cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Engineering reversible cell-cell interactions using enzymatically lipidated chemically self-assembled nanorings

Multicellular biology is dependent on the control of cell-cell interactions. These concepts have begun to be exploited for engineering of cell-based therapies. Herein, we detail the use of a multivalent lipidated scaffold for the rapid and reversible manipulation of cell-cell interactions. Chemically self-assembled nanorings (CSANs) are formed via the oligomerization of bivalent dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR2) fusion proteins using a chemical dimerizer, bis-methotrexate. With targeting proteins fused onto the DHFR2 monomers, the CSANs can target specific cellular antigens. Here, anti-EGFR or anti-EpCAM fibronectin-DHFR2 monomers incorporating a CAAX-box sequence were enzymatically prenylated, then assembled into the corresponding CSANs. Both farnesylated and geranylgeranylated CSANs efficiently modified the cell surface of lymphocytes and remained bound to the cell surface with a half-life of >3 days. Co-localization studies revealed a preference for the prenylated nanorings to associate with lipid rafts. The presence of antigen targeting elements in these bifunctional constructs enabled them to specifically interact with target cells while treatment with trimethoprim resulted in rapid CSAN disassembly and termination of the cell-cell interactions. Hence, we were able to determine that activated PBMCs modified with the prenylated CSANs caused irreversible selective cytotoxicity toward EGFR-expressing cells within 2 hours without direct engagement of CD3. The ability to disassemble these nanostructures in a temporally controlled manner provides a unique platform for studying cell-cell interactions and T cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Overall, antigen-targeted prenylated CSANs provide a general approach for the regulation of specific cell-cell interactions and will be valuable for a plethora of fundamental and therapeutic applications.
An Anatomic, Imaging, and Clinical Review of the Medial Longitudinal Fasciculus

The medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF) is a paired, highly specialized, and heavily myelinated nerve bundle responsible for extraocular muscle movements, including the oculomotor reflex, saccadic eye movements an smooth pursuit, and the vestibular ocular reflex. Clinically, lesions of the MLF are classically associated with internuclear ophthalmoplegia. However, clinical manifestations of a lesion in the MLF may be more complex and variable. We provide an overview of the neuroanatomy, neurologic manifestations, and correlative examples of the imaging findings on brain MRI of MLF lesions to provide the clinician and radiologist with a more comprehensive understanding of the MLF and potential clinical manifestations for an MLF lesion.
Dissipation and adhesion in collisions between amorphous FeO nanoparticles

Abstract How dust grains aggregate into planetesimals is still an open question. It is experimentally observed that binary collisions between micron-sized dust grains result in adhesion for collisions up to ∼ 1 ms−1. However, aggregates at scales ∼ 1 mm and above have been shown to exhibit fragmentation or bouncing at relevant collision velocities, resulting in a barrier preventing the formation of larger aggregates. One key factor is the weak adhesion observed between dust particles in aggregates leading to ruptures even in low-velocity collisions. To better understand the structure and strength of the adhered interface resulting from collisions, we performed molecular-dynamics simulations of head-on collisions between amorphous FeO nanoparticles. The results demonstrate several important phenomena which indicate how bonding between aggregates might become stronger than is often observed in experiments. For nanograins, it is shown that strong attractive interactions result in a minimum relative collision speed v c determined just before impact. The values of v c for particle radii 7 nm and below are computed to be in the range 40 – 100 ms−1. This high collision speed is shown to result in strong bond reordering at the interface. Moreover, increasing the incident collision speed v r e l is shown to increase the work of adhesion W a d h , which is correlated to substantial bond rearrangement. Specifically, for values of v r e l in the range between 10 – 90 ms−1, the interface between adhered grains is structured very closely to perfectly coordinated FeO amorphous solid. The reported results suggest stronger bonding results from collisions between particles with unpassivated surfaces, especially when particles are small, have amorphous surface structures, or when collisions occur at higher relative speeds. These factors should generate aggregates with stronger bonds that are less easily broken in subsequent collisions, and hence might be responsible for aggregates less likely to fragment at larger length scales.
Preliminary Evaluation of a 1-Day Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workshop for Increasing Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity in Adults with Overweight or Obesity

Novel strategies to help adults with overweight/obesity increase motivation for becoming active are needed. This single-arm trial aimed to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a 4-h acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based workshop intervention for increasing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among insufficiently active adults with overweight/obesity. Participants (N = 41) received a 1-day 4-h ACT workshop followed by weekly e-mails and monthly phone calls for 3 months. The primary outcome was change in accelerometer-measured MVPA minutes/day at 3 and 6 months. Process variables (i.e., autonomous motivation, PA acceptance) through which the ACT intervention was hypothesized to increase MVPA were assessed via questionnaires. Participants completed 91% of phone calls and 75% of e-mail surveys. Acceptability ratings were > 4.5 out of 5 for “understandable,” “useful,” and “intent-to-use” on all intervention components. Participants on average achieved significant increases in bouted and total MVPA at 3 months that were maintained at 6 months. Participants also reported significant increases in physical activity acceptance and autonomous motivation, the latter of which related to MVPA changes. Results support the feasibility and acceptability of the ACT workshop intervention for promoting MVPA changes among insufficiently active adults with overweight/obesity. Rigorous testing of this approach as a low-intensity standalone or add-on intervention to increase MVPA is warranted.
Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty

Edited by Gerard A. Engh and Cecil H. Rorabeck. Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins, 1997. $130.00, 485 pp. The prevalence of implant failure has risen in conjunction with the broadening of the indications for total knee replacement. The need for revision total knee arthroplasty has increased at such a rapid rate that a textbook devoted to this procedure is appropriate, timely, and necessary. Although one might question how a single procedure could be the subject of an entire book, the complexity of the issue becomes quickly apparent as the reader proceeds through this informative text. The editors enlisted the help of …
Game changing innovation or bad beat? How sports betting can reduce fan engagement

Abstract In May 2018, the Supreme Court ruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (which made sports betting largely illegal in the U.S.) unconstitutional. This set the stage for legal sports betting—a new consumer behavior (or innovation) with the potential to increase fan engagement and create new revenue streams for leagues and teams. Although many believe sports betting will lead to positive marketing outcomes for leagues and teams, we question whether it can also lead to negative marketing outcomes. Across two experiments, consumers who bet on the home team and lost reported lower positive emotions and subsequent fan engagement than consumers who did not bet. Furthermore, consumers who bet on the home team and won did not report higher fan engagement than consumers who did not bet. Thus, we uncover a potential drawback of legal sports betting, which has major implications for leagues and teams that embrace it.
Clustering XML documents based on structural similarity

In this paper, we present a framework for clustering XML documents based on structural similarity between XML documents. Firstly, the validity of using the edit distance between XML documents and schemata as the structural similarity is presented. Secondly, a novel solution is given for schema extraction. The solution is based on the minimum length description (MLD) principle, and allows tradeoff between the schema simplicity and precision based on the user's specification. Thirdly, clustering XML documents based on the edit distance is discussed. The efficacy and efficiency of our methodology have been tested using both real and synthesized data.
Learning About Leaders: Exploring and Measuring Leadership Qualities in Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children

The purpose of this study is to describe leadership qualities of grandparents and other relatives raising children and to determine if the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) is appropriate for assessing leadership for grandparents and other relatives raising children. This study reports the results of the LPI and a factor analysis to describe leadership qualities and test psychometric properties of the LPI. Subjects are 60 kinship caregivers attending advocacy trips to a state legislature to speak to policymakers about their issues. Results indicate that grandparents and other relatives view themselves as leaders. The principal axis factor analysis with varimax rotation extracted a five factor solution. The solution has good internal consistency and split-half reliability is robust. It appears that the LPI is a promising measure for use with kinship caregivers. More interventions are needed to foster the important quality of leadership among kinship caregivers.
Computing all Suboptimal Alignments in Linear Space

Recently, a new compact representation for suboptimal alignments was proposed by Naor and Brutlag (1993). The kernel of that representation is a minimal directed acyclic graph (DAG) containing all suboptimal alignments. In this paper, we propose a method that computes such a DAG in space linear to the graph size. Let F be the area of the region of the dynamicprogramming matrix bounded by the suboptimal alignments and W the maximum width of that region. For two sequences of lengths M and N, it is shown that the worst-case running time is O(MN+F log log W). To exploit the computed DAG, we employ a variant of Aho-Corasick pattern matching machine (Aho and Corasick, 1975) to locate all occurrences of specified patterns, and then find a path in the DAG that maximizes the sum of the scores of the non-overlapping patterns occurring in it. An example illustrates the utility.
Balancing centripetal and centrifugal forces in a lifecycle model of innovation: a meta-analysis

Organizations struggle to become consistently innovative throughout their lifecycle. This struggle becomes especially important to organizations when the capacity to innovate becomes depleted due to adverse economic and business conditions. This study analyzes the antecedents to organizational innovation using a quantitative meta-analysis of the extant literature within the context of an established theoretical frame for the field. This study expands the theoretical frame of Willow Sheremata [Sharma, S, 1996], which distinguishes between centrifugal and centripetal forces, by analyzing and categorizing ninety-four studies (outcomes) and analyzing their impact on innovation. This paper directly addresses the balance of centrifugal (new idea generating) and centripetal (integrating) forces optimally needed as a function of the organization's lifecycle. It is posited that organizations need more centrifugal forces during the infant (initiation) stages of the lifecycle in order to generate the ideas and energy needed to establish strategic direction. Once established, more centripetal forces are needed to integrate the organization's energy and channel it toward implementation of the new strategy. It is further posited that centrifugal forces are particularly needed during the initiation stages of a radical innovation while centripetal forces are needed during all stages of the incremental innovation. A meta-analysis comparing subsets of the data concluded that centripetal forces have a positive moderating effect on both radical and incremental types of innovations studied, and during the implementation and initiation phases of innovation. It was also shown that centrifugal forces have a positive moderating effect only on radical innovations during both initiation and implementation stages while positively moderating incremental innovations during only the initiation stage of innovation.
Peer-to-peer suitability for collaborative multiplayer games

Peer-to-peer communication is emerging as one of the most potentially disruptive technologies in the networking sector. If the interest in such technologies as Napster, Morpheus and Gnutella is any indication, peer-to-peer networks will be a major component in the future of computer communications and the Internet. In this work, we conducted a case study by implementing the Xiangqi game using a P2P networking technology. In so doing, we gained a deeper understanding of P2P communication in general and a more in-depth knowledge of the specific technology used. We encountered a number of issues while implementing our multimedia application using the JXTA P2P framework, but we were nevertheless able to create a working prototype that functioned satisfactorily. We thus concluded that P2P was a feasible alternative to the current server-based multi-player gaming paradigm.
Automated Learning of Pricing and Bundling Strategies in Information Economies

The advent of automated commerce and the ability to electronically distribute information goods, or articles, have created a new set of problems for producers of information content. Since information goods have negligible marginal cost, producers are presented with a huge space of potential bundling and pricing strategies to choose from. Producers potentially have two separate decision problems to solve: what to offer and how to price it. For example, in deciding what to offer, producers may choose to offer articles from a wide variety of categories, or just offer in-depth content in a few selected categories. In deciding what to charge for their goods, a producer might choose from a number of schedules such as a flat fee, a per-article price, or a schedule which changes nonlinearly based on the number of articles purchased. The choice of schedule and goods offered will impact both the producer’s per-iteration profit and also what it is able to learn about consumer preferences. In an online environment with a large number of goods and rapid transaction times, it will be advantageous for a producer to automate this decision-making. In (Brooks et al. 1999), we describe this problem and show how a monopolist producer can acquire higher aggregate profit by learning a simpler pricing schedule. Our current work considers two other factors that complicate the producer’s learning and decision-making problems: the presence of other producers and differences in article content. In a world in which a producer is competing with other producers for a market of consumers, the producer must consider both the strategy of other producers and the preferences of the consumers. Typically, neither of these are known, but instead must be learned over time. What makes this difficult is that the other producers are also trying to learn about consumer preferences, so producer strategies are not necessarily stationary. One question we are concerned with is the extent to which reasoning about opponent strategies is actually useful; there will be a tradeoff between an increase in the degree of modeling detail and the marginal gain in the value of the information acquired. One factor that makes this problem different from a traditional game theory problem is that we are explicitly interested in the nonequilibrium rewards that a producer receives. That is, it’s not enough for a producer to eventually learn an
Variation in Postoperative Analgesic Requirements in the Morbidly Obese Following Gastric Bypass Surgery

Patient-controlled analgesia is a relatively new method of administering intravenous narcotics for postoperative pain relief. The technique involves the self-administration of a given analgesic in a bolus dose with the aid of a timed infusion and sequencing device. Ten morbidity obese patients undergoing elective gastric bypass surgery were treated in a prospective, unblinded, pilot project to evaluate the efficacy of patient-controlled analgesia. Analgesic therapy was satisfactory in all patients. The mean total dose of morphine sulfate administered during the first 36 hours postoperatively was 66 mg, an average of 1.7 mg/hr. There was a tenfold variation (17.5-175 mg) in the 36 hr total dose. The total dose was not related to body surface area, age, sex, dose per injection, or anesthetic agent. The large variation in individual narcotic analgesic requirements could be a major factor in the suboptimal management of postoperative pain with conventional dosing. Patient-controlled analgesia may circumvent these problems.
Bioinspired tracking control of high speed nonholonomic ground vehicles

The behavior of nature's predators is considered for designing a high speed tracking controller for nonholonomic vehicles, whose dynamics are represented using a unicycle model. To ensure that the vehicle behaves intuitively and mimics the biologically inspired predator-prey interaction, saturation constraints based on Ackermann steering kinematics are added. A new strategy for mapping commands back into a viable envelope is introduced, and the restrictions are accounted for using Lyapunov stability criteria. Following verification of the saturation constraints, the proposed algorithm was implemented on a testing platform. Stable trajectories of up to 9m/s were achieved. The results presented show that the algorithm demonstrates significant promise in high speed trajectory tracking with obstacle avoidance.
Immature siblings and mother-infant relationships among free-ranging rhesus monkeys on Cayo Santiago

This report examines the possible influence of the presence of immature siblings on measures of mother-infant interaction and on the timing of the mother's resumption of mating among free-ranging rhesus monkeys, Macaca mulatta, on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. Data for 124 mother-infant pairs, collected between 1974 and 1986, were analysed using analysis of covariance methods. The results suggest that mothers with one or more immature daughters in addition to their infants are in contact with their infants less than those with no older immature daughters, perhaps because their infants need less protection from other group members. High-ranking mothers with older immature daughters also reject their infants significantly more than those without older daughters, and tend to begin mating earlier in the mating season than expected based on their dates of parturition the preceding birth season. In contrast, the presence of sons has relatively little impact on mother-infant interaction, or on the timing of the mother's resumption of mating.
Mechanosensitive modulation of receptor-mediated crossbridge activation and cytoskeletal organization in airway smooth muscle

Recent findings indicate that mechanical strain (deformation) exerted by the extracellular matrix modulates activation of airway smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, cytoskeletal organization in airway smooth muscle appears to be dynamic, and subject to modulation by receptor activation and mechanical strain. Mechanosensitive modulation of crossbridge activation and cytoskeletal organization may represent intracellular feedback mechanisms that limit the shortening of airway smooth muscle during bronchoconstriction. Recent findings suggest that receptor-mediated signal transduction is the primary target of mechanosensitive modulation. Mechanical strain appears to regulate the number of functional G-proteins and/or phospholipase C enzymes in the cell membrane possibly by membrane trafficking and/or protein translocation. Dense plaques, membrane structures analogous to focal adhesions, appear to be the primary target of cytoskeletal regulation. Mechanical strain and receptor-binding appear to regulate the assembly and phosphorylation of dense plaque proteins in airway smooth muscle cells. Understanding these mechanisms may reveal new pharmacological targets for controlling airway resistance in airway diseases.
Studies of the oxygen release reaction in the platinum–ceria–zirconia system

Abstract The relative rates of the CO+oxygen storage material (OSM)⇒CO2 reaction (RCO2) and the amounts of rate enhancement obtained upon Pt promotion were examined for ceria and ceria–zirconia OSM. The effect of Pt surface area on RCO2 was de-coupled from metal–oxide surface area by pre-sintering the oxides prior to Pt deposition. We find that RCO2 is linearly dependent on Pt area over Pt/CeO2, but over Pt/Ce0.75Zr0.25O2, the rate is independent of Pt surface area above a threshold surface area. Although Pt sinters more readily on the Ce0.75Zr0.25O2 support, the dispersion effect is more than compensated by the enhanced availability of “bulk” O2− within the Ce0.75Zr0.25O2 particles. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that, on a unit surface area basis, the ceria–zirconia support is at least two times more active for the oxygen release reaction than the pure ceria support when the materials are slightly reduced. It is also shown that O2− diffusion is not rate-limiting for the ceria reduction reaction when the reaction is carried out in the kinetically limited regime at 500°C with CO as the reductant.
Stereochemistry of the hygrolidins

Abstract The stereochemistry shown in 6 has been determined by computer modelling for hygrolidin, prototypical member of a new class of macrolide antibiotics.
Effects of reaction conditions on RNA secondary structure and on the helicase activity of Escherichia coli transcription termination factor Rho.

The ATPase and helicase activities of the Escherichia coli transcription termination protein rho have been studied under a variety of reaction conditions that alter its transcription termination activity. These conditions include KCl, KOAc, or KGlu concentrations from 50 to 150 mM and Mg(OAc)2 concentrations from 1 to 5 mM (in the presence of 1 mM ATP). In higher KCl or higher Mg(OAc)2 concentrations we found that the translocation of rho hexamers along RNA was slower and less processive than the same process measured at 50 mM monovalent salt concentrations and 1 mM Mg(OAc)2. The ATPase activity of rho was also decreased under reaction conditions that slowed translocation. RNA melting experiments showed that the decreased ATPase activity of rho and the slower helicase activity at increased KCl or Mg(OAc)2 concentrations are accompanied by a concomitant increase in the secondary structure of the RNA portion of the helicase substate. In contrast, the ATPase activity of rho in the presence of poly(rC), a synthetic RNA that does not form salt-concentration-dependent secondary structure, was shown to be the same in each of the three monovalent salts. Thus, the salts do not directly affect the structure or conformation of the rho protein or the binding of rho to single-stranded RNA. However, the translocation of rho along RNA was more processive in 150 mM KOAc or KGlu than in 150 mM KCl, while the RNA secondary structure was the same in all three monovalent salts. Therefore, the monovalent salt present in the reaction may directly affect rho-RNA interactions when the RNA substrate can form secondary structure. Helicase experiments with an RNA molecule that does not contain a rho loading-site showed that rho translocates less processively along this potential helicase substrate. These results suggest that the helicase activity of rho may be significantly regulated by RNA secondary structure. In addition, one of the mechanisms to concentrate the activity of rho on transcripts containing unstructured rho loading sites may be that rho translocation along such molecules is more processive than it is along more structured RNA molecules in the cell.
A simple method for freeze-drying of macromolecules and macromolecular complexes

We present a simple approach for effective freeze-drying and rotary shadowing of large molecules, molecular assemblies, and cell organelles. Simply, a suspension of specimen is adsorped to a glass coverslip, stabilized, and rinsed with 30% methanol. A second coverslip is "sandwiched" on top, and excess methanol is withdrawn from the edges then frozen by plunging into liquid nitrogen and split. Following either rotary or unidirectional shadowing and replication, the coverslip is dissolved in hydrofluoric acid. In addition to avoiding the problems encountered with air-drying specimens for rotary shadowing, the technique also reproducibly provides the thin layer of solution necessary for proper freeze-drying, regardless of how hydrophobic the sample is. The "glass sandwich" technique allows modification of the glass substrate (making it hydrophobic with carbon or hydrophilic by soaking it in alcian blue) which clearly alters the shape of macromolecular assemblies such as myosin filaments and decorated thin filaments.
Multiple mode non-linear dynamic analysis of thick orthotropic elliptical plates

Abstract A theoretical investigation of the large amplitude flexural vibration of clamped, rectilinearly orthotropic moderately thick elliptical plate is carried out. Berger-type dynamic equations expressed in terms of displacement components are used in this analysis. Solutions are obtained by using a multiple mode approach, Galerkin's method and the numerical Runge-Kutta procedure. Amplitude-period responses are discussed for three types of high modulus fibre-reinforced plates. Results indicate significant influences of transverse shear deformation, modal interaction, orthotropic material properties and plate parameters on the non-linear dynamic behavior of elliptical plates. Present results are in close agreement with those available in the literature. The Berger-type approach suggested in this paper leads to a substantial simplification in the analytical and computational efforts without producing any appreciable change in the final results.
HER2 – a discussion of testing approaches in the USA

HER2 (neu, erbB-2), a receptor related to the human epidermal growth factor receptor, has now become more important as a predictive marker of treatment response. While the value and direction of the treatment/HER2 interaction may vary depending on the agents, dose, or schedule of drug administration, there is little disagreement that HER2 testing is an important part of breast cancer evaluation. In 1998, trastuzumab (Herceptin) was approved for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients by the Food and Drug Administration of the USA. Patients with abnormal HER2 in their breast cancer cells (generally 2 or 3+ with the HercepTest, overexpression by other immunohistochemical assays or amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization [FISH] assay) have demonstrated the greatest response to trastuzumab treatment. It is unclear which test (method, reagent, cut-off points, etc.) is best to use to evaluate HER2 for this purpose because parallel testing of the same cancers from patients who received trastuzumab has only recently been initiated and the data are limited. It is widely believed that breast cancers without HER2 alterations will not be responsive to trastuzumab, although a clinical trial to test this specific hypothesis has not been initiated. There are also concerns that clonal heterogeneity for HER2 within a tumor, or between primary and metastatic cancer foci, may affect treatment response; yet we do not currently evaluate these parameters. Consensus regarding the best methods, reagents, or cut-off points to define HER2 status for determining trastuzumab responsivity has not yet been reached. HER2 testing for other prognostic or predictive purposes, e.g. to determine whether patients are likely to respond to other agents, such as dose-intensive doxorubicin, may be less. Data from the Cancer and Leukemia Group B trial 8541 (companion XX69) suggest that, with proper controls in high-volume laboratories, many of the available methods produce comparable results.
RIMOPORTULAE IN EUPODISCUS RADIATUS (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE) FROM THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO1

Specimens of Eupodiscus radiatus Bailey from the northeastern Gulf of Mexico were examined with light and scanning electron microscopy. In contrast to previous studies of this taxon, we report the presence of two, rarely one, rimoportulae (labiate processes) between consecutive ocelli. This finding changes our understanding of the phylogenetic relationships in the family Eupodiscaceae.
Lung Cancer Screening with Computer Aided Detection Chest Radiography: Design and Results of a Randomized, Controlled Trial

Introduction The sensitivity of CT based lung cancer screening for the detection of early lung cancer is balanced by the high number of benign lung nodules identified, the unknown consequences of radiation from the test, and the potential costs of a CT based screening program. CAD chest radiography may improve the sensitivity of standard chest radiography while minimizing the risks of CT based screening.
Identification of ζ-Crystallin/NADPH:Quinone Reductase as a Renal Glutaminase mRNA pH Response Element-binding Protein

Increased renal ammoniagenesis and bicarbonate synthesis from glutamine during chronic metabolic acidosis facilitate the excretion of acids and partially restore normal acid-base balance. This adaptation is sustained, in part, by a cell-specific stabilization of the glutaminase mRNA that leads to an increased synthesis of the mitochondrial glutaminase. A direct repeat of an 8-base AU sequence within the 3'-nontranslated region of the glutaminase mRNA binds a unique protein with high affinity and specificity. Expression of various chimeric mRNAs in LLC-PK(1)-FBPase(+) cells demonstrated that a single 8-base AU sequence is both necessary and sufficient to function as a pH response element (pH RE). A biotinylated oligoribonucleotide containing the direct repeat was used as an affinity ligand to purify the pH RE-binding protein from a cytosolic extract of rat renal cortex. The purified binding activity retained the same specific binding properties as observed with crude extracts and correlated with the elution of a 36-kDa protein. Microsequencing by mass spectroscopy and Western blot analysis were used to identify this protein as zeta-crystallin/NADPH:quinone reductase. The purified protein contained eight tryptic peptides that were identical to sequences found in mouse zeta-crystallin and three peptides that differed by only a single amino acid. The observed differences may represent substitutions found in the rat homolog. A second protein purified by this protocol was identified as T-cell-restricted intracellular antigen-related protein (TIAR). However, the purified TIAR neither bound nor affected the binding of zeta-crystallin/NADPH:quinone reductase to the pH RE. Furthermore, specific antibodies to zeta-crystallin, but not TIAR, blocked the formation of the complex between the pH RE and either the crude cytosolic extract or the purified protein. Thus, zeta-crystallin/NADPH:quinone reductase is a pH response element-binding protein.
AIRWAY METRICS, ANATOMY AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF PIGS REARED INDOORS AND OUTDOORS

While the swine industry has made incredible stride s to improve ventilation, air quality in confinemen t buildings remains an issue. The goal of this study is to char acterize correlation between large airway metrics a nd growth performance in piglets reared indoors and outdoors on pasture. Three experimental trials were conducte d: Trial 1 included three breed types that were strictly raise d indoors, Tamworth X Berkshire, Berkshire X Berkshire and Hereford X Berkshire (n = 4-5 each). Trials 2 and 3 consisted of animals reared in both environments; trial 2 had 28 pigs (n = 14, indoor and n = 14, outdoor) and tr ial 3 had 48 pigs (n = 24, indoor and n = 24, outdo or). For trial 3, body weights were recorded weekly for seven weeks to adjust tracheal measure for body size. Total t racheal and lumen diameters were determined for all animals on trial. Histological evaluations were performed to evaluate potential differences among indoor and out door pig populations. One-way and two-way Analyses of Variance (ANOVA) were performed and LS means with the PDIFF option was used to separate means as applicable. Animals reared indoor shad significantl y larger tracheal diameters and lumens compared to those reared outdoors (p-value<0.05). Outdoor animals had a larger variation of body weights than indoor ani mals; however, no correlation between tracheal measurements and body weights was present. Histological evalu ation of airway sections revealed a 1.4 fold increase in the total population of goblet cells in tracheas of indoor pigs (pvalue<0.0152) versus outdoor pig tracheas. Taken to gether, subtle differences may exist in airways of pigs reared indoors versus outdoors; however, airway distinctio ns do not appear to effect growth performance of pi glets.
Discrimination of predatory versus nonpredatory mammals by box turtles, Terrapene carolina

Although terrestrial turtles have served as a model for studies of olfactory neurophysiology, little is known about how they use chemical information in an ecological sense. We tested whether box turtles (Terrapene carolina) use chemical information to distinguish between predatory and nonpredatory mammals. Box turtles in our study exhibited more escape behavior when exposed to urine from a predator (coyote, Canis latrans) than when exposed to urine from a nonpredator (white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus) or a blank control. Escape behavior is consistent with an antipredator response. In addition, the turtles decreased their handling time for food when in the presence of urine from either species of mammal in comparison to the blank, indicating that chemical cues from mammals in general may result in increased vigilance by terrestrial turtles. Examination of a variety of response variables may be important for adequate assessment of the ecological role of chemosensory behavior.
Comparing Conditions of Labor-Intensive Forestry and Fire Suppression Workers

Since the late 1970s, labor-intensive forest workers in the Pacific Northwest have been mostly Latino. These workers and their Anglo counterparts plant and thin trees, perform other forestry services, and fight wildland fires. Poor job quality has been persistent, especially for Latino workers. We compare working conditions between fire suppression and nonsuppression forest work across Latino and non-Latino populations in Oregon. We find that although both groups share some similar conditions, Latino workers often faced poorer conditions, including disrespectful treatment, uncompensated injuries, risk of being blackballed if they complained, and little opportunity for advancement. However, there were some important job quality improvements for Latinos in fire suppression, including compensation for travel and training. Differences in contracting market structure and federal oversight between fire suppression and other forest work may contribute to improved job quality. This suggests the potential for impr...
Bit error rate in a free-space laser communication system with a partially coherent signal beam

Average bit error rates in a free-space laser communication system can be reduced by the use of a partially (spatially) coherent transmitted signal beam. When the spatial coherence of the transmitted signal beam is reduced intensity fluctuations (scintillations) decrease, leading to a reduction in the bit error rate of the optical communication link. A model that offers a method for calculating optimal system performance with full consideration of the lognormal turbulent channel and source beam characteristics is described. The impact of atmospheric turbulence strength and degree of source coherence on the average bit error rate is examined.
New Solar Radiation Pressure Force Model for Navigation

This paper presents a new force model for solar radiation pressure acting on a satellite. The model is based on a Fourier series representation of the satellite properties and the position of the sun with respect to the body. The perturbative effects on the satellite's orbit due to the solar radiation pressure are derived in full and subsequently averaged to determine the secular change in the orbit due to solar radiation pressure, as well as the short-period dynamics. The theory presented includes a methodology for analyzing the changes to the secular and short-period dynamics due to the spacecraft passing through the Earth's shadow. This preliminary study shows that for a spacecraft in a circular orbit with synchronous rotation, the secular effects of solar radiation can be described with only seven Fourier coefficients. The benefits of using this theory for navigation applications are discussed. Finally, an example based on the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellite illustrates the applicability of the theory presented.
The well-being of children in foster care: Exploring physical and mental health needs

Abstract A census of children in foster care provided valuable insight into the well-being of children in one state. CHAID analysis on differences related to physical and mental health needs among various groups of children in foster care revealed a number of significant differences that are often overlooked in other types of analyses. Children's medical needs differ significantly by length of stay and emotional needs were more profound among children of certain ages.
Gone but not Forgotten: Loyalty and Betrayal among Ex-Members of Small Groups

Laboratory groups were formed, given an engaging task to perform, and then dissolved into new, smaller groups. Each of those groups produced an art poster. Every poster was then evaluated, first by the group itself and then by another group whose members came from the same source group (ingroup exchange) or from a different source group (outgroup exchange). Posters were evaluated more generously when ingroup rather than outgroup exchanges were made, especially when identification with the source group was strong. Every group later received the same negative evaluation of its poster, apparently from its exchange partner. This (bogus) criticism was more upsetting when in-group rather than outgroup exchanges were made, especially when identification with the source group was strong. These findings were discussed and several ideas for future studies of loyalty and betrayal were offered.
Distribution and genesis of soils of the northeastern United States

Abstract The soils of the northeastern United States (central and northern Appalachians) north of the glacial border are Spodosols, Inceptisols, Alfisols, and some Entisols and Histosols. These soils are relatively young (12–18 ka). Climate (frigid soil temperatures), parent material (acidic, sandy), and vegetation (conifers) are the major soil forming factors affecting the genesis of the Spodosols, while parent material (calcareous material) is a determining factor affecting the genesis of the Alfisols. The Inceptisols of southern New England are slightly different (better developed cambic horizon) than those of the Appalachian Plateau. The genesis of the Alfisols of the unglaciated Appalachian Plateau and Triassic Lowlands are also significantly influenced by carbonates and basic minerals in their parent material. Ultisols are found only south of the glacial border. Ultisols on the Appalachian Plateau and in the northern Ridge and Valley are young soils and should be identified as parent material Ultisols, while those of the southern Ridge and Valley, Piedmont and Coastal Plain show significant soil development and should be identified as genetic Ultisols. The soils south of the glacial border, on steep slopes, have been affected significantly by erosion during the cold cycles of the Pleistocene, while soils on gentle slopes have been affected to a lesser degree. Much of the material eroded during the Late Pleistocene has accumulated on lower sideslopes as colluvium. The erosional and depositional processes have resulted in a complex mosaic of moderate to well developed soils on the more stable landscape surfaces, and moderate to weakly developed soils on the erosional and depositional surfaces.
Policy Boards and Policy Smoothing

Partisan politics and random election outcomes generate policy uncertainty and partisan business cycles. To reduce policy uncertainty, society must design the policy-making environment to overcome electoral uncertainty and partisanship. I show that delegating policy to an independent policy board with discretionary powers will produce substantial policy smoothing and lower policy uncertainty relative to a simple model in which elected officials set policy. Board members are chosen in a partisan, noncooperative environment; yet in the benchmark model, policy variability is eliminated, and the cooperative bargaining solution is replicated.
Unimolecular decomposition of energy-selected anisole ions. Breakdown graph and metastable decay rates

Abstract The fragmentation behavior of the anisole ion (C6H5OCH+·3) was examined using threshold photoelectron-photoion coincident (TPEPICO) mass spectrometry. Four major fragments are observed in the ion time-of-flight spectra at photon energies less than 14 eV: C6H5O+ (m/z 93), C6H+7 (m/z 79), C6H+6 (m/z 78), and C5H+5 (m/z 65). Rate constants for the production of the ion m/z 78 near threshold were found to agree well with those calculated on the basis of RRKM theory. Most of the excess energy at threshold for this process is a result of the kinetic shift.
A Conceptual Framework for Classifying and Measuring Cognitive Skills

A framework is presented for classifying the cognitive skills exercised in deploying and managing resources in competitive situations. Behavioral task descriptions are partitioned into four cognitive levels: functions, procedures, skills, and abilities. A cognitive procedure is defined as a goal-directed, semi-structured, flexible sequence of actions in an emergent situation, adapted to deviations from nominal values for local conditions, terrain, environment, and adversarial actions. A procedure is represented as Cognitive Procedure Script (CPS), a sequence of actions required to achieve an operational goal. Actions in a CPS must be reduced to detectable response/event sequences for carrying out the actions: Implementing Steps (IS). To infer a candidate CPS being executed a computer maintains a temporal record of IS and searches for patterns that correspond to an action in a CPS. The CPS is represented also as a sequence of states and subgoals instrumental to a final goal. Each state is defined by situat...
An Introduction to Bioinformatics for Glycomics Research

Carbohydrates are considered the thirdclass of information-encoding biologicalmacromolecules. ‘‘Glycomics,’’ the scientificattempt to characterize and study carbohy-drates, is a rapidly emerging branch ofscience, for which informatics is just begin-ning. Glycomics requires sophisticated algo-rithmic approaches. Several algorithms andmodels have been developed for glycobiol-ogy research in the past several years. Thistutorial will provide a brief introduction tothe field of glycome informatics, which willinclude a primer on glycobiology as well asdescriptions of the algorithms and modelsthat have been developed in this field.The four essential molecular buildingblocks of cells are nucleic acids, proteins,lipids, and carbohydrates, often referred toas glycans. Nucleotide and protein sequenc-es are at the heart of nearly all bioinfor-matics applications and research, whereasglycan and lipid structures have been widelyneglected in bioinformatics. However, gly-cans are the most abundant and structurallydiverse biopolymers formed in nature.Bound to proteins, as glycoproteins, theyare known to affectthefunctions of proteins.More than half of all protein sequencesdeposited in the SWISS-PROT databankinclude potential glycosylation sites and thusmay be glycoproteins. Based on an analysisof well-annotated and characterized glyco-proteins inSWISS-PROT,itwas concludedthat more than half of all proteins areglycosylated [1].The development and use of informaticstools and databases for glycobiology andglycomics research has increased consider-ably in recent years. However, the generaldevelopment in this field can still beconsidered as being in its infancy whencompared to the genomics and proteomicsareas. In terms of bioinformatics in glyco-biology, there are several paths of researchthat are currently in progress. The develop-ment of algorithms to reliably support thecharacterization of glycan structures forhigh-throughput applications is the mostimmediate demand of the glycomics com-munity. Additionally, several major glyco-related projects (Consortium for FunctionalGlycomics [2], KEGG Glycan [3], GLY-COSCIENCES.de [4]) are maturing andprovide well-structured glyco-related datathat are awaiting data mining and analysis.With the exciting new developments incarbohydrate arrays and automated MSannotation, the analysis of the glycome hasreached a new level of sophistication, whichrequires broader informatics support. Thistutorial aims to give an overview of thecurrent status of carbohydrate databases, thenewest analytical techniques, as well as theinformatics needed for rapid progress inglycomics research.
Association of the synaptic form of acetylcholinesterase with extracellular matrix in cultured mouse muscle cells

Myotubes of a mouse muscle-cell line (C2) synthesize in culture a 16S form of acetylcholinesterase that is normally found only in regions of adult mouse muscle that contain endplates. The 16S enzyme in C2 cell extracts has the properties expected of acetylcholinesterase forms that have a collagen-like tail. In intact cells, the active site of the 16S acetylcholinesterase is protected by a membrane-impermeable inhibitor, and this form of the enzyme can be removed by treatment of the cells with collagenase. Thus the enzyme is extracellular. Its extraction by high ionic strength solutions lacking detergent suggests that the 16S form is associated with the extracellular matrix by ionic interactions. Histochemical staining shows focal patches of acetylcholinesterase activity on the cell surface. Collagenase treatment, which removes only the 16S form, abolishes this staining pattern, indicating that the patches consist of the 16S enzyme. We conclude that the 16S enzyme in C2 myotubes occurs in focal patches on the cell surface, where it is associated with the extracellular matrix.
Application of stochastic theory to dilute gas reactions

The stochastic approach to chemical kinetics discussed previously is specialized to dilute gas reactions. In this limit the stochastic master equations are Boltzmann equations for which collision theory is used. Internal rearrangement reactions, both in the presence and absence of inert diluent, and bimolecular reactions, in the absence of inert diluent, are discussed in some detail. In the latter case the “reservoir” role must be played by translational and internal degrees of freedom of the reactants (and products) themselves. The rate constants for the reaction can be explicitly calculated in terms of cross sections in both the limit of long-lived (i.e., internally equilibrated) and that of short-lived (decomposing before exchanging energy with other molecules) “activated complexes.” It is found that the Arrhenius temperature factors are identical in these two limits. In addition the “frequency” factors are similar but involve slightly different averages (over energy) of the same cross sections.