cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using evolution strategies for the real-time learning of controllers for autonomous agents in Xpilot-AI

Real-time learning is the process of an artificial intelligence agent learning behavior(s) at the same pace as it operates in the real world. Video games tend to be an excellent locale for testing real-time learning agents, as the action happens at real speeds with a good visual feedback mechanism, coupled with the possibility of comparing human performance to that of the agent's. In addition, players want to be competing against a consistently challenging opponent. This paper is a discussion of a controller for an agent in the space combat game Xpilot and the evolution of said controller using two different methods. The controller is a multilayer neural network, which controls all facets of the agent's behavior that are not created in the initial set-up. The neural network is evolved using 1-to-1 evolution strategies in one method and genetic algorithms in the other method. Using three independent trials per methodology, it was shown that evolution strategies learned faster, while genetic algorithms learned more consistently, leading to the idea that genetic algorithms may be superior when there is ample time before use, but evolution strategies are better when pressed for learning time as in real-time learning.
Investigation of a Nonlinear Control Model for Marine Propulsion Power-Plants

A cycle-mean-value, quasi-steady, thermodynamic model of slow-speed, two-stroke marine Diesel engines, used for performance prediction and engine-propeller/turbocharger matching, is converted into a power-plant analytic model. The dynamic part of the cycle-mean model consists of the two first-order differential equations for the cycle-mean crankshaft and turbocharger shaft rotational accelerations. This form implies a state-space formulation of the power-plant modeling approach. However, engine, turbine and compressor torques have to be calculated through the solution of the algebraic part of the model, which consists of a nonlinear, perplexed algebraic system of equations not analytically solvable. This inhibits the formulation of the power-plant state-space description. By approximating the torque maps, generated by the thermodynamic model, with neural nets, explicit functional relationships are obtained. Identification of the power-plant operating regimes through linearization and decomposition is performed. In effect, a supervisory power-plant controller structure, applicable to real-time control and diagnostics, is proposed, incorporating the nonlinear state-space description of the plant.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Antagonistic action of diphenylhydantoin and calcium on the level of phosphorylation of particular rat and human brain proteins.

Summary The opposing actions of diphenylhydantoin (DPH) and calcium on the level of [32P]phosphate incorporation into particular rat and human brain proteins have been demonstrated in this study by employing the techniques of acrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. In the presence of calcium several brain proteins showed a marked increase in the incorporation of [32P]phosphate from [γ-32P]ATP. The calcium-induced increase in phosphorylation of two proteins, designated proteins DPH-L and DPH-M, was significantly inhibited by DPH. DPH inhibited both the calcium-stimulated initial rate and net level of [32P]phosphate incorporated into proteins DPH-L and DPH-M in homogenate and synaptosomal preparations. The data presented in this study are compatible with the hypothesis that the effect of DPH on protein phosphorylation may play an important role in mediating the stabilizing actions of this anticonvulsant on neuronal tissue and seizure discharge.
A model academic integrated information center

Based on the results of the information and technology requirements assessments, three configurations for the model IIC were developed ― a basic model, an intermediate model, and an advanced model. These configurations of the model IIC represent increasing numbers and sophistication of support capabilities as well as increasing costs. They represent possible stages of implementation depending on the requirements of the academic unit and the resources at its disposal
Na+,K+-ATPase complex: Effects of anticomplex antibody on the partial reactions catalyzed by the complex

Abstract An antiserum to the Na+,K+-ATPase complex of rat brain was prepared, and its effects on several reactions catalyzed by the complex were studied. The interaction of the antibody with the complex caused almost complete inhibition of the Na+,K+-ATPase activity, but had little or no effect on the K+-dependent p-nitrophenylphosphatase activity. Na+-dependent phosphorylation of the complex by ATP was blocked in the presence of the antibody, but the K+-dependent breakdown of the phosphoprotein was not affected. The data suggest that the two K+-dependent activities are functions of a component of the complex that is antigenically distinct from a component that is involved in the Na+-dependent phosphorylation of the complex by ATP.
Experiments to Test the Rebromination Theory of Photographic Solarization

The rebromination theory of photographic solarization attributes this phenomenon to the latent-image silver being attacked by photolytically formed bromine during great overexposure. With the purpose of testing the validity of this theory, a series of experiments was carried out on a photographic emulsion showing strong solarization. These experiments consisted of exposures at different temperatures over the range +68°C to −196°C, exposures on emulsions treated with various bromine acceptors, tests on emulsions which had been exposed and then treated with silver halide solvents, comparison tests of solarization with physical and chemical development, and experiments with different intensities of exposing radiation. All the experimental results fit in with the rebromination theory of solarization.
Enzyme-catalyzed, gas-phase reactions.

Dehydrated preparations of alcohol oxidase adsorbed on DEAEcellulose vigorously catalyze a gas-phase oxidation of ethanol vapors with molecular oxygen. The gas-phase reaction is strongly dependent on the water activity of the system. The enzymatic activity is severely inhibited by the product hydrogen peroxide. This inhibition can be alleviated, however, by an addition of catalase or peroxidase to the dry preparation. Such dehydrated, bienzymic catalysts afford a complete and selective conversion of the substrate to acetaldehyde. Dry alcohol oxidase is much more thermostable than in aqueous solution. The results of this work suggest that dehydrated enzymes have potential applications in the analysis of gaseous compounds and in the development of novel gas-solid bioreactors.
Mentor-I: an expert database system for student guidance

A description is given of Mentor-I, a deductive database system written in C-Prolog that advises undergraduate computer science majors at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. An experimental prototype, the system uses a relational database model for rules and student records. Expert knowledge for the system is embodied in rules that the advisor uses to suggest how many course hours to take and the order in which to satisfy college degree requirements. Additional expertise is supplied in the form of suggestions for free elective courses based on student interests and career goals. The system has been designed to be used by the computer science department as the prototype for a subsequent collegewide system. The discussion focuses on the representation of data as relations in a Prolog environment, specific program module implementation, and a tree search method for schedule generation. >
Development of a Computer Information Management System

The Department of Veterans Affairs, Social Work Service has designed, developed and implemented the Social Work Information Management System (SWIMS) which provides for both administrative and clinical reporting. The system is clinically based and includes an option for case recording. The social work staff, who will use the system, was integrally involved in all phases of planning. The processes of the design, development, testing and implementation are discussed.
CompMap: a reference-based compression program to speed up read mapping to related reference sequences.

Summary: Exhaustive mapping of next-generation sequencing data to a set of relevant reference sequences becomes an important task in pathogen discovery and metagenomic classification. However, the runtime and memory usage increase as the number of reference sequences and the repeat content among these sequences increase. In many applications, read mapping time dominates the entire application. We developed CompMap, a reference-based compression program, to speed up this process. CompMap enables the generation of a non-redundant representative sequence for the input sequences. We have demonstrated that reads can be mapped to this representative sequence with a much reduced time and memory usage, and the mapping to the original reference sequences can be recovered with high accuracy. Availability and implementation: CompMap is implemented in C and freely available at http://csse.szu.edu.cn/staff/zhuzx/CompMap/. Contact: xiaoyang@broadinstitute.org Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Activation/Attenuation Model for RNase H A ONE-METAL MECHANISM WITH SECOND-METAL INHIBITION

Abstract Ribonucleases H (RNases H) comprise a family of metal-dependent enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of the 3′-O—P bond of RNA in RNA·DNA hybrids. The mechanism by which RNases H use active-site metal(s) for catalysis is unclear. Based upon the seemingly contradictory structural observations of one divalent metal bound to Escherichia coli RNase HI and two divalent metals bound to the HIV RNase H domain, two models explaining RNase H metal dependence have been proposed: a one-metal mechanism and a two-metal mechanism. In this paper, we show that the Mn2+-dependent activity of E. coliRNase HI is not consistent with either of these mechanisms. RNase H activity in the presence of Mn2+ is complex, with activation and inhibition of the enzyme at low and high Mn2+ concentrations, respectively. Mutations at Asp-134 result in a partial loss of this inhibition, with little effect on activation. Neutralization of His-124 by mutation to Ala results in an enzyme with a significantly decreased specific activity and an absolute loss of Mn2+ inhibition. Inhibition by high Mn2+ concentrations is shown to be due to a reduction ink cat; this attenuation has a critical dependence on the presence of His-124. Based upon these results, we propose an “activation/attenuation” model explaining the metal dependence of RNase H activity where one metal is required for enzyme activation and binding of a second metal is inhibitory.
A thin layer photocell based on a tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium complex immobilized in a membrane containing an electronically conductive polymer

Abstract A thin layer photocell was constructed in which tin oxide (Nesa glass) modified with a tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium complex immobilized in a polyvinylcinnamate membrane was used as the working electrode, platinum was used as the counter electrode, and an aqueous solution containing the disodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid was placed between the electrodes. The photocell generated a photocurrent under visible light irradiation. The generation of photocurrent was considerably enhanced when the working electrode was modified by the addition of the tetracyanoquinodimethane salt of poly-4-vinylpyridine and neutral tetracyanoquinodimethane.
Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Classical and Non-classical Anticoagulant Heparan Sulfate Polysaccharides

Heparan sulfate (HS) polysaccharides interact with numerous proteins at the cell surface and orchestrate many different biological functions. Though many functions of HS are well established, only a few specific structures can be attributed to HS functions. The extreme diversity of HS makes chemical synthesis of specific bioactive HS structures a cumbersome and tedious undertaking that requires laborious and careful functional group manipulations. Now that many of the enzymes involved in HS biosynthesis are characterized, we show in this study how one can rapidly and easily assemble bioactive HS structures with a set of cloned enzymes. We have demonstrated the feasibility of this new approach to rapidly assemble antithrombin III-binding classical and non-classical anticoagulant polysaccharide structures for the first time.
Total Synthesis of Cyathin A3 and Cyathin B2

A stereoselective synthesis of cyathin A(3) and cyathin B(2) has been achieved by a Prins-type reaction of a cycloalkenyl cyclopropanol. Particularly noteworthy is the use of a spirocyclobutanone moiety as a convenient scaffold for an efficient ring-closing metathesis to stereoselectively construct a suitably functionalized seven-membered ring (see scheme).
Region-specific changes in immediate early gene expression in response to sleep deprivation and recovery sleep in the mouse brain.

Previous studies have documented changes in expression of the immediate early gene (IEG) c-fos and Fos protein in the brain between sleep and wakefulness. Such expression differences implicate changes in transcriptional regulation across behavioral states and suggest that other transcription factors may also be affected. In the current study, we examined the expression of seven fos/jun family member mRNAs (c-fos, fosB, fos related antigen (fra)1, fra-2, junB, c-jun, and junD) and three other IEG mRNAs (egr-1, egr-3, and nur77) in mouse brain following short-term (6 h) sleep deprivation (SD) and 4 h recovery sleep (RS) after SD. Gene expression was quantified in seven brain regions by real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Multivariate analysis of variance revealed statistically significant variation in cerebral cortex, basal forebrain, thalamus and cerebellum. Levels of c-fos and fosB mRNA were elevated during SD in all four of these brain regions. In the cerebral cortex, junB mRNA was also elevated during SD whereas, in the basal forebrain, fra-1 and fra-2 mRNA levels increased in this condition. During RS, the only IEG mRNA to undergo significant increase was fra-2 in the cortex. C-jun and junD mRNAs were invariant across experimental conditions. These results indicate that the expression of fos/jun family members is diverse during SD. Among other IEGs, nur77 mRNA expression across conditions was similar to c-fos and fosB, egr-1 mRNA was elevated during SD in the cortex and basal forebrain, and egr-3 mRNA was elevated in the cortex during both SD and RS. The similarity of fosB and nur77 expression to c-fos expression indicates that these genes might also be useful markers of functional activity. Along with our previous results, the increased levels of fra-2 and egr-3 mRNAs during RS reported here suggest that increased mRNA expression during sleep is rare and may be anatomically restricted.
The impact of interlibrary access to periodicals on subscription continuation/cancellation decision making

The notion that interlibrary access to periodicals may influence subscription continuation/cancellation decision making is tested empirically in one academic library environment. In the case reported, the existence of an effective interlibrary access network has an apparent impact on faculty willingness to borrow rather than purchase some titles needed, in turn significantly impacting subscription continuation/cancellation decision making.
Fungi associated with stalactite growth.

A fungus, Cephalosporium lamellaecola , was found to be regularly associated with the active tip of stalactites; crystallization of CaCO3 occurred on hyphae suspended from the stalactite wall in the terminal drop.
Adenylyl cyclase from a prolactin producing tumor cell: The effect of phenothiazines

Abstract An adenylyl cyclase stimulated by low concentrations of chlorpromazine was observed in homogenates of a clonal pituitary tumor cell line (GH 3 /C14) which releases prolactin and growth hormone. A half-maximal increase in activity of the GH 3 /C14 cyclase occurred in the presence of 0.5 × 10 −6 M chlorpromazine and a significant increase in activity was observed with a concentration of chlorpromazine as low as 10 −7 M. Several derivatives (7-methoxychlorpromazine, 7-hydroxychlorpromazine and 8-hydroxychlorpromazine) were found to mimic the stimulatory action of chlorpromazine on adenylyl cyclase, whereas chlorpromazine-5, N-dioxide was ineffective. Under the assay conditions used, sodium fluoride caused a four-fold increase in activity. However, dopamine at concentrations up to 2 × 10 −4 M was ineffective in stimulating or inhibiting the enzyme whether present alone or in combination with chlorpromazine. The ergot alkaloids, ergotamine and ergocryptine, blocked the stimulation of cyclase activity observed in the presence of chlorpromazine (10 −5 M). Homogenates of normal pituitaries showed no enhancement of adenylyl cyclase activity by chlorpromazine alone. However, when chlorpromazine was tested in the presence of 5′ guanylimidophosphate [GPP(NH)P], there was a significant increase in cyclase activity in the pituitary similar to that observed in the GH 3 /C14 preparation. These results suggest that hyperprolactinemia resulting as a side effect of phenothiazine treatment may be attributable to a direct action of these drugs to increase adenylyl cyclase activity in prolactin-producing cells of the anterior pituitary.
The Adolescent Religious Coping Scale: Development, Validation, and Cross-Validation

Research literature on adolescent coping is growing, but typically such studies have ignored religious coping strategies and their potential impact on functioning. To address this lack, we developed the Adolescent Religious Coping Scale and used its seven subscales to examine the relationship between religious coping and emotional functioning. A cross-sectional research design was used with both a validation sample of Christian school students (Sample 1, N = 500, ages 12–19) and a cross-validation sample of Christian youth group attenders (Sample 2, N = 62, ages 11–18). Emotional functioning was assessed positively (life satisfaction) and negatively (hopelessness). Factor analyses supported factorial validity, and alpha levels supported reliability of the seven religious coping subscales (Positive God-Focused Coping, Seeking Religious Support, Constructive Distraction, Questioning, Avoidance, Denial, and Deferring). For both samples, religious coping was significantly related (unique variance) to religious support, parental support, and emotional functioning, respectively. In general, positive religious coping strategies were related to more support and better functioning, whereas the reverse was true for negative religious coping strategies. Moreover, many of these results were maintained even after controlling for variance due to age, gender, and religious attendance. As such, clinicians working with religious adolescents should consider encouraging these teens to optimize use of positive religious coping strategies and minimize reliance on negative ones as part of a holistic approach to handling stress. Religious coping findings are discussed regarding their comparison to general adolescent coping and with respect to future research directions.
Preferential Stabilization of Different Isomers of Weakly Bound Complexes

The experimental results reported here demonstrate that weakly bound van der Waals complexes are not necessarily kinetically trapped in different isomeric forms in a supersonic expansion. We have recorded the laser-induced fluorescence spectra of the near T-shaped and linear He···ICl(X 1Σ+,v‘ ‘ = 0) complexes in the ICl B−X, 3−0 spectral region at varying distances along the expansion direction to monitor the populations of the two isomers as the local density, collision frequency, and temperature change. The ratio of the T-shaped to linear complex populations monotonically decreases with increasing downstream distances and thus lower ICl(X) rotational temperatures. Conversion from T-shaped to linear complexes is still observed at the furthest distances where a temperature of 0.57(8) K is measured.
Less Words, More Action: Using On-the-Fly Videos and Screenshots in Your Library's IM/Chat and Email Reference Transactions

Email and chat/IM reference services have become a convenient and easily accessible option for the online community and libraries, particularly with increasing amounts of library resources now available electronically. This article gives an overview of Jing, which can be used to produce videos and screenshots on-the-fly, and demonstrates how to use it in a virtual reference transaction. The appendix contains transcript examples of comments made by patrons about the service.
Nutritional importance of detritivory in the growth and condition of gizzard shad in an Ohio reservoir

Gizzard shad,Dorosoma cepedianum, in Acton Lake, Ohio, ingested foods of varying nutritional quality during the 1981–1983 growing seasons. Adult (ages 2–4) fish fed on a mixed diet (ORG>30%; C:N 11:1) during the remainder of the growing season. Age 0 (<35 mm standard length) fish ingested only detrital materials. The nutritional quality (ORG = 10 – 20%; C:N<11:1) of these foods displayed little seasonal variation, but was higher than that of organic detritus taken by adult fish in late summer and autumn. Growth and condition of gizzard shad were poor when the diet consisted of detrital materials; however, age 4 fish (1983) grew rapidly and condition improved when zooplankton were consumed. These results suggest that ingestion of poor-quality detritus can reduce the growth and condition of gizzard shad in Acton Lake, whereas the seasonal inclusion of high-quality zooplankton in the diet can result in rapid growth and improved condition.
Copper-Indium Alloy Transformations

Phase transformations of copper-indium alloy thin films are analyzed by hot-stage x-ray diffraction (XRD) over the temperature range from 30 to 425 °C in controlled ambient. Thin films of Cu/In with a molar ratio of approximately 0.9 were used. In situ experiments were carried out in a reducing hydrogen atmosphere to minimize oxide formation. The as-deposited Cu/In alloy transformed at 150 °C to form Cu11In9. Ramping the temperature to the upper limit of 425 °C revealed an additional transformation at 350 °C to form Cu16In9.
Conformational Energies of 2-Chloroethanol and Ethylene Glycol in Hydrogen Bonding Solvents

Abstract Conformational energy differences have been determined from Raman spectra of the molecules ethylene glycol and 2-chloroethanol in DMSO and water. It was found that solvent effects on the relative stabilities of the gauche and trans rotamers of the two alcohols differ significantly. In addition, it was observed from spectra in the O-H stretching region that, unlike 2-chloroethanol, there is no significant intramolecular hydrogen bond formation in ethylene glycol in the neat liquid phase. Neither molecule was found to form intramolecular hydrogen bonds in either of the solvents studied.
Myocardial scintigraphy with technetium-99m stannous pyrophosphate: an insensitive test for nontransmural myocardial infarction.

Myocardial scintigraphy with technetium-99m pyrophosphate has proved to be a sensitive technique for diagnosing acute transmural myocardial infarction and has also been considered reliable in the recognition of nontransmural or subendocardial infarction. To assess the accuracy of pyrophosphate scintigraphy in diagnosing this latter entity, this procedure was studied in 31 patients with a confirmed nontransmural infarct, 43 with a transmural Infarct and 40 with stable angina pectoris. Radionuclide uptake was graded on a scale of 0 to 4+ and classified as discrete or diffuse. Diffuse uptake appeared to be nonspecific, occurring in 19 percent of patients with a subendocardial infarct and in 10 percent of those with stable angina pectoris; neither rate was significantly different from the 14 percent prevalence rate reported among patients without heart disease undergoing routine bone scan. Discrete uptake was highly specific for acute infarction but occurred in only 32 percent of patients with a nontransmural infarct compared with 84 percent of patients with a transmural infarct ( P P It is concluded that discrete radionuclide uptake is a specific indicator of acute necrosis in patients with either transmural or nontransmural infarction, whereas diffuse uptake is nonspecific. However, discrete uptake occurs in only a minority of patients with subendocardial infarction, and therefore pyrophosphate scintigraphy is an insensitive technique in these patients.
M-shell x-ray production cross sections for 0.5-2.5-MeV Be+ ions incident upon selected elements from praseodymium to bismuth

M-shell x-ray production cross sections are reported for /sub 4//sup 9/Be/sup +/ ions incident upon thin /sub 59/Pr, /sub 60/Nd, /sub 63/Eu, /sub 66/Dy, /sub 67/Ho, /sub 72/Hf, /sub 74/W, /sub 79/Au, /sub 82/Pb, and /sub 83/Bi targets. Incident-beam energies range from 0.5 to 2.5 MeV (55.6--267 keV/u). The results are compared to the predictions of the first--Born-approximation theory and the perturbed-stationary-state theory with energy-loss, Coulomb-deflection, and relativistic corrections (ECPSSR). The first--Born-approximation theory overpredicts the measured cross sections everywhere, especially at high energies, while the ECPSSR theory tends to underpredict them, especially at low energy. This discrepancy between the measurements and the ECPSSR theory may be due in part to multiple-ionization effects which could change the fluorescence yields from the single-hole values used to convert total ionization to x-ray production cross sections in the theoretical calculations.
Battle over proposed Keystone pipeline continues

Opposing sides in the battle over the proposed construction of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline continue to push their messages on the issue. The American Petroleum Institute (API) announced on 9 July that it has launched a new advertising campaign in support of the pipeline, which, if built, will ship oil from Canadian tar sands to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico.
Work release strategies in a dual resource constrained job shop

Abstract One of the basic assumptions in past job shop research is that arriving jobs are immediately released to the shop floor for processing regardless of available job and shop information. In practice, jobs arriving at the shop are usually collected into a backlog file. Jobs are then released by some mechanism so that they can be processed within the time available before the due date. This study examines the effects of several release mechanisms on the performance of a dual resource constrained job shop. The release mechanisms differ in the amount and types of information used to make release decisions. Four release mechanisms are tested in conjunction with two dynamic, due date oriented dispatching rules, Modified Operation Due Date and Critical Ratio. The job shop environment is specified by two levels of due date tightness. A labor and machine limited job shop model was used to simulate the shop performance.
Little and Bergson on Arrow's concept of social welfare

The paper revisits a debate regarding Arrow's concept of social welfare that took place shortly after the publication of his book, Social Choice and Individual Values. It is argued that several points made by Little and Bergson in that debate nearly fifty years ago may still be helpful in understanding Arrow's contribution. The paper interprets the aspect of social welfare emphasized by Little and Bergson and the aspect emphasized by Arrow in terms of two distinct phases of decision-making in a liberal democracy.
DETECTING DECEPTIVE COMMUNICATION FROM VERBAL, VISUAL, AND PARALINGUISTIC CUES1

This experiment examined how differences in the verbal and nonverbal behaviors available to persons influenced their accuracy in detecting deceptive communication. Earlier research found that when the context of the lying involved the concealment of emotional responses, observers were more accurate when they observed persons’ bodies only than when they observed their heads. The present experiment extends this research by: (1) examining observer accuracy in a situation in which persons made true or false statements about a factual event, in addition to replicating the situation in which they concealed their emotional responses; and (2) presenting observers with additional categories of information, both in isolation and in combinations, and comparing resulting accuracy differences. Both types of dishonest behavior were viewed by 719 observers in one of 14 experimental conditions. They saw either color or black-and-white videotapes, which showed either a close-up of the person's face, a shot of the body only, or a shot of the head and body. Half of the observers viewed the stimuli without audio and half were allowed to hear the audio. These variables created a 3 (shot) by 2 (color/black-and-white) by 2 (visual only/audio and visual) factorial design. Audio-only and transcript conditions make up the final two cells. When the lying behavior involved the concealment of emotional responses, results replicated the earlier head-body finding. When it involved a factual event, observers who viewed the heads were more accurate than those who viewed the bodies.
Neurotensin stimulates mitogenesis of prostate cancer cells through a novel c-Src/Stat5b pathway.

Neuroendocrine (NE)-like cells are hypothesized to contribute to the progression of prostate cancer by producing factors that enhance the growth, survival or metastatic capabilities of surrounding tumor cells. Many of the factors known to be secreted by NE-like cells, such as neurotensin (NT), parathyroid hormone-related peptide, serotonin, bombesin, etc., are agonists for G-protein-coupled receptors, but the signaling pathways activated by these agonists in prostate tumor cells are not fully defined. Identification of such pathways could provide insights into novel methods of treating late-stage disease. Using conditioned culture medium (CM) from LNCaP-derived NE-like cells (as a source of these agonists) or NT (a prototypical component of CM) to treat PC3 cells, we found that the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) was transactivated and that such activation was required for maximal PC3 cell mitogenesis, as measured by 5-bromo-2′-deoxy-uridine incorporation or cell number. NT also induced a time-dependent increase in EGFR Tyr845 phosphorylation and phosphorylation of c-Src and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5b (Stat5b) (a downstream effector of Tyr845), events that were blocked by specific inhibition of c-Src (which mediates Tyr845 phosphorylation of EGFR) or of EGFR. Introduction of mutant forms of EGFR (Tyr845) or Stat5b in PC3 cells, or treatment with selective, catalytic inhibitors of EGFR, c-Src and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) resulted in the loss of NT-induced stimulation of DNA synthesis, relative to wild-type controls. These data indicate that the mitogenic effect of NT on prostate cancer cells requires transactivation of the EGFR by MMPs and a novel downstream pathway involving c-Src, phosphorylation of EGFR Tyr845 and activation of Stat5b.
Effects of castration and home cage residency on aggressive behavior in rats

Abstract The effects of castration of both resident and intruder rats on territorial aggressive behavior were studied. The results suggest that residence in a home cage is more important than gonadal status in determining the outcome of an aggressive encounter. Resident rats were more likely to be dominant especially if they were intact. Intact residents directed less aggressive behavior toward castrated intruders than toward intact intruders. Intruder rats generally showed low levels of aggressive behavior and were only dominant when the resident had been castrated. Thus, the aggressive behavior of a male rat depends upon both his gonadal status and that of his opponent.
Does running cause osteoarthritis in the hip or knee

Running is an excellent activity to promote general health and well-being. However, running injuries are common, and concern is sometimes raised that running might lead to osteoarthritis in weight-bearing joints. This article reviews the relevant in vitro and in vivo literature that looks at possible associations between running and the development of osteoarthritis. Also reviewed is the limited literature on running barefoot and with minimalist footwear. Low- and moderate-volume runners appear to have no more risk of developing osteoarthritis than nonrunners. The existing literature is inconclusive about a possible association between high-volume running and the development of osteoarthritis. The early literature on running barefoot and running with minimalist footwear has primarily focused on biomechanics but has not yet focused on any effect on cartilage health. Experienced and beginner runners should be encouraged to allow the body adequate time to adapt to changes in gait biomechanics caused by changing footwear, which can be done by slowly increasing running mileage in the new footwear. Clinicians can improve the health of runners by encouraging appropriate treatment of musculoskeletal injuries, encouraging maintenance of an optimal body mass index, and correcting gait abnormalities caused by deficits in flexibility, strength, or motor control along the kinetic chain.
Temperature calculation for laser irradiation of sol-gel films on oxide substrates

A model for estimating the temperature rise in a laser-irradiated oxide target is developed and applied to laser-firing of sol-gel films on oxide substrates. The model incorporates a continuous-wave (CW) Gaussian laser beam translated across a sol-gel film on a semi-infinite substrate. Heat effects due to phase changes are assumed to be absent. In addition, the laser energy is assumed to be absorbed primarily in the substrate material (since many sol-gel films are much thinner than the absorption depth of typical laser wavelengths). The model also takes into account the temperature dependence of the thermal properties of the substrate. The predictions from the model are compared to experimental data from various laser firing experiments. The temperatures predicted by the model are shown to agree well with experimental results.
Isoconversional Analysis of Combined Melt and Glass Crystallization Data

As proposed earlier (Macromol. Rapid Commun., 2004, 25, 733) the K g and U* parameters of the Hoffman-Lauritzen theory can be derived from isoconversional analysis of DSC data on melt crystallization. In this study, the analysis is extended to include both melt and glass crystallization data. The analysis of DSC data on non-isothermal crystallization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PEN) demonstrates that for each of these polymers the combined melt and glass crystallization data can be described by single set of the K g and U* values. The respective values for PET are 3.6 × 10 5 K 2 and 7.5 kJ.mol -1 and for PEN 2.2 × 10 5 K 2 and 6.6 kJ.mol -1 . The use of combined data sets helps to improve the precision of computations.
Analyzing memory ownership patterns in C libraries

Programs written in multiple languages are known as polyglot programs. In part due to the proliferation of new and productive high-level programming languages, these programs are becoming more common in environments that must interoperate with existing systems. Polyglot programs must manage resource lifetimes across language boundaries. Resource lifetime management bugs can lead to leaks and crashes, which are more difficult to debug in polyglot programs than monoglot programs.We present analyses to automatically infer the ownership semantics of C libraries. The results of these analyses can be used to generate bindings to C libraries that intelligently manage resources, to check the correctness of polyglot programs, and to document the interfaces of C libraries. While these analyses are unsound and incomplete, we demonstrate that they significantly reduce the manual annotation burden for a suite of fifteen open source libraries.
Nanoscale Evaluation of Moisture Damage in Polymer Modified Asphalts

The moisture damage in polymer modified asphalts has been studied for decades, yet the effects of chemical functional groups on moisture sensitivity are not known. In this study, a nanoscale experiment is conducted to measure these effects in terms of adhesive/cohesive forces using an atomic force microscopy (AFM). A base asphalt binder and two polymers such as styrene-butadiene (SB) and styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) modified asphalts are used to prepare an AFM sample on glass substrates. The AFM samples are conditioned under dry and wet conditions. In the AFM, these samples are probed by silicon nitrite ( Si3 N4 ) , carboxyl ( —COOH ) , methyl ( — CH3 ) , and hydroxyl ( —OH ) functionalized AFM tips and nanoscale pull-off or adhesion/cohesion forces between asphalt and tip molecules are measured. Based on the ratio of wet to dry adhesion/cohesion forces, it is shown that the polymer modification makes binders less susceptible to moisture damage. Among the four tips, the —COOH tip shows almost no differ...
Integrative random forest for gene regulatory network inference.

Motivation: Gene regulatory network (GRN) inference based on genomic data is one of the most actively pursued computational biological problems. Because different types of biological data usually provide complementary information regarding the underlying GRN, a model that integrates big data of diverse types is expected to increase both the power and accuracy of GRN inference. Towards this goal, we propose a novel algorithm named iRafNet: integrative random forest for gene regulatory network inference. Results: iRafNet is a flexible, unified integrative framework that allows information from heterogeneous data, such as protein–protein interactions, transcription factor (TF)-DNA-binding, gene knock-down, to be jointly considered for GRN inference. Using test data from the DREAM4 and DREAM5 challenges, we demonstrate that iRafNet outperforms the original random forest based network inference algorithm (GENIE3), and is highly comparable to the community learning approach. We apply iRafNet to construct GRN in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and demonstrate that it improves the performance in predicting TF-target gene regulations and provides additional functional insights to the predicted gene regulations. Availability and implementation: The R code of iRafNet implementation and a tutorial are available at: http://research.mssm.edu/tulab/software/irafnet.html Contact: ude.mssm@ut.gnodihz Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Behavior-Modifying Strategies in IPM: Theory and Practice

The possibilities of using strategies to manipulate insect behavior in agricultural systems have increased due to strict regulations imposed on the use of insecticides worldwide. Here we discuss the potential of semiochemicals, specifically sex pheromones and host-plant volatiles, as tools to manipulate insect behaviors in integrated pest management (IPM) programs. Sex pheromones are widely used in agriculture for monitoring abundance and distribution of insect pest populations and predicting timing of insecticide applications. They have also been used, to a lesser extent, in insect pest control. One of the most promising concepts is the deployment of synthetic sex pheromones into a crop to disrupt insect mating. Three mechanisms of mating disruption: sensory desensitization, competitive attraction, and non-competitive mechanisms, are described. In addition to mating disruption, sex pheromones can be employed in mass trapping and attract-and-kill approaches for pest control. An area of increased interest among entomologists and chemical ecologists is the use of host-plant volatiles to manipulate insect behavior. Host-plant volatiles can be a source of attractants and repellents, and can be implemented into monitoring and pest management practices. These volatiles can be used alone or in combination with other stimuli in control strategies such as mass trapping, attract-and-kill, push-pull, and disruption of host finding. Plant volatiles in most cases synergize with sex pheromones and biological control. To be adopted by farmers, strategies to modify insect behavior will need to be comparable to newer insecticides in efficacy and costs. Increased adoption will also require extensive educational programs for farmers.
Photo Enforcement at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings in the United States: July 2000-July 2001

Nearly 50% of U.S. highway-rail crossing accidents occur at public crossings equipped with automated warning devices, of which 78% are passive and 22% have active warning systems. This is a disproportionate amount of accidents occurring at active sites. The use of photo enforcement at public highway-rail grade crossings became a focal point for study. This technology observes and records driver and pedestrian behavior, as driver behavior is at the root of the crossing safety problem. Judicial concerns and public perception and support levels are also issues of concern. Photo enforcement is an option to assist law enforcement to increase safety at public crossings. While some privacy issues remain, this system can be a reliable, cost-effective way to discourage unsafe driver behavior. Today, 75 countries use traffic cameras. Internationally, photo enforcement has been in use for more than 20 years. Experience has shown that visible, high-profile law-enforcement programs like photo enforcement reduce the nu...
Circuit implementation of FitzHugh-Nagumo neuron model using Field Programmable Analog Arrays

A simple neuron model, the FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) model, is implemented on field programmable analog arrays (FPAAs). The differential equations of the model is integrated by making arithmetic operations on the reconfigurable voltage model circuits of the FPAAs. The simulation and implementation results demonstrate that FPAA is the viable candidate for the neuron hardware implementation in real time or many orders of magnitude faster.
THERMAL DEATH TIME OF Clostridium botulinum TYPE E IN MEAT OF THE BLUE CRAB

The thermal death time (TDT) of Clostridium botulinum type E spores in crabmeat between 165° and 185°F was determined to evaluate the safety of the pasteurization procedure. Samples (lg) of five strains of crabmeat, seeded with a known concentration of spores, were flamesealed in TDT tubes and dropped at regular intervals into a constant temperature water bath. Surviving spores were cultured and TDT curves were plotted from these data. The time of exposure at each temperature for the TDT curves was corrected by the graphic method. The TDT curves of the Beluga and Crab G21–5 strains both had slopes such that the temperature increment in °F for 1 log cycle (z) was approximately 15; the Alaska strain had a z of 13. In addition, the decimal reduction time (D) was calculated from the survival data for each temperature, and D curves were plotted for each strain. These curves had somewhat steeper slopes than those of the TDT curves. Differences in D values at the temperatures studied were small. However, the Beluga strain had somewhat higher D values, indicating a slightly greater heat resistance than the others. The Beluga strain had a D180 of 0.74; Alaska, 0.51; Crab G21–5, 0.63; Crab 25V–1, 0.62; and Crab 25V–2, 0.49.
Is enforcement necessary for effectiveness? A model of the international criminal regime

Recently, scholars have questioned whether enforcement mechanisms are necessary to make regimes effective. This article provides a model of the international criminal regime in which the regime changes state behavior even though it possesses no enforcement mechanisms. The article also answers several prominent criticisms of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Critics claim that the ICC is at best futile because it lacks the power to apprehend the criminals it is meant to prosecute. Even worse, the ICC may be harmful because it will induce atrocious leaders to hold on to power longer than they would if they could step down with immunity for past crimes. The model in this article suggests those criticisms may be inaccurate. I model the interaction between a leader and a foreign state that has the option of offering that leader asylum. I examine the effect of the creation of an ICC-like institution on that interaction. The model produces three main findings. (1) Leaders' reigns will not be prolonged as a result of the regime. (2) Although the institution has no enforcement power, some leaders (those with such a high probability of being deposed that they would willingly surrender to the institution rather than try to stay in office) will be punished by it. In those circumstances, the foreign state has no incentive to offer the leader asylum. (3) The institution may deter some atrocities at the margin.I would like to thank Tanaz Moghadam, whose undergraduate honors thesis, which William Clark and I advised, provides an earlier game-theoretic analysis of the Court and introduced me to the topic of the ICC. Special thanks go to William Clark for the idea of treating the ICC game-theoretically and for valuable comments at various stages of this project. I am grateful to Lisa Martin and two anonymous reviewers who provided exceptionally helpful insights. I would also like to acknowledge Sandy Gordon, Dimitri Landa, James Morrow, Steve Ratner, Shanker Satyanath and Ken Scheve for their much-appreciated input. All errors remain my responsibility.
Structure and Dynamics of Supercoil-Stabilized DNA Cruciforms

Understanding DNA function requires knowledge of the structure of local, sequence-dependent conformations that can be dramatically different from the B-form helix. One alternative DNA conformation is the cruciform, which has been shown to have a critical role in the initiation of DNA replication and the regulation of transcription in certain systems. In addition, cruciforms provide a model system for structural studies of Holliday junctions, intermediates in homologous DNA recombination. Cruciforms are not thermodynamically stable in linear DNA due to branch point migration, which makes their study using many biophysical techniques problematic. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was applied to visualize cruciforms in negatively supercoiled plasmid DNA. Cruciforms are seen as clear-cut extrusions on the DNA filament with the lengths of the arms consistent with the size of the hairpins expected from a 106 bp inverted repeat. The cruciform exists in two different conformations, an extended one with the angle of ca. 180 between the hairpin arms and a compact, X-type conformation, with acute angles between the hairpin arms and the main DNA strands. The ratio of molecules with the different conformations of cruciforms depends on ionic conditions. In the presence of high salt or Mg cations, a compact, X-type conformation is highly preferable. Remarkably, the X-conformation was highly mobile allowing the cruciform arms to adopt a parallel orientation. The structure observed is consistent with a model of the Holliday junction with a parallel orientation of the exchanging strands. # 1998 Academic Press
Use of integrity techniques and risk assessment in system design

This paper focuses on developing a formal understanding of "failure" with respect to system implementations. Furthermore, we would like the system design process to be able to leverage off of this understanding. Our approach is restricted to the class of systems that can be modelled by HFSMs as described in Winter (1998). The purpose of this paper is to lay out a classification process that can aid in identification and characterization of techniques for dealing with the different types of system threats. This classification framework leads naturally to a taxonomy of strategies and technologies for dealing with various types of threats.