cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanism of Selective Urea Permeation through a Bacterial Urea Transporter

In addition to its function as an intermediate in nitrogen metabolism, the small molecule urea plays an important role in the homeostasis of osmolarity and fluid volume in many organisms, including mammals, which concentrate urea in the kidney to produce the osmotic gradient necessary for water re-absorption. Because urea is highly polar and consequently poorly permeable through lipid bilayers, specialized urea transporters have evolved to increase its rate of diffusion across cell membranes. To better understand how urea transporters achieve the rapid and selective transport of urea, we have solved the 2.3 A structure of a urea transporter from the bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris (dvUT), which has significant homology to mammalian urea transporters. The dvUT fold contains two homologous domains related by a two-fold pseudosymmetry axis perpendicular to the plane of the membrane. Each protomer contains a continuous membrane-spanning pore, suggesting that the protein operates by a channel-like rather than transporter-like mechanism. The constricted selectivity filter at the center of pore can accommodate dehydrated urea molecules passing in single file. Urea is stabilized by backbone and side chain oxygen atoms that provide continuous coordination as it progresses through the filter, and by well-positioned α-helix dipoles. We are now using a variety of functional assays to probe the physical and chemical interactions involved in the transport mechanism, as well as interactions between dvUT and various high-affinity UT blockers.
Evaluating the treatment fidelity of parents who conduct in-home functional communication training with coaching via telehealth.

We conducted a retrospective, descriptive evaluation of the fidelity with which parents of three children with autism spectrum disorders conducted functional communication training (FCT) in their homes. All training was provided to the parents via telehealth by a behavior consultant in a tertiary-level hospital setting. FCT trials coached by the behavior consultant were conducted during weekly 1-h visits. Parents made video recordings of treatment trials in which they conducted the procedures independent of coaching. We evaluated the levels of fidelity during coached and independent trials within a multielement design and recorded parents’ omission and commission errors during different components of the treatment over time. The results showed no consistent differentiation between the coached and the independent trials. Some errors (e.g., omission errors associated with reinforcing manding) occurred more frequently overall, but none of the errors appeared to have a strong relationship with treatment outcomes. All children showed substantial reductions in problem behavior during the final treatment trials and especially during the coached trials. These results suggest that behavior analysts can use telehealth to implement FCT with acceptable fidelity and to achieve substantial reductions in children’s problem behavior.
Oversampled optical subband decomposition

A semidiscrete wavelet transform is realized using optical subband decomposition through which a signal is decomposed into translation-invariant subbands. Correspondingly, the translation parameter within each subband is discretized using a CCD array. since the sampling lattice of a CCD array is fixed, the subband signals can be oversampled, critically sampled, or undersampled. The oversampled subband signals contribute to reduced translation dependence and improved robustness. In the presence of additive noise, we show that oversampling reduces the reconstruction error.
The acquisition of compound vs. phrasal stress: the role of prosodic constituents.

This paper investigates the acquisition of compound vs. phrasal stress (hot dog vs. hot dog) in English. This has previously been shown to be acquired quite late, in contrast to recent research showing that infants both perceive and prefer rhythmic patterns in their own language. Subjects (40 children in four groups the averages ages of which are 5;4, 7;2, 9;3 and 11;6 and 10 adults) were shown pairs of pictures representing a compound word and the corresponding phrase. They heard a prerecorded tape with the names of the items, and were asked to indicate which one they heard. In addition to 9 real compounds and corresponding phrases, 9 novel compounds were presented (redcup = invented type of flower vs. red cup). A gradual increase in overall correct scores until age twelve was found along with a significant effect of real vs. novel compounds (p < 0.001), and an overwhelming tendency for the younger children to prefer compounds regardless of stress. We conclude that the results are due to the slow development of the ability to use prosodic information to override a strong lexical bias.
Theoretical study of the first transition row oxides and sulfides

The first transition row oxides and sulfides are studied using several different levels of theory. The calculations show the bonding mechanism in the sulfides and oxides to be very similar. For the oxides, accurate experimental data allow the theoretical methods to be calibrated. The same level of theory is used to study the sulfides where there is far less experimental information. For ScO through MnO and CuO the coupled cluster singles and doubles technique including a perturbational estimate of the unliked triple excitations [CCSD(T)] yields spectroscopic constants ((tau)e, (omega)e, and D0) in good agreement with experiment. The triple excitations are found to be very important in achieving this accuracy. For FeO to NiO, the single determinant self-consistent-field (SCF) approach yields pi orbitals that are localized on the metal or oxygen. This appears to cause problems for the single reference techniques; this is discussed in detail for NiO. The complete-active-space SCF/internally contracted averaged coupled pair functional approach (CASSCF/ICACPF) works well for FeO to NiO. The calculation of accurate dipole moments is found to be very difficult.
Cement-Based Waste forms for Disposal of Savannah River Plant Low-Level Radioactive Salt Waste

Defense waste processing at the Savannah River Plant will include decontamination and disposal of approximately 100 million liters of soluble salts containing primarily NaNO/sub 3/, NaOH, NaNO/sub 2/, NaAl(OH)/sub 4/, and Na/sub 2/SO/sub 4/. A cement-based waste form, saltstone, has been designed for disposal of Savannah River Plant low-level radioactive salt waste. Bulk properties of this material have been tailored with respect to salt leach rate, permeability, and compressive strength. Microstructure and mineralogy of leached and unleached specimens were characterized by SEM and x-ray diffraction analyses, respectively. It has been concluded that the salt leach rate can be limited so that amounts of salt and radionuclides in the groundwater at the perimeter of the 100-acre disposal site will not exceed EPA drinking water standards. 7 references, 4 figures, 6 tables.
Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cultivar tolerance to sulfentrazone

Abstract Sulfentrazone has excellent soil activity on many small-seeded broadleaf weeds, however, soybean injury in field experiments has been noted under certain environmental conditions. Injury levels in these field experiments have appeared to differ in severity among soybean cultivars. Growth chamber studies were initiated with the objective of examining the suspected differences in tolerance among soybean cultivars. Over 40 soybean cultivars, selected from the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection, were tested for tolerance to sulfentrazone. The soybean cultivars were grown under constant conditions in a growth chamber in a soil mix treated with sulfentrazone at 0.28 kg ai ha −1 preemergence. Ratings of plant injury and measurement of height and biomass reduction were made 14 days after treatment and compared to the respective untreated check plants of each cultivar. Notable differences in tolerance to sulfentrazone across the cultivars were observed. The cultivars were divided into three groups based on plant response and classified as having either high, medium, or low tolerance to sulfentrazone. Results of this study suggest that cultivar selection may lower the risk of early season injury to soybean and potential yield reductions.
CATION-EXCHANGE SEPARATION OF SCANDIUM FROM THE RARE-EARTH ELEMENTS.

Abstract From certain organic solvents containing organic phosphorus compounds such as trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO), bis(2-ethylhexyl)orthophosphoric acid (HDEHP), or tri-n-butylphosphate (TBP) and hydrochloric acid, scandium is much less retained on the strongly acidic cation-exchange resin Dowex 50 than are all other members of the rare-earth group. Thus on this resin in a medium which is 95% tetrahydrofuran, 5% 6 M hydrochloric acid, and 0.1 M TOPO, the separation factor for scandium-rare earths is greater than 4 × 103 (corresponding to distribution coefficients of 4 × 103 for all the other rare-earth elements). By the use of this system a complete and highly effective separation of tracer and macro quantities of scandium from the rare earths can be achieved on a column of this exchanger. Among the organic solvents investigated, tetrahydrofuran gives the best results. The effectiveness of the organic extractants increases in the order TBP < HDEHP < TOPO
Large Mammals in Lower Rampart Cave 1, Alaska: Interspecific Utilization of an Eastern Beringian Cave

Lower Rampart Cave 1 is a small shelter located in a riverine setting with rolling hills in northeastern Alaska (USA). The fill deposit consists of a cryogenic breccia with calcic Pleistocene and organic Holocene sediments in which there are 12 radiocarbon ages that range between 3500 and 38,000 years. The Pleistocene fauna consists mostly of limb and extremity skeletal elements of extinct herbivores, and the Holocene fauna includes numerous deciduous teeth and ravaged limbs and ribs from a bear skeleton. Carnivores periodically utilized the cave as a homesite during the Pleistocene and Holocene, and humans preyed on a hibernating bear in the later Holocene. The taphonomic history of the large mammalian faunas and a review of Beringian carnivore behavior reveals a model of interspecific utilization of small caves. The artifactual material and associated features indicate that cultural deposits are clearly demonstrated in this small arctic cave. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Self-adjusting controllers for linear systems with correlated disturbances

Abstract An approach to the design of self-adjusting controllers is studied when the various disturbances affecting the controlled system are correlated both in time and with each other. The over-all control problem is separated into two problems: the optimum control problem and the prediction problem. The optimum control is formulated using dynamic programming and the prediction problem is solved with the help of Wiener-Masani predictor. An attempt is also made to obtain an adaptive control program when some of the statistical parameters of the process are unknown. The control is real-time, closed-loop, and may be carried out with the help of an “on-line” digital computer.
The temperature and radius of the white dwarf Stein 2051B

The temperature, radius, and other atmospheric parameters are derived for the cool DC white dwarf Stein 2051B (=G175-34B=EG 180), whose mass was recently determined by Strand. New spectrophotometric scans of this star and its dwarf M companion are discussed; these and existing Stroemgren photometry are fitted to model atmospheres with hydrogen/metal deficient compositions, and a temperature of 7050 +- 400 K is determined. The resulting radius of 0.0111 +- 0.0015 R/sub sun/ is marginally smaller than that of 40 Eri B. (AIP)
Synthesis of active site-directed organometallic irreversible protease inhibitors.

Abstract p- Antimonybenzenesulfonyl fluoride and p- mercurybenzenesulfonyl fluoride irreversibly inhibit chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.21.1), trypsin (EC 3.4.21.4), and chromosomal protease, and these inhibitors appear to be as active as phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride. The pretreatment of the proteases interferes with the phosphorylation of the active-site serine by diisopropylfluorophosphate suggesting that the organometallic inhibitors may also interact with the active site serine. The organometallic inhibitors may be used for localization of proteases in different parts of the cell by electron microscopy and p- mercurybenzenesulfonyl fluoride could also be used for isolation of proteases by sulfhydryl affinity chromatography.
Imaging of angiogenesis: from microscope to clinic

Advances in imaging are transforming our understanding of angiogenesis and the evaluation of drugs that stimulate or inhibit angiogenesis in preclinical models and human disease. Vascular imaging makes it possible to quantify the number and spacing of blood vessels, measure blood flow and vascular permeability, and analyze cellular and molecular abnormalities in blood vessel walls. Microscopic methods ranging from fluorescence, confocal and multiphoton microscopy to electron microscopic imaging are particularly useful for elucidating structural and functional abnormalities of angiogenic blood vessels. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), ultrasonography and optical imaging provide noninvasive, functionally relevant images of angiogenesis in animals and humans. An ongoing dilemma is, however, that microscopic methods provide their highest resolution on preserved tissue specimens, whereas clinical methods give images of living tissues deep within the body but at much lower resolution and specificity and generally cannot resolve vessels of the microcirculation. Future challenges include developing new imaging methods that can bridge this resolution gap and specifically identify angiogenic vessels. Another goal is to determine which microscopic techniques are the best benchmarks for interpreting clinical images. The importance of angiogenesis in cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases, age-related macular degeneration and reversal of ischemic heart and limb disease provides incentive for meeting these challenges.
Technical note GPS location data An aid to satellite image analyses of poorly mapped regions

Abstract In inaccessible and highly heterogeneous areas where aerial photography and accurate up-to-date topographic maps are unavailable and where suitable features for ground-based navigation by triangulation are absent, accurately locating ground truth sites and then integrating the field data with digital imagery is often extremely difficult. The advent of the satellite global positioning system (GPS) offers a solution to this problem. Over a 6 month period a battery powered, solar recharged, backpack mounted GPS was used to collect the precise location data essential to the ground truth component of a Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) landcover classification of the Ituri rain forest of northeastern Zaire. Three-dimensional locations were readily obtained in forest openings > 0·125 ha where the angle to the horizon did not exceed 50° and canopy closure was less than 30 per cent. GPS location data are presently being used to reference a TM scene geographically and to assign pixels to appropriate landcover ...
Prevalence and risk factors for HIV among sniffers, short-term injectors, and long-term injectors of heroin.

Abstract The prevalence of HIV and associated risk behaviors were assessed among three groups of heroin users: long term injection drug users (LTIDUs). new injection drug users (NIDUs), and heroin sniffers (HSs) with no history of injection. HIV seroprevalence was similar among NIDUs (13.3%) and HSs (12.7%). LTIDUs had almost twice as high a level of HIV infection (24.7%). A fter including drug use and sex behavior variables in logistic regression models, both drug and sexual risk factors remained in the models. Attributable risk percent (APR) from injection for HIV infection among injection drug users was estimated to be 55.7% for LTIDUs and 5.8% for NIDUs. High-risk sex behavior plays an important role in the prevalence of HIV among drug users and accounts for nearly all the infection among NIDUs. Both injection and sexual risk behaviors need to be stressed in HIV prevention and intervention programs aimed at drug users.
The kinetics of 32P incorporation into the phospholipids of hepatic rough and smooth microsomal membranes of male and female rats.

Abstract After the administration of 32PO4 iv to male and female rats the activity in the serum falls off as a biphasic curve with a short half-life of 55 and 40 min in males and females, respectively, and a long half-life of 960 and 880 min, respectively. There is a rapid uptake of activity into the soluble fraction of the liver (t 1 2 = 47 min in males; 59 min in females). The uptake of activity into the major phospholipid components is the same for rough and smooth microsomal membrane fractions. On the other hand in each fraction the various components have markedly different uptake rates. The phosphatidylethanolamine shows 10 times the specific activity of the others at 40 min in males but only twice the others in females. In female rats at 6 hr the specific activities of the phosphatidylethanolamine and sphingomyelin were lower in the smooth than rough membranes. In vitro, microsomes from male rats incorporated 4.1 × 10−4 ng of P/(min — ng phospholipid P) from γ-32P-ATP into rough membranes and only 2.9 × 10−4 into smooth. The incorporation was primarily into the phosphatidylethanolamine. The ability of smooth membranes, which do not synthesize protein, to incorporate 32P both in vivo and in vitro and the widely divergent rates of incorporation for the various phospholipid components suggest that the hepatic endoplasmic reticulum does not fit the unit membrane model.
Privatization Debates in Russia: 1989–1992

This article focuses on the relation between economics and ideology. Privatization in Russia is used to demonstrate how much economists are influenced by their ideological concepts which often affect the minds of professionals much more than empirical data and theorems. I hypothesize that the ideology of privatization emerged as a necessary weapon in the fight against the totalitarian socialist state and its ideology of praising public property and central planning as necessary conditions for efficient economic growth.
Patient Throughput Benefits of Triage Liaison Providers are Lost in a Resource Neutral Model: A Prospective Trial

Objectives Patient throughput is an increasingly important cause of emergency department (ED) crowding. The authors previously reported shorter patient length-of-stay (LOS) when adding a triage liaison provider, which required additional personnel. Here, the objective was to evaluate the effect of moving a fast track provider to the triage liaison role.
Interaction of NH3 with oxygen-predosed Ni(111)

We have used ESDIAD (electron stimulated desorption ion angular distributions), LEED and thermal desorption to study the structure and kinetics of NH3 interacting with preadsorbed oxygen on a Ni(111) surface. We find evidence for a striking effect: Traces of preadsorbed oxygen will induce a high degree of azimuthal ordering in a fractional monolayer of adsorbed NH3 molecules; the H ligands are oriented azimuthally in the [112] directions. In contrast, adsorption of NH3 on a clean Ni(111) surface results in random azimuthal orientation of the NH3 molecules, which are bound to the metal via the N atom with H pointing away from the surface. Even for very low oxygen coverages, θo ∼0.05 (annealed layer), the majority of NH3 is azimuthally oriented, so that one O atom influences more than one NH3 molecule. LEED reveals that long range order is absent in the composite NH3 + O overlayer. Thermal desorption reveals that the presence of O leads to an increase in NH3 desorption energy. We postulate that the NH3 interacts with atomic O via a hydrogen bond, leading to local azimuthal ordering in the absence of long range order.
Cockroach tissueIn Vitro: A system for the study of insect cell biology

Anin vitro technique of culturing insect tissue is described in which isolated tissues and cells of the cockroach,Leucophaea maderae (F.), are maintained in a chemically defined nutrient medium. The system can be used for three types of cultures: organ cultures of nymphal leg regenerates for endocrine studies; drop cultures of embryo leg tissue for screening biologically active chemicals; and dispersed embryo cell cultures for physiological studies at the cellular and subcellular levels. The dispersed cultures show measurable mitotic rates and can be maintained as long as 170 days without adding undefined substances to the medium.
Merging maps of multiple robots

Merging local maps, acquired by multiple robots, into a global map, (also known as map merging) is one of the important issues faced by virtually all cooperative exploration techniques. We present a novel and simple solution to the problem of map merging by reducing it to the problem of SLAM of a single ?virtual? robot. The individual local maps and their shape information constitute the sensor information for the virtual robot. This approach allows us to adapt the framework of Rao-Blackwellized particle filtering used in SLAM of a single robot for the problem of map merging.
Globalization of Engineering and Construction Legal Issues

During the twenty-first century engineering and construction professionals will be dealing with challenges that they did not have to address in the twentieth century that are being created by the rapidly increasing globalization of the world. People throughout the world are now irrevocably linked by telecommunications systems and the media. In addition to innovative technical processes, political, social, and economic events are changing how engineers and constructors will interface with the rest of the world. Engineering and construction professionals EC therefore, engineers and constructors may have to rely on purchasing materials in the global marketplace, which requires an understanding of how to negotiate and implement international contracts. Engineering and construction firms are no longer only competing against other domestic firms for construction materials, now they must compete against foreign firms for scarce materials. The price of structural steel members doubled during 2005, along with similar price increases for timber products. Now, steel is mainly being produced by Pacific Rim nations. The virgin forests of North America, as well as the forests in many other countries, have been denuded, and building materials are now being made of compressed wood chips laminated wood , which are replacing virgin wood as a structural building component. The quality of construction materials is steadily declining, because of relaxed safety requirements in nations where construction materials are being produced or fabricated, and designs might have to be adjusted to accommodate these lower quality materials. Because firms are forced to compete for scare resources that are produced by firms in foreign countries, they are influenced by global legal issues even if they are only domestic E&C firms. When domestic firms no longer produce or process the raw materials and components used in domestic construction projects, E&C firms have to compete for scarce materials in the global marketplace, which requires an understanding of the legal issues and contract implementation processes that surface when working with global suppliers, fabricators, and foreign E&C firms. When E&C personnel work on construction projects in foreign countries, they work with personnel from the host nation as well as with personnel from other countries, because clients usually hire foreign nationals from several nations to obtain the technical
A chemical rescue screen identifies a Plasmodium falciparum apicoplast inhibitor targeting MEP isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis

The apicoplast is an essential plastid organelle found in Plasmodium parasites which contains several clinically validated antimalarial-drug targets. A chemical rescue screen identified MMV-08138 from the "Malaria Box" library of growth-inhibitory antimalarial compounds as having specific activity against the apicoplast. MMV-08138 inhibition of blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum growth is stereospecific and potent, with the most active diastereomer demonstrating a 50% effective concentration (EC50) of 110 nM. Whole-genome sequencing of 3 drug-resistant parasite populations from two independent selections revealed E688Q and L244I mutations in P. falciparum IspD, an enzyme in the MEP (methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate) isoprenoid precursor biosynthesis pathway in the apicoplast. The active diastereomer of MMV-08138 directly inhibited PfIspD activity in vitro with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 7.0 nM. MMV-08138 is the first PfIspD inhibitor to be identified and, together with heterologously expressed PfIspD, provides the foundation for further development of this promising antimalarial drug candidate lead. Furthermore, this report validates the use of the apicoplast chemical rescue screen coupled with target elucidation as a discovery tool to identify specific apicoplast-targeting compounds with new mechanisms of action.
In and across bureaucracy: structural and administrative issues for the tobacco endgame

This article assesses the structural choices for the proposed tobacco endgame strategies. I focus on the issues associated with particular structural choices for the location of the implementation. Specifically, I discuss issues related to implementation of the endgame within a specific single agency, and issues related to a more widespread, broad implementation involving several agencies. Where appropriate, I provide examples of how the dynamics discussed would apply to particular endgame strategies. Issues related to design, administration, authority and finances are raised.
Acute pancreatitis in aging animals: loss of pancreatitis-associated protein protection?

AIM: To investigate the effect of age on severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) using biochemical markers, histology and expression of the protective pancreatitis-associated proteins (PAPs). METHODS: AP was induced via intraductal injection of 4% sodium taurocholate in young and old rats. Sera and pancreata were assayed at 24 h for the parameters listed above; we also employed a novel molecular technique to assess bacterial infiltration using polymerase chain reaction to measure bacterial genomic ribosomal RNA. RESULTS: At 24 h after induction of AP, the pancreata of older animals had less edema (mean ± SE histologic score of young vs old: 3.11 ± 0.16 vs 2.50 ± -0.11, P < 0.05), decreased local inflammatory response (histologic score of stromal infiltrate: 3.11 ± 0.27 vs 2.00 ± 0.17, P < 0.05) and increased bacterial infiltration (174% ± 52% increase from sham vs 377% ± 4%, P < 0.05). A decreased expression of PAP1 and PAP2 was demonstrated by Western blotting analysis and immunohistochemical staining. There were no differences in serum amylase and lipase activity, or tissue myeloperoxidase or monocyte chemotactic protein-1 levels. However, in the most-aged group, serum C-reactive protein levels were higher (young vs old: 0.249 ± 0.04 mg/dL vs 2.45 ± 0.68 mg/dL, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In older animals, there is depressed PAP expression related to a blunted inflammatory response in AP which is associated with worsened bacterial infiltration and higher C-reactive protein level; this may explain the more aggressive clinical course.
Homeostatic and toxic mechanisms regulating manganese uptake, retention, and elimination

This review attempts to summarize and clarify our basic knowledge as to the various factors that potentially influence the risks imposed from chronic exposure to high atmospheric levels of manganese (Mn). The studies describe the interrelationship of the different systems in the body that regulate Mn homeostasis by characterizing specific, biological components involved in its systemic and cellular uptake and its elimination from the body. A syndrome known as manganism occurs when individuals are exposed chronically to high levels of Mn, consisting of reduced response speed, intellectual deficits, mood changes, and compulsive behaviors in the initial stages of the disorder to more prominent and irreversible extrapyramidal dysfunction resembling Parkinson’s disease upon protracted exposure. Mn intoxication is most often associated with occupations in which abnormally high atmospheric concentrations prevail, such as in welding and mining. There are three potentially important routes by which Mn in inspired air can gain access the body to: 1) direct uptake into the CNS via uptake into the olfactory or trigeminal presynaptic nerve endings located in the nasal mucosa and the subsequent retrograde axonal transport directly into the CNS; 2) transport across the pulmonary epithelial lining and its subsequent deposition into lymph or blood; and/or 3) mucocilliary elevator clearance from the lung and the subsequent ingestion of the metal in the gastrointestinal tract. Each of these processes and their overall contribution to the uptake of Mn in the body is discussed in this review as well as a description of the various mechanisms that have been proposed for the transport of Mn across the bloodbrain barrier which include both a transferrin-dependent and a transferrin-independent process that may involve store-operated Ca channels. Key terms: manganese, iron, lung, Parkinson’s disease, divalent metal transporter (DMT1), transferrin, transferrin receptor
Recovery of impaired songs following unilateral but not bilateral lesions of nucleus uvaeformis of adult zebra finches

Zebra finches utilize neural circuits in both cerebral hemispheres to produce their learned songs. Although direct reciprocal connections do not exist between song control nuclei across hemispheres, premotor activity in these nuclei during singing is precisely and continuously coordinated between the hemispheres. We hypothesized that this interhemispheric coordination is mediated by bilateral feedback projections from medullary and midbrain song control nuclei to the thalamic song control nucleus uvaeformis (Uva). Consistent with our hypothesis, bilateral lesions of Uva severely impaired singing. This impairment was long-lasting, as it persisted for at least 35 days after the lesions. Unilateral lesions of Uva on either side also resulted in an immediate singing impairment. However, song recovered substantially after less than 15 days, suggesting a possible compensation by the unlesioned side. Although the acoustic structure of individual syllables recovered fully after unilateral lesioning, subtle changes in the sequencing of syllables were observed after song recovery, suggesting that the lesion led to an alteration in the functioning of the remaining song control network. These results demonstrate that the adult songbird brain can adjust to damage to certain parts of the song control network and recover from their associated singing deficits. The well-identified and localized central neural pathways mediating birdsong production provide an advantageous model system to analyze systematically the sensorimotor contexts and the specific sites and mechanisms for behavioral recovery following partial damage to a behavior-producing neural circuit.
Determining the Breadth of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Specific T Cell Response

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of viral lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under the age of 5. Studies examining RSV infection in susceptible BALB/c mice indicate that both CD4 and CD8 T cells not only contribute to viral clearance but also facilitate RSV-induced disease. However, efforts to understand the mechanisms by which RSV-specific T cells mediate disease following acute RSV infection have been hampered by the lack of defined RSV-specific T cell epitopes. Using an overlapping peptide library spanning each of the RSV-derived proteins, intracellular cytokine staining for gamma interferon was utilized to identify novel RSV-specific CD4 and CD8 T cell epitopes. Five novel CD8 T cell epitopes were revealed within the RSV fusion (F) protein and glycoprotein (G). In addition, five previously unidentified CD4 T cell epitopes were discovered, including epitopes in the phosphoprotein (P), polymerase protein (L), M2-1 protein, and nucleoprotein (N). Though the initial CD4 T cell epitopes were 15 amino acids in length, synthesis of longer peptides increased the frequency of responding CD4 T cells. Our results indicate that CD4 T cell epitopes that are 17 amino acids in length result in more optimal CD4 T cell stimulation than the commonly used 15-mer peptides. IMPORTANCE Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of hospitalization for lower respiratory tract infection in children. T cells play a critical role in clearing an acute RSV infection, as well as contributing to RSV-induced disease. Here we examined the breadth of the RSV-specific T cell response, using for the first time an overlapping peptide library spanning the entire viral genome. We identified 5 new CD4 and 5 new CD8 T cell epitopes, including a CD8 T cell epitope within the G protein that was previously believed not to elicit a CD8 T cell response. Importantly, we also demonstrated that the use of longer, 17-mer peptides elicits a higher frequency of responding CD4 T cells than the more commonly used 15-mer peptides. Our results demonstrate the breadth of the CD4 and CD8 T cell response to RSV and demonstrate the importance of using longer peptides when stimulating CD4 T cell responses.
Novel strategies for relapsed and refractory acute myeloid leukemia.

Purpose of reviewTreatment for relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia remains a major challenge for the leukemia community. Although several approaches have been tested in phase II study designs, few comparative data exist to guide treatment choices. We searched the recent literature in Medli
The Shield of Heracles and the legend of Cycnus

Much has been written on the genesis of the pseudo-hesiodic Shield of Heracles — so much, that true progress is difficult to discern among the welter of theories. But some has been made, although the conclusions that have been reached must be regarded as likely hypotheses rather than proven facts. In this article I propose to proceed from some of these conclusions, ensuring that they are as firmly grounded as possible, to an assessment of how this poem's version of the combat of Heracles and Cycnus relates to the likely circumstances and occasion of its original performance. This will involve considering the legend's variants (including one from the Cycle that has not been discussed in relation to the Aspis), and a new look at the first half of the Homeric Hymn to Pythian Apollo.
A semiparametric approach for marker gene selection based on gene expression data

Motivation: Identification of differentially expressed genes is a major issue in gene expression data analysis and selection of marker genes is critical in tumor classification using gene expression data. In this paper, we propose a semiparametric two-sample test to identify both differentially expressed genes and select marker genes for sample classification. Results: A simulation study shows that the proposed method is more robust and powerful than the methods, generally used such as t-tests and non-parametric rank-sum tests, when the sample size is small. Cross-validation shows that the sample classification based on genes selected using this semiparametric method has lower misclassification rates. Contact: hongyu.zhao@yale.edu
Modeling the spontaneous ignition of coal stockpiles

The spontaneous ignition of coal stockpiles is a serious economic and safety problem. This phenomenon is analyzed using the approach of modern reaction engineering, which is made challenging by the nonlinear interactions of chemical reaction, heat transfer, and buoyancy-driven flows within and around the stockpile. A model developed represents reaction and transport within a realistically-shaped stockpile and transport and flow in the surrounding air. A new methodology based on the Galerkin finite-element method (Salinger, 1993b) allows for efficient solution of flows in both porous and open domains. Bifurcation analysis is used to track steady-state model solutions of relevant parameters, such as the Damkohler number (dimensionless reaction rate), Rayleigh number (dimensionless driving force for buoyant flow), and dimensionless permeability of the stockpile. The solutions provide an understanding of the roles of various transport mechanisms on the ignition behavior and nonlinear coupling between these mechanisms. Results clearly demonstrate the need for incorporating realistic descriptions of flow and transport in the surrounding air into the model.
Methods of canonical analysis for functional data

Abstract We consider estimates for functional canonical correlations and canonical weight functions. Four computational methods for the estimation of functional canonical correlation and canonical weight functions are proposed and compared, including one which is a slight variation of the spline method proposed by Leurgans et al. (J. Roy. Statist. Soc. Ser. B 55 (1993) 725). We propose dimension reduction and dimension augmentation procedures to address the dimensionality problems of functional canonical analysis (FCA) that are associated with computational break-down. Cross-validation is used for the automatic selection of tuning parameters, based on the minimax property of FCA. This allows to estimate several canonical correlations and canonical weight functions simultaneously and reasonably well as we show in simulations. The proposed estimation methods are compared and their use is demonstrated with medfly mortality data.
Laterally-excited silicon bulk acoustic resonators with sidewall AlN

This paper presents lateral silicon bulk acoustic resonators that are piezoelectrically excited using a thin layer of AlN on their vertical sidewalls. Sputtered AlN coats the sidewalls of a 20 um thick resonator conformally and uniformly, enabling the excitation of width-extensional modes in a suspended silicon microstructure using the longitudinal piezoelectric stress coefficient e 33 . A motional resistance of ∼35 Ω was measured in air for a 100 MHz silicon resonator, showing at least ten times smaller motional resistance compared to its capacitive counterpart.
Specificity of motoneuron projection patterns during development of the bullfrog tadpole (Rana catesbeiana)

The pattern of connectivity between motoneurons of the lumbar lateral motor column (LMC) and hindlimb regions was examined in bullfrog tadpoles (Rana catesbeiana) over the course of larval development. The purpose of this study was to determine if a period of relatively imprecise connectivity, such has been found in the toad Xenopus laevis (Lamb, '76), could be identified. Patterns of connectivity were assessed by placing small amounts of the retrogradely transported enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) into discrete hindlimb regions and mapping the locations of labeled motoneuron somata along the transverse and longitudinal axes of the LMC. The distribution of labeled motoneurons was as circumscribed in the youngest animals studied (st. IV of Taylor and Kollros, '46), before mesenchymal condensation into distinct myotubes, as in metamorphic or adult animals. This finding that the pattern of neuromuscular connectivity is as precise early in development as in mature animals is consistent with previous studies of chick hindlimb (Landmesser, '78). The relevance of these results to the hypothesis that naturally occurring cell death plays a substantial part in molding the mature pattern of neuromuscular connectivity (Lamb, '77) is discussed.
Membrane traffic in animal cells: Cellular glycoproteins return to the site of Golgi mannosidase I

The recycling of cellular glycoproteins to the site of Golgi mannosidase I, an enzyme of asparagine-linked oligosaccharide synthesis, was studied in K562 human erythroleukemia cells. Cells were metabolically labeled in the presence of deoxymannojirimycin, a reversible inhibitor of Golgi mannosidase I. This generates glycoproteins with immature oligosaccharides in their normal locations. Transport to the mannosidase I compartment was then assessed by testing for the conversion of oligosaccharides into mature forms during reculture without deoxymannojirimycin. Transferrin receptor (TfR) was acted on by mannosidase I during reculture, suggesting that it returned to the region of the Golgi complex where this enzyme resides. The slow rate of this transport (t1/2 greater than 6 h) implies that it is probably different than TfR movement during transferrin internalization (t1/2 = 10-20 min) and TfR transport to the sialyltransferase compartment in the Golgi complex (t1/2 = 2-3 h) (Snider, M. D., and O. C. Rogers, 1985, J. Cell Biol., 100:826-834). The total cell glycoprotein pool was also transported to the mannosidase I compartment with a half-time of 4 h. Because this transport is 5-10 times faster than the rate of de novo glycoprotein synthesis in these cells, it is likely that most of the glycoprotein traffic through the Golgi complex is composed of recycling molecules.
Spontaneous retroperitoneal hemorrhage secondary to a renal cause

Spontaneous rupture of normal renal parenchyma must indeed be rare. Virtually all patients in this paper had a significant abnormality that presented with bleeding. Our Case 5 is the only one without a clear underlying pathologic entity. We should stress the high incidence of associated disease in kidneys that bleed “spontaneously” and therefore the need for exploration and/or nephrectomy.
Unsupervised Learning of Narrative Schemas and their Participants

We describe an unsupervised system for learning narrative schemas, coherent sequences or sets of events (arrested(POLICE, SUSPECT), convicted(JUDGE, SUSPECT)) whose arguments are filled with participant semantic roles defined over words (Judge = {judge, jury, court}, Police = {police, agent, authorities}). Unlike most previous work in event structure or semantic role learning, our system does not use supervised techniques, hand-built knowledge, or predefined classes of events or roles. Our unsupervised learning algorithm uses coreferring arguments in chains of verbs to learn both rich narrative event structure and argument roles. By jointly addressing both tasks, we improve on previous results in narrative/frame learning and induce rich frame-specific semantic roles.
Captures of two leafroller moth species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in traps baited with varying dosages of pheromone lures or commercial mating-disruption dispensers in untreated and pheromone-treated orchard plots

A 2-year study conducted in 0.6-ha apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) blocks examined the effects of treatment with pheromone rope dispensers on captures of the obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris, 1841), and the redbanded leafroller, Argyrotaenia velutinana (Walker, 1863), in traps baited with varying dosages of pheromone lures or Isomate®-OBLR/PLR Plus pheromone rope dispensers. In untreated blocks, captures of male A. velutinana were high and did not differ among (i) traps baited with a standard lure loading used to monitor this pest, (ii) lure loadings 10 and 100 times the standard loading, and (iii) traps baited with an Isomate-OBLR/PLR Plus pheromone rope dispenser. In pheromone-treated blocks, captures of A. velutinana in traps were reduced 94%–99% for all loadings tested (up to 1000 times the standard loading). The results for C. rosaceana were different. In untreated blocks in 2002, traps baited with 10 or 30 standard lures captured significantly more C. rosaceana than traps baited with a single standard lure; however, in 2003, traps baited with the standard lure loading captured significantly more moths than traps baited with 100 and 1000 times the standard loading. Also, traps baited with Isomate-OBLR/PLR Plus pheromone rope dispensers captured significantly fewer C. rosaceana than traps with standard lures in untreated blocks. In pheromone-treated blocks, traps baited with standard monitoring lures and lures with higher loadings (10 and 1000 times the standard) captured equivalent numbers of C. rosaceana; the capture of moths was reduced by only 50%–71%. We conclude that Isomate-OBLR/PLR Plus pheromone rope dispensers deployed in Michigan, United States of America, are effective in disrupting orientation of A. velutinana; however, they are not very effective for C. rosaceana. In addition, increasing lure loading above that of 1× monitoring lures (rubber septa or membrane type) does not appear to reliably increase the effectiveness of monitoring of males of either leafroller species in orchards where pheromone ropes are deployed at recommended densities.
Towed-body trajectory tracking in aerial recovery of micro air vehicle in the presence of wind

This paper presents a method for recovering Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) in flight using a mothership and towed drogue, in which the mothership executes an orbit that places the drogue in a stable, slower orbit that can be tracked by a MAV. This paper is particularly challenging in the presence of wind. The equations of motion of the cable using an elastic model are presented. Based on the differential flatness of the system with the knowledge of the wind, the desired mothership trajectory can be calculated from the desired drogue orbit. A Lyapunov-based controller derived using backstepping is proposed that enables tracking error of mothership to exponentially converge to an ultimate bound, where the size of the ultimate bound is a function of the unknown portion of the wind. Simulation results verify the feasibility of the approach.
Mucinous Expression in Benign and Neoplastic Glandular Lesions of the Uterine Cervix

Abstract Context.—Mucins are glycoproteins produced by both normal and neoplastic glandular epithelial cells including endocervix. Objective.—To determine the expression of mucins in uterine cervical glandular lesions and whether mucin expression correlates with the nature and origin of the glandular lesions. Design.—Antibodies to MUC1, MUC2, MUC4, and MUC5AC were applied on 52 cases including 14 endocervical adenocarcinomas (including 4 adenosquamous carcinomas), 9 endometrial carcinomas (8 endometrioid adenocarcinomas and 1 adenosquamous carcinoma), 8 adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), 2 glandular dysplasias, 6 tubal metaplasias, 10 microglandular hyperplasias, and 3 normal endocervix. The presence of any staining was considered positive. Results.—All benign endocervical epithelia, including tubal metaplasia and microglandular hyperplasia, expressed MUC1, MUC4, and MUC5AC but not MUC2. Almost all endocervical AIS and carcinomas and all endometrial adenocarcinomas expressed MUC1; the exceptions were 2 cases o...
China's Practice of Credit Guarantee Schemes

This paper examines the evolvement, categories, legal basis, operating characteristics, and key concerns of credit guarantee schemes (CGSs) in China. It aims at providing background note on China’s CGS as well as useful references for the sustainable development of China’s CGS.