3 0–3 polymer composites. An experimental setup for corona poling is described. The dielectric and piezoelectric properties of materials poled by the corona discharge technique were comparable to those obtained with the conventional poling method.
Perinatal Origins of First-Grade Academic Failure: Role of Prematurity and Maternal Factors

OBJECTIVE: We examined the relationships among gestational age at birth, maternal characteristics, and standardized test performance in Georgia first-grade students. METHODS: Live births to Georgia-resident mothers aged 11 to 53 years from 1998 through 2003 were deterministically linked with standardized test results for first-grade attendees of Georgia public schools from 2005 through 2009. Logistic models were used to estimate the odds of failure of the 3 components of the first-grade Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). RESULTS: The strongest risk factor for failure of each of the 3 components of the first-grade CRCT was level of maternal education. Child race/ethnicity and maternal age at birth were also associated with first-grade CRCT failure irrespective of the severity of preterm birth, but these factors were more important among children born moderately preterm than for those born on the margins of the prematurity distribution. Adjusting for maternal and child characteristics, there was an increased odds of failure of each component of the CRCT for children born late preterm versus term, including for math (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13–1.22), reading (aOR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.08–1.18), and English/language arts, for which there was an important interaction with being born small for gestational age (aOR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.07–1.29). CONCLUSIONS: Preterm birth and low maternal education increase children’s risk of failure of first-grade standardized tests. Promoting women’s academic achievement and reduce rates of preterm birth may be important to achieving gains in elementary school performance.
New directions in carbohydrate engineering: a metabolic substrate-based approach to modify the cell surface display of sialic acids.

This review discusses new directions in the emerging field of carbohydrate engineering. Specifically, it describes substrate-based methodologies that are complementary to the recombinant DNA techni...
Effect of cardiopulmonary bypass on early graft dysfunction in clinical lung transplantation

The records of 100 lung transplant recipients (13 heart-lungs, 45 double-lungs, and 42 single-lungs) from September 1990 through April 1992 were reviewed to determine the role of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in early graft dysfunction. Fifty-five patients requiring CPB (CPB group) for 186 +/- 54 minutes were compared with the 45 patients without CPB (no-CPB group). All of the heart-lung and en-bloc double-lung transplantations were performed under CPB, with pulmonary vascular lung disease the principal diagnosis, resulting in a significantly younger age population in the CPB group. All other donor- and recipient-related factors matched well in both groups. Of 38 bilateral single-lung transplantations, CPB was used in 18. In double-lung and heart-lung recipients gas exchange of the allografts was evaluated by the arterial/alveolar oxygen tension ratios at nine intervals during the first 72 hours. The mean arterial/alveolar oxygen tension ratio in the CPB group was 0.48 +/- 0.19, significantly lower than in the no-CPB group with 0.60 +/- 0.22 (p = 0.025). All patients had radiographic interpretation and scoring of pulmonary infiltrates from chest roentgenograms taken within 12 hours after reperfusion. The CPB group had more severe pulmonary infiltrates than the no-CPB group (p = 0.034). Prolonged intubation defined as 7 days or longer occurred significantly more often (29/55) in the CPB group than in the no-CPB group (8/45) (p = 0.003). Actuarial graft and patient survival at 1 month was better in the no-CPB group than in the CPB group (42/45 versus 44/55 [p = 0.05] and 43/45 versus 45/55 [p = 0.033], respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Epistemic Strategies, Society, and Social Change

The scene shifts in this chapter from my peripheral and episodic interest in physics-mysticism parallelism to my central interest in theory and practice for an emancipatory system of knowledge and culture. I move from a perspective on physics, mysticism, and parallelism as social facts to a general interpretation of epistemic strategies as social constructions. Then I discuss the contemporary epistemic climate, and conclude by sketching an emancipatory epistemic strategy.
The Effect of Repeated Ketamine Infusion Over Facial Emotion Recognition in Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Preliminary Report

In contrast to improvement in emotion recognition bias by traditional antidepressants, the authors report preliminary findings that changes in facial emotion recognition are not associated with response of depressive symptoms after repeated ketamine infusions or relapse during follow-up in treatment-resistant depression.
Linguistic Syncretism and Language Ideologies: Transforming Sociolinguistic Hierarchy on Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

Recent work in linguistic anthropology highlights the role of linguistic ideologies, or cultural conceptions of language, in transforming social relations and linguistic structure and use. This article examines the links between language attitudes and uses in their institutional and interactional contexts on Rapa Nui, a Polynesian island community that is part of the Chilean nation-state. By the 1970s, a sociolinguistic hierarchy and functional compartmentalization of languages between Spanish and Rapa Nui—what I will describe as “colonial diglossia”—had become established in the community, which was rapidly becoming bilingual. Language shift toward Spanish has continued to advance since then. However, rising Rapa Nui syncretic language practice and consciousness, combined with the political successes of a local indigenous movement and changes in the local economy, are now contributing to the breakdown of colonial diglossia, generating better conditions for the maintenance of the Rapa Nui language.
An integrated walking system for the Ambler planetary rover

The Carnegie Mellon University Planetary Rover project is developing the Ambler, a six-legged robot designed for planetary exploration. The authors have developed reliable and efficient control, perception and planning algorithms suitable for navigating rugged terrain. The components have been integrated into a system that autonomously walks the Ambler along routes and over obstacles. >
Context-dependent perceptual ranges and their relevance to animal movements in landscapes

Summary 1. An animal’s perceptual range defines the spatial extent of the landscape for which information is available to make movement decisions. Ecologists studying and modelling animal dispersal have commonly assumed that individual movements arise from a predefined set of local decision rules operating within a static isotropic (i.e. circular) perceptual range. 2. We discuss how this assumption fails to recognize the potential for plasticity in perceptual ranges and present a conceptual model that illustrates how anisotropic perceptual ranges can arise from animal orientation to environmental stimuli. 3. Using model simulations we show how perceptual distance (i.e. greatest Euclidean distance at which habitat patches can be perceived), horizon (i.e. panoramic view or angular degrees of the landscape perceived) and breadth (i.e. areal extent of the landscape perceived), change as a function of increased strength of a hypothetical stimuli. 4. Our results show that anisotropic perceptual ranges can differ substantially from traditional, isotropic perceptual ranges in all three aspects depending on the strength of the stimuli and nature in which it interacts with other elements of the landscape. 5. We highlight the implications of these findings for modelling animal movements in ecological landscapes with the hope that context-dependent perceptual ranges are considered in future studies.
Identification of N-terminal helix capping boxes by means of 13C chemical shifts.

We have examined the 13Cα and 13Cβ chemical shifts of a number of proteins and found that their values at the N-terminal end of a helix provide a good predictor for the presence of a capping box. A capping box consists of a hydrogen-bonded cycle of four amino acids in which the side chain of the N-cap residue forms a hydrogen bond with the backbone amide of the N3 residue, whose side chain in turn may accept a hydrogen bond from the amide of the N-cap residue. The N-cap residue exhibits characteristic values for its backbone torsion angles, with ϕ and ψ clustering around 94±15° and 167±5°, respectively. This is manifested by a 1–2 ppm upfield shift of the 13Cα resonance and a 1–4 ppm downfield shift of the 13Cβ resonance, relative to their random coil values, and is mainly associated with the unusually large value of ψ. The residues following the N-cap residue exhibit downfield shifts of 1–3 ppm for the 13Cα resonances and small upfield shifts for the 13Cβ ones, typical of an α-helix.
Risk factors for β-amyloid deposition in healthy aging: vascular and genetic effects.

Importance Identifying risk factors for increased β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition is important for targeting individuals most at risk for developing Alzheimer disease and informing clinical practice concerning prevention and early detection. Objective To investigate risk factors for Aβ deposition in cognitively healthy middle-aged and older adults. Specifically, we hypothesized that individuals with a vascular risk factor such as hypertension, in combination with a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer disease (apolipoprotein E ϵ4 allele), would show greater amyloid burden than those without such risk. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting General community. Participants One hundred eighteen well-screened and cognitively normal adults, aged 47 to 89 years. Participants were classified in the hypertension group if they reported a medical diagnosis of hypertension or if blood pressure exceeded 140 mm Hg systolic/90 mm Hg diastolic, as measured across 7 occasions at the time of study. Intervention Participants underwent Aβ positron emission tomography imaging with radiotracer fluorine 18–labeled florbetapir. Participants were genotyped for apolipoprotein E and were classified as ϵ4 + or ϵ4 − . Main Outcome Measure Amyloid burden. Results Participants in the hypertension group with at least 1 ϵ4 allele showed significantly greater amyloid burden than those with only 1 risk factor or no risk factors. Furthermore, increased pulse pressure was strongly associated with increased mean cortical amyloid level for subjects with at least 1 ϵ4 allele. Conclusions and Relevance Vascular disease is a prevalent age-related condition that is highly responsive to both behavioral modification and medical treatment. Proper control and prevention of risk factors such as hypertension earlier in the life span may be one potential mechanism to ameliorate or delay neuropathological brain changes with aging.