cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Speed of response to dopaminergic agents in prolactinomas.

PURPOSE Hyperprolactinemia in the presence of a sellar lesion can be caused by prolactin secretion from the lesion, or by increased intrasellar pressure/compression of the pituitary stalk ("stalk effect"). The objective of this work was to determine the response to dopamine agonists (DAs) in bona fide prolactinomas presenting with a prolactin range similar to what can be seen in nonhormonal secreting pituitary tumors. METHODS A descriptive study on 68 prolactinomas presenting with prolactin levels between 50 and 200 ng/mL in a tertiary center in the U.S.A. over 22 years. The main outcome was prolactin decrease from diagnosis to follow-up by 2 months from initiation of DA therapy. RESULTS With a median time to follow-up from starting DA therapy of 5 weeks [IQR:4, 6], the median prolactin check showed normality at 11.85 ng/mL [IQR: 5.1, 29]. The median prolactin percent change was at 87% [IQR:67, 94] by 2 months. The majority (75%) of patients presenting had a 2/3 (67%) prolactin drop by 2 months, with more than 1/4 (25%) having a percent drop >95%. CONCLUSIONS A rapid decline in prolactin level can be seen in prolactinomas upon initiation of DA therapy. This significant prolactin drop restricts the ability to establish a threshold beyond which the diagnosis of prolactinoma could be excluded.
A Tutorial System

A Tutorial System (ATS) was developed by members of the Anatomy Department of Cornell University Medical College (CUMC). The system was designed to enable teachers to converse with students through a natural language computer-mediated dialogue (tutorial). ATS consists of two major parts, an author-interrogation program (used in preparing tutorials) and a tutorial supervisory program (used during the student—teacher dialogue). ATS, in turn, is based on the computer language APL.
Biotechnological Implications: A Systems Approach

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses biotechnological challenges and opportunities for environmental science and engineering. Most environmental biotechnologies involve optimizing variables pertaining to the biota, which is the environment in which these organisms undergo metabolism, and the properties of the substances they are using as food sources. Environmental impacts of biotechnologies are considered through two venues: successful biological treatment processes and biotechnologies in non-environmental applications. Biotechnology is visualized as a set of biological reactions occurring at various scales in the environment. The reactions can lead to desirable results, such as chemical transformation and ultimate degradation of toxic substances into harmless compounds. They may also lead to undesirable results: introduction of genetically modified organisms to an ecosystem or generation of toxic chemicals. All species living in biosystems consist of molecular arrangements of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen. These four biophile elements have an affinity for each other and form complex organic compounds. Biosystematic processes provide microbes with remarkable proficiencies to adapt to various hostile environments. Some produce spores and many have durable latency periods—all have the ability to reproduce in large numbers when environmental conditions become more favorable.
THE MAIN REGULARITIES OF DUST-SALT TRANSFERENCE IN THE DESERT ZONE OF KAZAKHSTAN

The area of Kazakhstan is 272.3 mln.ha. The major part of the territory is represented by plain (93.0%), fringed only in the south, and southeast by the Tyan Shan, Tarbagatai and Altai mountains (7.0%).
Modulation of Rod Photoreceptor Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels by Tyrosine Phosphorylation

Cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels in vertebrate photoreceptors are crucial for transducing light-induced changes in cGMP concentration into electrical signals. In this study, we show that both native and exogenously expressed CNG channels from rods are modulated by tyrosine phosphorylation. The cGMP sensitivity of CNG channels, composed of rod alpha-subunits expressed in Xenopus oocytes, gradually increases after excision of inside-out patches from the oocyte membrane. This increase in sensitivity is inhibited by a protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitor and is unaffected by three different Ser/Thr phosphatase inhibitors. Moreover, it is suppressed or reversed by application of ATP but not by a nonhydrolyzable ATP analog. Application of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) inhibitors causes an increase in cGMP sensitivity, but only in the presence of ATP. Taken together, these results suggest that CNG channels expressed in oocytes are associated with active PTK(s) and PTP(s) that regulate their cGMP sensitivity by changing phosphorylation state. The cGMP sensitivity of native CNG channels from salamander rod outer segments also increases and decreases after incubation with inhibitors of PTP(s) and PTK(s), respectively. These results suggest that rod CNG channels are modulated by tyrosine phosphorylation, which may function as a novel mechanism for regulating the sensitivity of rods to light.
A high performance OSI implementation on FDDI

The design and implementation of a high-speed, fiber-optic-based communications system which implements the critical communications technologies required for the US space station freedom program is described. The system, termed the multi-compatible network interface unit (MCNIU), prototypes a standardized communications service between intelligent devices and subsystems in the space station data management system global network. A seven-layer OSI communications solution with an integrated applications interface was developed. The functionality includes a fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) LAN at the lower layers, OSI standard protocols for the upper layers, and an application interface providing transparent network services between heterogeneous computer systems. A major technical challenge was to provide the complex standard protocols while maintaining application-level throughput. A throughput of 9.4 Mb/s delivered from application to application using checksummed connection-oriented transport class 4 service was achieved. >
Marketing and Managing Electronic Reserves

(2006). Marketing and Managing Electronic Reserves. Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery & Electronic Reserve: Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 1-2.
Theoretical Analysis of Metal Hydride Electrodes Studies on Equilibrium Potential and Exchange Current Density

A theoretical model for the metal hydride electrode has been developed assuming that hydrogen diffusion in the alloy and charge-transfer at the surface control the discharge process. Theoretical equations for the dependence of equilibrium potential and exchange current density on the surface hydrogen concentration have been derived. These parameters have been used to correlate experimental data with the theoretical electrode discharge model. Analysis of both the experimental and theoretical discharge curves reveals a potential plateau determined by the magnitude of the interactions between the hydrogen in the alloy and the unhydrided metal. Neglecting these hydrogen-metal site interactions results in simulations predicting the electrode potential varying over the entire duration of discharge. The results also indicate that utilization of the electrode is controlled by the rate of hydrogen diffusion in the electrode and by the alloy particle size. Kinetic resistance at the surface is a determining factor of the polarization losses of the electrode. The variation of equilibrium potential and exchange current density with the state of charge has been characterized experimentally. These results are compared with the model predictions, and good agreement is seen.
Abstract 72: Pka Is A Master Regulator Of Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy

Aims: The role of PKA in pathological cardiac hypertrophy (PCH) is not clear. The literature suggests both prohypertrophic and antihypertrophic effects of PKA. Furthermore, there are endogenous PKA inhibitors, PKI, highly expressed in the heart to regulate PKA activity but their roles in PCH have not been studied. We aim to explore the role of PKI/PKA in PCH induced by isoproterenol, phenylephrine, angiotensin II and pressure overload. Methods and Results: 1. PKIα and PKIγ were highly expressed in the heart but only PKIα was reduced by transaortic banding (TAB); TAB induced a significant increase in cardiac PKA activity at 1 week post TAB. 2. Four transgenic mouse lines with high (HE), medium (ME), low (LE) and very low (VLE) expression of PKI-GFP were obtained with the inhibition of maximum PKA activity induced by 1μM cAMP by 95%, 57%, 20% and 10% in the cardiac homogenates; 3. In the VLE hearts, some myocytes were PKI-GFP+ and some were PKI-GFP-, GFP- LVMs had significantly larger surface area than GFP+...
Fracture risk assessment in postmenopausal women

Patients with osteoporosis have an increased risk of sustaining fractures because of the low bone mineral density (BMD) and altered bone micro-architecture which are characteristic features of the disease. Although a good correlation exists between BMD and fracture risks, many other factors influence this relationship. While there is consensus that patients with osteoporosis should be investigated and treated, the issue is much less clear for patients with osteopenia. Because osteopenia is so prevalent, it would be unrealistic to treat all patients with this condition. Therefore, there is a need to identify those patients who are at risk of sustaining a fracture and would benefit most from the available therapy. Providing treatment to the appropriate risk group would not only reduce the number of fractures, but could also reduce the adverse effects associated with treatment, as treating patients earlier could shorten the treatment time. The availability of tools to select patients at risk of fracture should change the impact of the disease.
A Framework for Financial Analysis of Offshore Wind Energy

The financial viability of an offshore wind project is dependent on many interrelated, site-specific factors. However, existing analysis tools in the public domain are not adequate to comprehensively evaluate proposed offshore projects for involved parties including potential investors, developers, and policy makers. Each site requires unique optimization of the physical design (for turbines, support structures, and farm parameters) to calculate a minimum cost of energy. Also specific to each offshore project are: 1) local deregulated power networks which impact revenues and penalty costs in the bidding process; 2) complex financing structures with multiple participants; 3) monetization of environmental impacts specific to energy sold/generated in a power network, including avoided emissions of displaced generations; 4) uncertain permitting and payment schedules which impact commissioning costs. This paper presents an Offshore Wind Integrated Cost model (OFWIC) that attempts to comprehensively include the...
Endogenous Amylase Levels and Response to Supplemental Feed Enzymes in Male Turkeys from Hatch to Eight Weeks of Age

Abstract Amylase and xylanase enzyme concentrations in the pancreas, small intestine, and crop were measured in Nicholas male poults fed diets with and without supplemental amylase and xylanase from 0 to 8 wk of age. Eight birds from each of three diets (control, amylase-supplemented, xylanase-supplemented) were killed every 3 d to determine the amylase and xylanase activity within the pancreas, small intestine, and crop. Pancreatic organ weight was not affected by diet, indicating an absence of dietary amylase effect upon pancreatic tissue growth. Pancreatic amylase activity was not consistently affected by diet. Amylase activity within the intestinal chyme increased sporadically with dietary amylase supplementation over the control and xylanase-supplemented diets. Increasing supplemental amylase activity levels may provide more conclusive evidence of an additive effect of dietary amylase and endogenous amylase activity. Xylanase supplementation within the feed did not affect endogenous amylase activity.
Statistical Distribution of Frequency Response in Disordered Periodic Structures

A structure designed to be spatially periodic cannot be exactly periodic. The departure from exact periodicity is known as disorder, and it causes localization of normal modes and additional attenuation of wave motions in the structure not related to damping. The present investigation is directed at a possible adverse effect of disorder, namely, higher structural response near the point at which a dynamic excitation is applied than would occur in a perfectly periodic structure, thereby reducing structure safety and reliability. A systematic procedure is developed herein for the analysis of such an effect for a generic disordered periodic structure. In particular, the probability distribution of structural response is obtained by analysis and by Monte Carlo simulation, which is needed both for fundamental understanding of the effect and for predicting the reliability of a system. It is shown also that, given probability distributions of the disordered parameters of a structure, the mean and standard deviation of structural response can be obtained exactly for a damped randomly disordered periodic structure if the number of disordered cell units is not large and, approximately, if the number is large. Application of the procedure is illustrated by an example, and the results are compared with Monte Carlo simulations.
Ectopic immature renal tissue in a lumbosacral lipoma: pathologic and radiologic findings.

Ectopic immature renal tissue was found in a lumbosacral subcutaneous lipoma with intradural extension in a 6-day-old female with spina bifida. No additional neurologic or renal anomalies were found.
Variable Selection Issues in Tree-Based Regression Models

Recently, there has been increasing interest in the use of classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. A tree-based regression model can be constructed by recursively partitioning the data with such criteria as to yield the maximum reduction in the variability of the response. Unfortunately, the exhaustive search may yield a bias in variable selection, and it tends to choose a categorical variable as a splitter that has many distinct values. In this study, an unbiased tree-based regression generalized unbiased interaction detection and estimation (GUIDE) model is introduced for its robustness against the variable selection bias. Not only are the underlying theoretical differences behind CART and GUIDE in variable selection presented, but also the outcomes of the two different tree-based regression models are compared and analyzed by utilizing intersection inventory and crash data. The results underscore GUIDE's strength in selecting variables equally. A simulation shed additional light on the resu...
Bicharacteristic quality control in manufacturing

Abstract In this paper, the importance of bicharacteristic quality control has been discussed, when it is desired to exercise process control on manufacturing products that present two measurable characteristics which can suffer variations and on the other hand are considered significant for the functioning or the acceptance of the product. The verification that the process is in control or not is made by examining periodically the items of the samples drawn and plotting the points representing the mean of the characteristic in analysis on the corresponding charts. Using the computational program developed, a practical application is carried out for a mechanical manufacturing component that presents two critical characteristics. Also, a programmable mathematical model has been developed, aiming to computationally determine the sample size, and the interval between successive samples, which minimize the expected total cost. Idealized numerical application illustrates the use of the cost model that optimizes these parameters.
Russian feminist perspectives on Pussy Riot

While Pussy Riot's “Punk Prayer” and its aftermath constituted something of a turning point for Russia politically – as well as personally for the women imprisoned afterwards – it was neither the first nor last of Pussy Riot's endeavors. Among other things, their series of songs, published as video clips on the web, endorsed mass protest against the Putin regime, criticized state-sponsored homophobia, and praised feminism as a possible curative for Russia's many ills. In setting forth their ideas, however, Pussy Riot's lyricists made use of traditional masculine and feminine gender norms as well as homophobia, wielding these against their opponents in the regime and thereby reinforcing them in ways that other self-identified Russian feminists found problematic at best.In this article, I review Pussy Riot's collection of songs in chronological order, highlighting the areas where gender norms and apparent misogyny, sexism, and homophobia appear. I weave my explications of the content of Pussy Riot's product...
Novel, uniform nanostructured catalytic membranes

Nanostructured membrane structures have been fabricated by a combination of anodic aluminum oxidation (AAO) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) for use as platforms for the synthesis of highly uniform heterogeneous catalysts. The ALD method makes it possible to control pore diameters on the Angstrom scale even when the overall pore diameter is 10’s to 100’s of nanometers. AAO membranes imbedded in an aluminum sealing ring have been tested for flow properties and found to follow Knudsen diffusion behavior. Vanadia-coated membranes have been tested for the catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of cyclohexane and show improved selectivity at the same conversion compared to conventional powdered alumina supported vanadia catalysts.
Dietary Behaviors, Eating Attitudes and Patient Satisfaction Outcomes of Diettian Intervention

Abstract Data were culled retrospectively from the medical records of 81 ambulatory patients, 68 females and 13 males age 52 ± 13.0 years (mean ± SD) who received at least 2 individualized dietitian sessions {medical nutrition therapy (MNT)} for hyperlipidemia 31%, diabetes 27%, glucose intolerance 42%. hypertension 16%, weight reduction 84% and coronary heart disease 10%. Patients received 6 ± 4 sessions (median = 4, range=2–18) over 10 ± 8 weeks (median = 6, range=2–30). Time spent was 206 ± 141.5min (median = 150, range=90–570). A telephone survey was conducted with a previously validated instrument (J Am Diet Assoc. 1994; 94: 437–440). Patients reported: a) dietitian's advice was suited to their special needs 96%, b) knew what to eat after MNT 90%, c) made recommended dietary changes 69%, d) did not have trouble changing diet 86% , e) felt in control of diet 69%. f) MNT helped achieve positive health changes 68%. g) noted positive health changes due to diet modification 68% and h) noted improvement in clinical conditions 69%. Results were similar by gender (p =NS). Patients attributed MNT to an improvement in eating behaviors such as increased consumption of fruits (69%), vegetables (69%), whole grains (61%), high calcium foods (43%) and planning meals and snacks (77%). Patients reported MNT helped to achieve the following positive eating attitudes: not to feel guilty after an occasional splurge (82%), eat healthfully and exercise instead of obsessing about one's weight and diet(81%), eat fat in moderation (81%), eat a balanced diet (63%) and variety, balance and moderation are the keys to a healthful diet (73%). Only 17% stated they had difficulty changing their diet as suggested. Stated barriers to change were preparing meals and snacks (31%), high cost of foods suggested (18%). taste of the foods suggested (20%), finding the foods needed in the store (22%), knowing what to eat (11%) and getting to the store (11%). Only 5% received but 96% wanted coverage of MNT by their health care plans. MNT leads to positive dietary behaviors, eating attitudes and patient satisfaction. This study supports the inclusion of MNT by health care plans as a value added service.
Personality correlates of chronic, unstable epilepsy

The present study included 60 males with unstable epilepsy despite therapeutic levels of anticopulsants. They were middle age or older (x = 45.6 years; s.d. = 11.1), with chronic documented seizures (X = 17.1 years; s.d. = 13.2). When type of EEG abnormality was considered, significant differences were found on two individual MMPI scales. Scale L was significantly higher in patients with right temporal lobe abnormalities compared to left temporal foci. The group with generalized EEG findings also scored higher on L compared to those with left temporal, extratemporal and normal EEG patterns. In addition, those with right temporal lobe EEG abnormalities and the group with extratemporal foci scored significantly higher on scale Pd than those with generalized, left temporal or normal EEGs. No differences were found on the MMPI when chronicity, trauma or age at onset were considered. Thus, subtle personality differences as measured by the MMPI were found only when type and laterality of the EEG abnormalities were controlled.
Role of the autonomic nervous system in push-pull gravitational stress in anesthetized rats.

Tolerance to +Gzstress is reduced by preceding exposure to −Gz (push-pull effect). The mechanism(s) responsible for this effect are not fully understood, although the arterial baroreceptor reflexes...
Infant Agency and Its Implication for Breast-Feeding Promotion in Brazil

Studies indicate that early weaning and supplementation (before six months) are widespread problems in Brazil. To arrest and reverse this trend, national, local, and grassroots organizations have implemented a number of breast-feeding promotional campaigns. While these campaigns employ a number of different strategies, many incorporate education as a key component. Often these programs share a common assumption about infant feeding and decision making. Specifically, these campaigns frequently conceptualize the decision to breast-feed as a unilateral one, with mothers making feeding decisions and infants passively accepting and complying with these decisions. While health care professionals may assume that mothers share this model of breast-feeding decision making, this may not always be the case. This paper presents a case study from the urban Amazon where mothers attribute agency to their infants. As such, mothers state that successful breast-feeding is the result of bilateral decision making; both mothers and infants must decide to breast-feed. This bilateral model shapes observed patterns of early weaning in the community. When asked why they terminated breast-feeding, 42 percent of mothers stated it was their infants' decision. The implication of attributing agency to infants for breast-feeding promotion is discussed.
On the role of prototypes in appellate legal argument (abstract)

Although most of the work on Artificial Intelligence and Law today is oriented towards the development of pract ical systems, there is a small group of researchers who are primarily interested in theoretical questions: How much of legal reasoning can be reduced to reasoning wit h rules? Is this rule-based component significant, or trivial? How is it possible to rewon with cases at all? Are legal concepts just like ordinary common sense concepts, or do they have special characteristics? Is it possible to develop a computational theory of legal argument? The researchers who have investigated these questions include: Anne Gardner [1 I]; Edwina Rissland and her students, Kevin Ashley [38, 1] and David Skalak [39, 41]; Michael Dyer and his student, Seth Goldman [12]; Karl Branting [5]; and Keith Bellairs [2], In addition, researchers such as Richard Susskind [45] and J .C. Smith [43], who have primarily built practical systems, have also been deeply concerned with the jurisprudential foundations of the field.
A Comparison of Body Image, Attitudes Toward and Knowledge of Nutrition and Exercise with Dietary Intake and Activity Levels of Professional Firefighters

Abstract Study participants were 104 professional firefighters from a large Midwestern city. Questionnaires were administered at the fire stations during a work day and body composition data was collected during annual physical assessments. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 27.6 ± 3.5kg/meter 2 . Knowledge, attitude, and body image scores were based on a Likert-type scale with 75% or better indicating a strong understanding or positive attitude. Mean body image score of 49.0 ± 7.1 (75% = 56.3) and mean total attitude score of 39.6 ± 5.3 (75% = 41.3) indicate slightly negative body image and attitude. Mean total knowledge score of 62.6 ±6.5 (75% = 60.0) reflects a strong understanding of nutrition and physical activity. Mean physical activity score (8.5 ± 0.89) was measured using the Baecke Questionnaire of Habitual Physical Activity. Dietary intake was assessed using the Block Screening Questionnaire for Fat and Fruit/Vegetable/ Fiber Intake. Mean fat score (19.0 ± 7.7) indicates some low-fat food choices are being made, but more low-fat foods could be included in the diet. Mean fruit/vegetable/ fiber score (16.3 ± 4.6) indicates diets are low in important nutrients and fruit, vegetable, and fiber consumption need to improve. Total knowledge score was positively associated with physical activity (r=0.243. p p p p p p p
Selenocompounds Induce a Redox Modulation of Protein Kinase C in the Cell, Compartmentally Independent from Cytosolic Glutathione: Its Role in Inhibition of Tumor Promotion

Since selenite and other redox-active selenocompounds can modify protein kinase C (PKC) in the test tube, we have determined whether or not this redox regulation occurs inside the cell despite having high concentrations of GSH and the role of this regulation in the inhibition of tumor promotion. By using phorbol ester-promoted JB6 epidermal cell transformation assay, the concentrations of selenite, selenocystine, and selenodiglutathione which are optimal for chemopreventive activity were determined. At such concentrations (0.5 to 2 microM) in the cells treated with these agents, only a slight but transient decrease in PKC activity was observed when measured with a low (5 microM), but not with a high (100 microM) concentration of ATP. However, when the cells were serum starved or pretreated with 2-deoxyglucose, there was a pronounced but transient inactivation of PKC when assayed with both low and high concentrations of ATP. The inactivation was reversed in the cell by an endogenous mechanism or by treatment with thiol agents in the test tube. In spite of a substantial (90%) depletion of GSH in the cells by pretreatment with buthionine sulfoximine, there was no further increase in the redox modification of PKC by selenite as well as no change in the inhibitory effect of selenite on the phorbol ester-stimulated induction of ornithine decarboxylase, which is an intermediate marker related to cell transformation. While GSH is known to influence certain actions of selenium, it may not be required to mediate the effects of selenite tested in this study. The water-soluble cytosolic GSH did not interfere with the redox modification of PKC probably due to the shielding of the cysteine-rich region of the enzyme by a weak hydrophobic association with the membrane. Due to the presence of cofactors in the crude cell extracts, PKC was more sensitive to selenite than in the purified form and was inactivated by low concentrations of selenite (IC50 = 0.05 microM). This modification was reversed by thiol agents as well as by NADPH. A protein disulfide reductase, which can regenerate PKC, was present in the homogenate. Conceivably, selenite and other selenocompounds induce a redox modification of cellular PKC, compartmentally independent from the cytosolic GSH, but intimately connected to a NADPH-dependent reductase system, to mediate, at least in part, some of the cancer-preventive actions.
The roles of regional partners in supporting an international earth science education program

This study explores the roles that regional partners play in helping to support implementation of the GLOBE program, an international earth science and education initiative. Researchers at SRI International conducted case studies of two GLOBE partners' practices in an effort to identify the factors that contribute to effective implementation of the program within a teaching approach that emphasizes student research. The chief finding of the case studies is that intermediary organizations in GLOBE help teachers both to address obstacles to implementing GLOBE-based student research in their classrooms and to align their curriculum to state standards and assessments. Such intermediary organizations may play similar roles in other science education programs, helping teachers to find ways to make nationally or internationally oriented science curriculum materials locally relevant and easy to adopt in diverse school settings. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed89: 956–979, 2005
Kinematic evolution of the junction of the San Andreas, Garlock, and Big Pine faults, California

If the San Andreas fault with about 300 km of right slip, the Carlock fault with about 60 km of left slip, and the Big Pine fault with about 15 km of left slip are considered to have been contemporaneously active, a space problem at their high-angle junctions becomes apparent. Large crustal masses converge in the area of the junctions as a result of the simultaneous large displacements on the faults. We present here a model in which an early straight north-northwest–trending San Andreas deforms to its present bent configuration in response to a westward displacement of crust north of the Garlock fault. During this deformation, the crust north of the Garlock in the vicinity of the junction undergoes north-south shortening, while the fault junction migrates along the trace of the San Andreas fault to the southeast relative to its original position. As a result of this migration, the Mojave area is displaced to the east relative to the original junction position. We suggest a similar history in mirror image for the Big Pine fault and the areas of crust adjacent to it.
Ab initio study of the thermal isomerization of quadricyclane to norbornadiene

Abstract CASSCF calculations have been performed to understand the thermal isomerization of quadricyclane (Q) to norbornadiene (N) which occurs via a Woodward–Hoffmann forbidden pathway. The activation barrier is calculated to be 34 kcal mol−1 at the MCQDPT2/6-31G(d,p)//MCSCF(8,8)/6-31G(d,p) level, consistent with the 33 kcal mol−1 experimental value of Frey [H.M. Frey, J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1964) 365]. The transition state has high biradical character and the structure belongs to point group C1, whereas both Q and N belong to point group C2V. The reaction is found to be highly asynchronous with one bond cleaving entirely before the transition state and the second bond cleaving afterward on the intrinsic reaction coordinate.
“In situ” translation: Use of the cytoskeletal framework to direct cell-free protein synthesis

We have developed a novel, “in situ” translation system derived from cultured cells that are subject to mild detergent extraction. By using a low concentration of nonionic detergent to gently permeabilize cells while they remain adherent to a substrate, cytoskeletal frameworks are obtained that are devoid of membraneous barriers yet retain much the same topological arrangement of mRNA, ribosomes and cytostructure that exists “in vivo”. Data indicate that when these cytoskeletal frameworks are supported by a ribosome-depleted, nuclease-treated, reticulocyte lysate supernatant, they are capable of resuming translation of their attached polysomes for at least 40 minutes. Emulsion autoradiography of ongoing protein synthesis demonstrates that protein synthetic activity is ubiquitous throughout the population of extracted cells, and not confined to a less well-extracted subset. Computer-assisted, two-dimensional gel analysis reveals that the pattern of proteins produced by such extracted cells is approximately 70% coincident with that produced by unextracted cells, including proteins of molecular weight as great as 200 kilodaltons. Furthermore, a continued increase in intensity of almost all proteins during the first 40 minutes of translation suggests that translational re-initiation, in addition to polysome run-off, is also taking place. Collectively, these findings indicate that much of the translational machinery remains both intact and competant in this cytoskeletal-based translation system. As such, this system should prove extremely useful in identifying molecular factors operant during certain types of translation control and in further examining the role played by the cytoskeleton in regulating gene expression.
Behavior-based code generation for robots and autonomous agents

Constructing accurate animal behavior models often requires close interaction between a diverse group of domain experts in fields such as biology, ecology, modeling and simulation. To ease the effort and time involved in creating these models, we propose on-the-fly automatic behavior model generation.Automatic code generation is a well-established software engineering technique. It has proven valuable in GUI generation, web service specification and in multi-agent systems design. But while these techniques have served programmers well, there is still a lack of tools that are targeted towards domain specialists utilizing modeling and simulation frameworks.To address this deficiency we present a tool that leverages robot control architectures to provide automatic code generation of animal models using an intermediate language that is readable and writable by both human and machine.
Batch insertion for tree structured file organizations—improving differential database representation

Abstract This paper presents an algorithm to perform batch insertions into tree structured files. The efficiency of the algorithm is formally analyzed. To demonstrate the usefulness of the algorithm, optimum batch insertion points are determined in one particular example. The example demonstrates that batch operations for tree structured files may be used to achieve the advantages of a differential database representation and, at the same time, avoid the drawbacks previously attributed to the use of differential files.
Optical studies of the stress-induced crystallization of polymers

Stress-induced crystallization may be studied by the birefringence technique and by low-angle light scattering. From measurements of the change in birefringence and stress during the crystallization of a polymer above its Tg and from a calculation of the intrinsic birefringence of a polymer crystal, the change in volume fraction crystallinity may be calculated. The technique is illustrated for several polymers and found to give values in reasonable agreement with other methods for the study of crystallinity. Crystallization is also accompanied by the development of a low-angle light scattering pattern, the size and shape of which is indicative of the amount, size and morphology of the crystalline superstructure.
Huntingtin Fragments and SOD1 Mutants Form Soluble Oligomers in the Cell

Diffusion coefficients of huntingtin (Htt) fragments and SOD1 mutants expressed in cells were measured using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. The diffusion mobilities of both non-pathological Htt fragments (25 polyQs) and pathological Htt fragments (103 polyQs) were much slower than expected for monomers suggesting that they oligomerize. The mobility of these fragments was unaffected by duration of expression or by over-expression of Hsp70 and Hsp40. However in cells with HttQ103 inclusions, diffusion measurements showed that the residual cytosolic HttQ103 was monomeric. These results suggest that both non-pathological and pathological Htt fragments form soluble oligomers in the cytosol with the properties of the oligomers determining whether they cause pathology. SOD1 with point mutations (A4V, G37R, and G85R) also had slower diffusional mobility than the wild-type protein whose mobility was consistent with that of a dimer. However, the decrease in mobility of the different SOD1 mutantsdid not correlate with their known pathology. Therefore, while soluble oligomers always seem to be present under conditions where cell pathology occurs, the presence of the oligomers, in itself, does not determine the extent of neuropathology.
Reaction of Proteins with Glutaraldehyde

Abstract Glutaraldehyde was found to react with the α-amino groups of amino acids, the N-terminal amino groups of some peptides and the sulfhydryl group of cysteine. The phenolic and the imidazole rings of tyrosine and histidine derivatives were partially reactive. With proteins such as bovine serum albumin, ovalbumin and human gamma globulin, glutaraldehyde reacted predominantly with the ϵ-amino groups of lysine to form mainly intermolecular cross-linkages. Some reaction, however, did occur with tyrosine, histidine, and sulfhydryl residues. The soluble aggregated proteins were capable of reacting with antibodies against their respective native proteins. Glutaraldehyde was also capable of conjugating ovalbumin to bovine serum albumin and the product was found to contain only minor contaminants of aggregated ovalbumin and bovine serum albumin.
Modeling the 1973 Soviet Decision to Support Egypt.

We present a contingency model of Soviet foreign policy making that focuses on decision making in the Politburo. The model is designed around three questions and shows how the answers to these questions determine the likely nature of the decision the Politburo will reach at any point in time. The questions are (1) Whose positions on the Politburo are critical to making a decision? (2) What are the positions or preferences of those who count on the issue under consideration? (3) How are disagreements among these individuals handled? The model is illustrated by examining the Soviet decision to increase significantly the numbers and types of weapons delivered to Egypt in early 1973. Of interest in this case is accounting for the shift in Soviet policy from refusing Egypt offensive weapons to providing them.
Coal liquefaction using an intermetallic hydride to distribute hydrogen and catalyze the reaction

Abstract Iron-titanium alloy forms a reversible metal hydride which stores hydrogen as atomic hydrogen within its metal matrix at a density exceeding liquid hydrogen. The alloy has also been shown to have substantial catalytic properties towards hydrogenation reactions. In this paper we examine the alloy as a vehicle to both transport and distribute hydrogen to slurried coal and catalyze the liquefaction process. Batch liquefaction experiments produced conversions of approximately 50% for industrially handled Utah (SUFCO) and Alabama Blue Creek coals slurried in either tetralin or 1-methylnaphthalene in less than 30 min at a temperature of 260°C and a pressure of 4.14 MPa. Comparison of the liquefaction results in tetralin and 1-methylnaphthalene suggested that tetralin was involved as a shuttling agent rather than a donor solvent for this approach. This catalytic process reduced the nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen contents of the Utah coal by 25%, 50%, and 89.5% respectively, while the sulfur content of the Alabama coal was reduced by 34%. Both a simple first order mechanism and a more complex second order mechanism closely modeled the liquefaction data. Calculation, based on a run using non-hydrided FeTi, produced a catalytic turnover number of 3·10 −2 molecules of hydrogen per site per s. This approach overcomes problems encountered in other liquefaction processes, while converting coal to liquid products at reduced operating conditions. A hydrogen adsorption study of the spent alloy showed a 4% deactivation of the catalyst.
Prenatal and postnatal development of substance p immunocytochemistry within subnuclei of the rat interpeduncular nucleus

Abstract In the present study, the temporal appearance and distribution of substance P within individual subnuclei has been examined during the development of the rat interpeduncular nucleus (IPN). The prenatal organization as well as migration pattern of individual IPN subnuclei are also described. The IPN was distinguishable on embryonic day (E) 19, near the ventral mesencephalon. At this age, the IPN was organized into individual subnuclei like the adult, except for a bilateral distribution of presumptive rostral neurons. Rostral neurons were merged into a single, midline subnucleus by the day of birth, thereby completing an adult pattern of subnuclear organization. SP immunoreactivity, restricted to the lateral subnuclei, was first detected at E20. The intensity of SP-positive fibers in the lateral subnucleus increased with age, and appeared to become selectively distributed along both the medial and lateral borders of this subnucleus. Additional SP-positive fibers became evident postnatally in a thin band overlying both central and intermediate subnuclei, and within the dorsal medial, central and apical subnuclei. SP-positive cell bodies were present in the rostral subnucleus on postnatal day 28, thereby completing the development of an adult pattern of SP immunoreactivity within the IPN. IPN subnuclei Substance P development Prenatal and postnatal periods Immunocytochemistry
Binding and orientation of conantokins in PL vesicles and aligned PL multilayers.

The association of a ligand with its cognate cell surface receptor can be facilitated by interactions between the ligand and the lipid phase of the cell membrane. With respect to the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), we have previously established a low affinity, nonreceptor-mediated interaction of the peptidic conantokins with synaptic membranes in conjunction with a high affinity binding to the NMDARs present therein [Klein, R. C., Prorok, M., and Castellino, F. J. (2003) J. Pept. Res. 61, 307−317]. In the current study, several techniques including size-exclusion chromatography, circular dichroism, fluorescence, and NMR spectroscopies were used to investigate the binding, conformation, and orientation of conantokins and their variants to a variety of phospholipid (PL) vesicles and multilayers. We have found that conantokins bind to PLs and that the effectors Ca2+ and spermine slightly increase this binding ability. The conantokins preserve a high degree of helical conformation when bound to vesicl...
Coherence and speckle reduction in compounded correlated phased arrays: synthetic aperture radar

The theory of speckle reduction by compounding signal intensities from multiple correlated phased arrays is developed and then applied specifically to synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Correlated subarrays are obtained from a large coherent phased array by division into subarrays after coherent signal detection. Overlapping subarrays share common elements. A model of SAR suitable for coherence analysis is used to calculate the matrix elements of the covariance matrix for the correlated arrays. The results are coupled with statistical analyses of compounded systems to calculate the first-order speckle statistics for spatially compounded multiple correlated phased arrays. Extensions of this work to fixed phased array systems in radar and ultrasound are dicussed but are not calculated in detail.
Performance Evaluation of Deteriorating Highway Bridges Located in High Seismic Areas

This paper studies the life-cycle performance and cost of reinforced concrete highway bridges subjected to earthquake ground motions while they are continuously exposed to the attack of chloride ions. The penetration of chloride ions into the concrete is simulated through a finite difference approach that takes into account all the parameters that can affect the corrosion process. From simulation results, the corrosion initiation time is predicted, and the extent of structural degradation is calculated over the entire life of the bridge. A group of detailed bridge models with various structural attributes are developed to evaluate the changes in the structural capacity and seismic response of corroded bridges. For the purpose of the probabilistic seismic risk assessment of bridges, the seismic fragility curves are generated and updated at regular time intervals. The time-dependent fragility parameters are employed to investigate the life-cycle cost of bridges by introducing a performance index that combines the effects of probable seismic events and chloride-induced corrosion. The proposed approach provides a multihazard framework that leads to more realistic performance and cost estimates.
Solution Rheological Behavior and Electrospinning of Cationic Polyelectrolytes

The influence of polyelectrolyte rheological behavior on the electrospinning process was determined for a series of poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate hydrochloride) (PDMAEMA·HCl) aqueous solutions in the presence of added NaCl. Solution rheological studies revealed that PDMAEMA·HCl in an 80/20 w/w water/methanol cosolvent displayed polyelectrolyte behavior based on the scaling relationship between specific viscosity (ηsp) and concentration in the semidilute unentangled and semidilute entangled regimes. The entanglement concentration (Ce) increased with NaCl concentration due to screening of the electrostatic repulsive forces along the PDMAEMA·HCl backbone, which enabled the PDMAEMA·HCl chains to adopt a flexible, coillike conformation. Moreover, the scaling behavior in the semidilute entangled regime shifted from polyelectrolyte (ηsp ∼ C1.5) to neutral polymer behavior (ηsp ∼ C3.75) in the high salt limit. The electrospinning performance of PDMAEMA·HCl solutions was also dependent on NaCl concentra...
Cerebellar unit activity during generalized penicillin epilepsy in the awake cat

Abstract Single-unit activity in the cerebellum of awake cats was recorded during generalized paroxysmal activity induced by intramuscular administration of penicillin. Cortical paroxysmal events could provoke changes in the gross electrical activity of the cerebellum that were associated with altered neuronal activity. Coincident with the cerebellar paroxysms, Purkinje cells showed one of two types of activity: an increase in simple spike discharges associated with the surface-negative phase of the paroxysm, or an excitatory-inhibitory sequence. Normal firing patterns resumed quickly after cessation of the paroxysmal discharges. The cerebellum thus appears to be markedly involved in this model of generalized epilepsy and may be involved in its physiopathogenesis.
Helical cone-beam computed tomography image reconstruction algorithm for a tilted gantry with N-PI data acquisition

We present a cone-beam image reconstruction algorithm for helical CT scanning with a tilted gantry and N-PI data acquisition. When the gantry is tilted, the effective source trajectory in the patient's reference frame lies on an elliptical cylinder, rather than on a circular cylinder as in the standard helical scanning mode. The aim of this work is to provide a means of reconstructing an image object directly from cone-beam projection data without transforming the image object into a virtual object and without rebinning projection data acquired for a real object into the projection data of the virtual object. This task has been accomplished by the application of an exact reconstruction algorithm, which utilizes an important geometrical property of the elliptical helical trajectory: the existence of generalized N-PI lines for a given image point. Based on this property, a mathematically exact image reconstruction scheme via filtering the backprojection image of differentiated projection data (FBPD) is applied to solve the reconstruction problem. Due to the gantry tilt, the required detector size is different from that of the standard helical trajectory (nontilted). A systematic analysis of the required detector size is presented. For an N-PI data acquisition scheme, an image may be reconstructed using data from an N-PI window, an (N?2)-PI window, and so on. Although the images reconstructed using an N-PI (N>1) window are noisier than the images reconstructed from a 1-PI window, a weighted-average scheme over reconstructed images is presented to generate a final image with significantly lower noise variance than that in the 1-PI data acquisition scheme. The image reconstruction algorithm was numerically validated using a mathematical phantom.