cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intrinsic histone-DNA interactions are not the major determinant of nucleosome positions in vivo

We assess the role of intrinsic histone-DNA interactions by mapping nucleosomes assembled in vitro on genomic DNA. Nucleosomes strongly prefer yeast DNA over Escherichia coli DNA, indicating that the yeast genome evolved to favor nucleosome formation. Many yeast promoter and terminator regions intrinsically disfavor nucleosome formation, and nucleosomes assembled in vitro show strong rotational positioning. Nucleosome arrays generated by the ACF assembly factor have fewer nucleosome-free regions, reduced rotational positioning and less translational positioning than obtained by intrinsic histone-DNA interactions. Notably, nucleosomes assembled in vitro have only a limited preference for specific translational positions and do not show the pattern observed in vivo. Our results argue against a genomic code for nucleosome positioning, and they suggest that the nucleosomal pattern in coding regions arises primarily from statistical positioning from a barrier near the promoter that involves some aspect of transcriptional initiation by RNA polymerase II.
Zero-point noise in a nonstationary dielectric cavity

The vacuum field in a dielectric cavity where the medium has a rapidly changing time-dependent refractive index exhibits nonclassical features that are directly related to the distortion of the vacuum fluctuations of the field. For appropriate parameters, these nonclassical effects are appreciable enough that a suitable measure of the change in the zero-point noise of the cavity field could provide a way to probe distortions of the vacuum fluctuations. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Temperature and time-dependence of the elastic moduli of Pu and Pu-Ga alloys

Abstract In previous work, on cooling from 300 K to 10 K the elastic moduli for both α- and δ-Pu dropped 30%. This large change may reflect effects of 5f-electron localization. In this work, the elastic moduli at ambient temperature of several Pu–Ga alloys were measured using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS). The strong temperature dependence of the bulk and shear modulus and the temperature independence of Poisson's ratio was confirmed and the upper temperature limit for α-Pu was extended to 360 K. Measurements of the time dependence of the shear moduli of Pu and Pu–2.36 at.% Ga were determined with high precision as a function of time and temperature. Using a model for time dependence of point defects, we determined the exponential time constant at ambient temperature for such variations. The low temperature results are consistent with Fluss [1] .
Flow Cytometric and Immunophenotypic Evaluation of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in Dog Bone Marrow

Monoclonal antibodies provide powerful tools for detection of lineage-specific markers on hematopoietic cells. We used the combination of cell morphology, cytochemistry, flow cytometric scatter plot analysis, and labeling of cells with 6 monoclonal antibodies to detect and subclassify lymphocytic leukemia in bone marrow from 5 dogs. Antibodies included anti-CD18 (a panleukocyte marker), anti-MHC class II (detects most B and T lymphocytes and monocyte/macrophages), anti-Thy-1 (a pan-T-lymphocyte and monocyte/macrophage marker), anti-CD3 (a pan-T-lymphocyte marker), anti-CD21 (a B-lymphocyte marker), and anti-CD14 (a monocyte/macrophage marker). Of the 5 dogs evaluated, 2 were categorized as acute T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia, 2 as acute non-T, non-B lymphoblastic leukemia, and 1 as acute B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia. Results of this study indicate marked variation in the morphology and immunophenotype of canine lymphocytic leukemia.
Application of doubled-angle phase correction method to time-resolved step-scan FT-IR spectra

Abstract To increase the sensitivity with which time-resolved Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) difference spectra are measured, the detector is often AC-coupled. Thus, the measured interferograms correspond to spectra with both positive and negative intensities. The presence of signed intensities presents problems for the standard Mertz and Forman phase correction methods. The Mertz Signed phase correction method was designed to handle signed intensities, but the smoothing inherent in calculating the phase angles at reduced resolution introduces other errors in AC-coupled spectra produced with this algorithm. These errors are evident as signal remaining along the imaginary axis after phase correction. A new approach to phase correction, the Doubled-Angle method, can directly correct the phases of transient AC-coupled spectra without the need for a DC interferogram [M.S. Hutson, M.S. Braiman, Appl. Spectrosc. 52 (1998) 974]. When this method was applied to the transient AC interferograms measured after photolysis of bacteriorhodopsin, the signal was fully rotated onto the real axis following phase correction. Here, we show that the Doubled-Angle method can be applied to time-resolved difference FT-IR spectra of halorhodopsin, a more demanding biological system due to its intrinsically small differential absorption signals.
A Photon-Mapping Informed Chan-Vese Segmentation Algorithm to Enable Multispectral Sensing and Path-Planning in 3D Virtual Environments

Understanding how to provide better surveillance in areas not viewable by visible light can arrive by modeling a virtual environment illuminated by photons in the non-visible spectrum and providing the mobile sensing platforms (MSPs) populating these environments with the tools to maximize their sensing capabilities. In order to enhance MSP sensing ability as well as enable MSP route path-planning, we propose a 3D segmentation algorithm based upon the Chan-Vese method to create a connected 3D mesh within the MSPs' photon-mapping-illuminated virtual environment. The resulting segmentation mesh's vertices contain more photons to be sensed by an MSP traversing the mesh than could have been sensed if the MSP had traveled elsewhere. The connectedness of the segmentation mesh gives the MSP uninterrupted travel through these highly-illuminated areas and allows for a variety of mission-planning scenarios. The initialization problem inherent to the Chan-Vese segmentation algorithm is overcome in a novel way by using output from an algorithm solving the art gallery problem to produce an initial segmentation curve comprised of vertices which are highly distinguished from their neighbors. The results of our segmentation algorithm enables an MSP to focus its attention on areas in the 3D environment that maximize the (non-)visible spectrum photons obtainable by their sensors or conversely explore areas have not been well-illuminated.
Categorical Local-Shape Perception

How well do observers perceive the local shape of an object from its shaded image? This problem was addressed by first deriving a potential representation of local solid shape. The descriptor of local shape, called shape characteristic, provides a viewpoint-independent continuum between hyperbolic (saddle-shaped) and elliptic (egg-shaped) points. The ability of human observers to make categorical judgments of local solid shape was then studied. This question was investigated by using a smooth ‘croissant’, a simple object made of two connected regions of elliptic and hyperbolic points. Observers decided whether the surface was locally elliptic or hyperbolic at various points on the object. The task was natural, and the observers could reliably partition the shaded image of the object into two regions, one elliptic and one hyperbolic. The ability of observers to perform this partition shows that they can, at least implicitly, localize the parabolic curves on a surface. This ability to locate the parabolic c...
Mapping Catechol-O-Methyltransferase in vivo: Initial studies with [18F]RO41-0960

Ro41-0960 is a potent, fluorine containing COMT inhibitor which has be en reported to cross the blood brain barrier and to inhibit COMT in the brain. It is structurally similar to Ro40-7592 which is currently undergoing clinical trials in Parkinson's disease. Positron emission tomographic (PET) studies in baboon using F-18 labeled Ro41-0960 demonstrated a negligible uptake in the brain both at tracer doses and with the addition of unlabeled drug (1.5 mg/kg) at all times through a 90 min experimental interval. The brain to plasma ratios of F-18 averaged about 0.025. Region of interest analysis of the brain tissue area suggests that most of F-18 in the brain was due to the blood in the brain and not the brain tissue itself. However, high uptake was observed in the kidneys and in other organs which are known to have high COMT activity. Studies in mice showed that at 30 min after injection of tracer, F-18 in kidneys was largely as unchanged [18F]Ro41-0960 and that it could be displaced with unlabeled Ro41-0960. The fact that the average brain to blood ratio for mice (n=12) was 0.04, and that similar HPLC metabolite patterns were observed for brain and blood, provides consistent evidence that nearly all the F-18 in the brain represents F-18 in the cerebral blood vessels. These studies raise the question of whether the central pharmacological effects of Ro41-0960 are due to its presence in the brain. They also provide the first example of a positron emitter labeled radiotracer for COMT, and provide initial encouraging evidence that [18F]Ro41-0960 may be used to examine COMT in peripheral organs in vivo.
Calcium channel blockade and uncontrolled blood pressure during phaeochromocytoma surgery

Phaeochromocytoma has traditionally been managed by preoperative adrenergic blockade followed by surgical devascularization and excision. Recently, various studies have reported the use of calcium channel blocking drug therapy, either as monotherapy or in combination with other non-adrenergic blocking antihypertensive medications for blood pressure control in the preoperative management of phaeochromocytoma. In this case report, diltiazem as monotherapy was used to establish adequate preoperative blood pressure control in a patient with metastatic phaeochromocytoma to the liver. During cryoablation therapy surgery of the liver metastasis, the patient demonstrated extreme blood pressure lability requiring nitroprusside and high end tidal concentrations of isoflurane for blood pressure control. This case report suggests that during resection of a phaeochromocytoma where tumour devascularization is not obtainable, calcium channel blocking drugs as monotherapy may be inadequate to control blood pressure extremes. The authors suggest that under clinical circumstances reported above strong consideration be given to the use of standard adrenergic blocking drug therapy pre- and intraoperatively.
Teacher Response to Superhero Play: To Ban or Not to Ban?

(1997). Teacher Response to Superhero Play: To Ban or Not to Ban? Childhood Education: Vol. 74, No. 1, pp. 23-28.
Atomic collisions with relativistic heavy ions. IX. Ultrarelativistic collisions.

The behavior of projectile electron capture and ionization cross sections at ultrarelativistic energies (g10 GeV/amu) is discussed. Three mechanisms contribute to electron capture at these energies: radiative and nonradiative capture and the capture of the electron following electron-positron pair production. The radiative and nonradiative cross sections both fall off as ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ at high energies, (\ensuremath{\gamma}-1)${\mathrm{Mc}}^{2}$ being the ion energy. The vacuum capture cross sections increase as the ln\ensuremath{\gamma}. Projectile 1s ionization cross sections also increase as ln\ensuremath{\gamma} at high energies if target screening is negligible. However, when the projectile atomic number is smaller than the target atomic number, the transverse interaction giving the ln\ensuremath{\gamma} term is screened and reduced. Therefore, the total 1s ionization cross sections are dominated by Coulomb ionization, and are nearly constant with increasing projectile energy. Tables of reduced capture and ionization cross sections are given, and are applied to calculating the charge states of ions in matter and the lifetime of ions in storage rings.
On Wars of Attrition Without Assessment

Contests in nature are frequently won by the animal with the higher resource holding potential (RHP), consistent with animals assessing opponents' RHP accurately. Nevertheless RHP asymmetry can determine a contest without any assessment of opponents' RHP. To establish this result, we develop an analytical model of the war of attrition for an arbitrary distribution of initial RHP. If its coefficient of variation, κ, is sufficiently high or if cost of persistence per unit time is sufficiently small compared with the rate at which a victor translate its remaining reserves into fitness, then there is a unique evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) at which—despite no assessment—the victor is always the animal with higher RHP. Thus victory by the contestant with higher RHP does not by itself imply that an animal assesses its opponent's RHP accurately. Data from a damselfly,Calopteryx maculata, suggest that κ is large enough for the ESS to exist when RHP is determined by energy reserves. We identify characteristics of the ESS that may help to clarify whether animals “observe” (via any sensory modality) a difference in physical magnitudes by comparing separate perceptions of each magnitude (Hypothesis A) or by perceiving the difference itself (Hypothesis B). First, a critical value of κ, above which the ESS invariably exists, exceeds a half under Hypothesis A but is less than a third under Hypothesis B; its precise value depends weakly on the initial RHP distribution. Second, the ESS distributions of final RHP among winners and losers both have a lower mean and higher variance under Hypothesis A than under Hypothesis B. Third, the ESS distribution of contest duration times has a lower mean and higher variance under Hypothesis B than under Hypothesis A. All derived distributions are determined analytically for arbitrary initial RHP.
Protoplast Formation and Cell Wall Regeneration in Chlorosarcinopsis halophila Studied by Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy, and Calcofluor Staining

Summary Protoplasts (90% +) were induced in 4 h in the salt-tolerant single-cell green alga, Chlorosarcinopsis halophila, by incubation in seawater + 0.6 M mannitol + 3% Cellulysin. Cell wall regeneration (90% +) in seawater without protective osmoticum, started in 4 h, and was completed by 80% of the protoplasts in 72 h. Regenerating protoplasts with incomplete new walls started to divide in 8–12 h. The entire process was studied concurrently be scanning and transmission electron microscopy and by Calcofluor fluorescence. The outer common wall surrounding the 2–8 cell cluster, and the inner cell walls, were completely digested by the Cellulysin. Protoplasts were formed by dividing cells as commonly as by clustered cells. Protoplasts showed dense accumulation of lipid bodies. There were two pyrenoids per chloroplast. A conspicuous micro-tubule organizing center was associated with the nucleolus. There were transient Calcofluor-positive wall plaques formed prior to cell walls.
A Community Built on Words: The Constitution in History and Politics

H. Jefferson Powell offers a powerful new approach to one of the central issues in American constitutional thinking today: the many ways in which constitutional arguments and outcomes are shaped both by historical circumstances and by political goals - including those of judges. Brilliantly combining history and theory, Powell analyzes a series of constitutional controversies from 1790 to 1944 to demonstrate that constitutional law from its very beginning has involved politically charged and ideologically divisive arguments. Powell then takes his conclusions one step further, claiming that it is precisely this historical tradition of argument that has given American constitutional law a remarkable coherence and integrity over time. No matter what the particular political disputes of the day might be, constitutional argument has provided a shared language through which our political community has been able to fight out its battles without ultimately fracturing.
Identification of new members within suites of amphiphilic marine siderophores.

Marine bacterial isolates Vibrio sp. HC0601C5 and Halomonas meridiana str. HC4321C1 were isolated off the coast of southern California and were found to produce an expanded suite of previously identified amphiphilic siderophores. Specifically two new members of the amphibactin family, amphibactins S and T, which have a C14:1 ω-7 fatty acid and a saturated C12 fatty acid, respectively, were produced by Vibrio sp. HC0601C5. These siderophores are produced in addition to a number of previously described amphibactins and are excreted into the culture supernatant. Two new members of the aquachelin family of siderophores, aquachelins I and J, which have an hydroxylated C12 fatty acid and a saturated C10 fatty acid, respectively, were produced by Halomonas meridiana str. HC4321C1. These four new siderophores are more hydrophilic than their previously reported relatives, aquachelins A–D and the amphibactin suite of siderophores.
Wafer level interconnects for 3D packaging

A hybrid electrical package is compared to monolithic designs to isolate the effects of wirebond parasitics and modularity. The monolithic designs produce 3.2 dB of insertion loss at 50 GHz, which indicates minimal loss due to wirebonds. The hybrid design insertion loss is within 0.5 dB of the reference case up to 40 GHz. The response is oscillatory above this frequency due to complex substrate transitions. Quasi-static modeling techniques are also used to model the wirebond effects with standard CAD tools.
Longitudinal Contribution of Maternal and Paternal Depression to Toddler Behaviors: Interparental Conflict and Later Depression as Mediators

Maternal postpartum depression has been linked to later internalizing and externalizing behaviors in offspring; whereas, the consequences of paternal postpartum depression have received little attention. Further, research has produced inconsistent findings regarding mechanisms accounting for the link between postpartum depression and subsequent child behaviors. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to extend previous research by examining simultaneously the unique effects of maternal and paternal postpartum depression on child behaviors, and exploring the potential mediating roles of later depression and interparental conflict. The study included a sample of 199 couples whose index child was an average age of 4.5 months at the postpartum assessment and 45.5 months at the toddlerhood assessment. Findings suggest that both maternal and paternal depression in the postpartum period set the stage for future parental depression and interparental conflict. Parental depression during toddlerhood was associated with child internalizing and externalizing behaviors and represents a primary mechanism through which postpartum depression is linked to child behaviors for both male and female children. Interparental conflict was not a significant mediator, but may have an indirect role in internalizing and externalizing behaviors through its associations with parental depression. Clinical implications include the need for pediatric primary care providers to routinely implement systematic screening practices for parental mental health and to provide referrals to couples and parenting programs when depression is detected.
Special issue on "molecular targets, biomarkers and animal models for anti-cancer pharmacological research: potentials and challenges from chemoprevention to chemotherapeutic treatment".

With the current advances in the field of cancer research particularly in cancer chemoprevention, we have much to celebrate but we also have a lot of challenges before us. Some of the challenges include finding appropriate animal models for predicting efficacy of chemopreventive compounds for human cancers, of which are usually highly complex and involved multiple genes in nature and translating our basic research into clinical practice. One of the other challenges will be to disseminate our ideas into the larger biomedical and pharmaceutical community. With this in mind, I have been asked by the Editorial Team of Acta Pharmacologica Sinica to organize a special issue to discuss the current advances in cancer chemoprevention from prevention to treatment. The distinction and the potential overlapping nature of cancer chemoprevention versus chemotherapeutic treatment has become somewhat blurred, since prevention of carcinogenesis encompasses preventing any or all of the three stages of carcinogenesis namely initiation, promotion and progression. Oftentimes, many cancer chemopreventive compounds can possess all three biological properties that culminate in the overall protection against cancer. To be most effective, cancer chemoprevention of earlier lesions will be the ultimate goal if we are to eradicate this dreadful disease, since advanced metastasized cancers are almost lethal and unresponsive to radiation and chemotherapy. The reviews covered in this special issue, which are based on strong preclinical studies, will hopefully provide the impetus to translate this information to clinical practice and improved patient care.
Reactive sputter etching of silicon with very low mask-material etch rates

Directional etching of deep structures in silicon is often made difficult by a high mask erosion rate. Recent results have given a Si/SiO 2 etch rate ratio of up to 8 without the undercut problems associated with other selective etches. In this paper a new selectivity mechanism is described which can reproducibly give Si/SiO 2 etch rate ratios of more than 100 with a nonloading target, and more than about 50 with a loading target. Similar etch ratios are also obtained with masks of MgF 2 , Al 2 O 3 , Al, and Cr. The inherently high Si/SiO 2 etch rate ratio obtained in Ar/Cl 2 discharges is here enhanced by causing selective deposition of SiO 2 onto slowly etched materials. The silicon may be obtained from the target, or, for easier control, from input gases such as SiCl 4 . The deposition rate is controlled by the oxygen concentration. The results of etching deep grooves in Si are presented. Etch-mask faceting and Si surface decoration appear to limit the attainable etch rate ratios with fine structures; however, 18-µm-deep gratings of 4.5-µm period have been etched in Si.
The Hahn-Banach theorem: the life and times

Abstract Without the Hahn-Banach theorem, functional analysis would be very different from the structure we know today. Among other things, it has proved to be a very appropriate form of the Axiom of Choice for the analyst. (It is not equivalent to the Axiom of Choice, incidentally; it follows from the ultrafilter theorem which is strictly weaker.) Riesz and Helly obtained forerunners of the theorem in the turbulent mathematical world of the early 1900s. Hahn and Banach independently proved the theorem for the real case in the 1920s. Then there was Murray's extension to the complex case—easy, once you realize that ( χ ) = Re ( χ ) − iRe (i χ ). Can continuous linear maps 06 be extended as easily as linear functionals? Banach and Mazur had already proved that they could not in 1933 but it was not until Nachbin's 1950 result that a definitive answer was achieved to this more general question. In this article, we discuss the mathematical world into which the theorem entered, examine its connection to the axiom of choice, look at some ancestors, mention some of its consequences and consider some of its principal variations.
Growth regulator inhibition of tobacco callus growth

Abstract The activity of two groups of growth regulators, substituted dinitroanilines and nitrophenylhydrazines, were evaluated in a tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. “X-73”) callus tissue bioassay. Molar concentrations required to inhibit fresh weight gain by 50% (I50) was determined by using linear regression analysis on data obtained by testing a range of five concentrations of each chemical. All chemicals tested were inhibitory to callus tissue grown in the dark. Cell division seemed to be the primary activity inhibited. The most active of the dinitroaniline series was α,α,α-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N-ethyl-N-2′,6′-dichlorobenzyl-p-toluidine (I) (I50 = 1.5 × 10−10 M). I and two other N-(o-halobenzyl) dinitroanilines were more active than α,α,α-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N-ethyl-N-2′-chloro-6′-fluorobenzyl-p-toluidine (IV), which is being developed commercially for suppression of axillary buds in tobacco. The two most active nitrophenylhydrazines tested were 1,1-dimethyl-2-(2′,6′-dinitro-3′-n-propylamino-α,α,α-trifluoro-p-tolyl)hydrazine (XVIII) and 3′,5′-dinitro-p-(2,2-diethylhydrazino)-N-methoxy-N-methylbenzamide (XIX) (I50 values of 7.9 × 10−9 and 9.3 × 10−9 M, respectively). Factors such as electronic distribution, steric hindrance, and lipid solubility were considered to influence the biological activity of the compounds tested.
A GEROPSYCHIATRIC UNIT WITHOUT WALLS

The continued population growth of people over the age of 65 correlates with the growth in the number of older people who experience a mental health crisis or frank mental illness. Currently there is a paucity of treatment programs that are specialized for the geropsychiatric patient. Given the limitations of finances and human resources as well as the constraints sometimes imposed by regulatory agencies, interdisciplinary health care workers are challenged to provide optimum care in traditional settings. This article describes how an inpatient psychiatric unit can be modified to replicate some of the best practices of a designated geropsychiatric unit with positive results.
Generalised WPD procedure for microprocessor-based signal detection

The suboptimum detection procedure based on the weighting of partial decisions (WPD) was introduced as an improvement of one-bit-quantisation digital matched filtering, also known as binary matched filtering (BMF). The WPD is characterised by minimal additional hardware and software requirements but considerably better performance in comparison with BMF. A primary application of the WPD is the implementation of cost-effective medium-speed voice-band data medem receivers, but it can also be used in a number of other parametric and nonparametric detection problems. Formerly, the WPD was analysed only for binary transmission with an antipodal set of signalling waveforms. In this paper, the concept of the WPD is generalise and analysed theorectically for M-ary transmission with an arbitrary set of equal-energy signalling waveforms. Here, it is treated as the generalise procedure with BMF is its special case. The results of the performance analysis are provided, as well.
Inventory control neural network system

A two-layer perceptron feedforward backpropagation network architecture with a minimum number of hidden neurons is designed using the backpropagation training algorithm for a noncomplex application, namely, controlling a plant inventory system. The design objective is to determine the number of hidden neurons and what type of data must be entered to get the backpropagation algorithm started. The convergence of the algorithm within a reasonable amount of time is sought. Test results are promising.
Java JNI Bridge: A Framework for Mixed Native ISA Execution

Managed runtime environments (MRTEs) such as the Java platform promise a cross platform "write once, deploy anywhere" mechanism. However, MRTE applications that contain native method calls are not seamlessly portable across platforms. In this paper, we describe a new approach to transparently run Java applications containing native method calls to one ISA (instruction set architecture) on a different ISA's Java platform. This approach operates within the same operating system process that executes the application but with the support of a dynamic translator. This paper describes the technical challenges and solutions of such an in-process implementation within a production Java Virtual Machine (JVM). These include interfacing the JVM with a dynamic translator to support native calls to a different ISA, pursuing a JVM-independent implementation, enhancing the dynamic translator to support shared libraries in addition to executables, marshalling arguments across ISA boundaries, and providing full support for all Java features such as multi-threading. The paper presents performance results for an end-user application, showing our approach to be 2-3 times faster than other approaches.
Strategies of Unsuccessful Language Learners.

Recent research on learning strategies has yielded conflicting findings and generated limited success in learner training. These problems may be rooted in inadequate knowledge of the actual strategies used by unsuccessful learners in contrast to what they report doing. The present study combines methods to probe the strategies of two nsuccessful learners—both Saudi Arabian women enrolled in an academically oriented intensive English program (IEP)—as they completed four activities (an interview, a verb exercise, a cloze passage, and a composition). After task requirements were determined, learner strategies were ascertained by analyzing think-aloud protocols and task products. These combined analyses offer a detailed and insightful picture of learner strategies, providing counterevidence for the claim that unsuccessful learners are inactive. When viewed through the task-demand model proposed here, these unsuccessful learners emerged as active strategy users, though they sometimes applied strategies inappropriately. The model also revealed fundamental differences in the approaches to problem solving used by learners who appear similar on the basis of simple strategy counts. This research provides evidence of the importance of case studies in verifying critical assumptions about second language learning.
Multi-agent oriented constraint satisfaction

This paper presents a multi-agent oriented method for solving CSPs (Constraint Satisfaction Problems). In this method, distributed agents represent variables and a two-dimensional grid-like environment in which the agents inhabit corresponds to the domains of the variables. Thus, the positions of the agents in such an environment constitute the solution to a CSP. In order to reach a solution state, the agents will rely on predefined local reactive behaviors; namely, better-move, least-move, and random-move. While presenting the formalisms and algorithm, we will analyze the correctness and complexity of the algorithm, and demonstrate the proposed method with two benchmark CSPs, i.e., n-queen problems and coloring problems. In order to further determine the effectiveness of different reactive behaviors, we will examine the performance of this method in deriving solutions based on behavior prioritization and different selection probabilities.
Short-term magnetic field exposures (60 Hz) induce protection against ultraviolet radiation damage.

Purpose: To investigate the ability of electromagnetic (EM) field pre-exposures to induce protection in chick embryos against subsequent ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. Materials and Methods: Chick embryos in the 4th day of gestation were exposed for 20 minutes (short term) or 96 hours (long term) to 60Hz, 8muT magnetic or sham fields (controls) followed by 30 minutes rest. They were then exposed to UV radiation of either low (30J/m2) or high (45J/m2) intensity (long term was exposed only to 30J/m2) for 75 minutes. Mortality measurements were made every 30 minutes following UV exposure. Results: At both UV intensities, short-term, EM field-exposed embryos showed significantly higher post-UV survival (p < 0.05) at each time point as compared to controls. Long-term EM field exposures, however, offered no protection against low intensity UV light, in fact, 96 hour-EM field-exposed embryos were significantly less protected than non-EM field-exposed controls (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Results of the present stu...
Experimental pain models reveal no sex differences in pentazocine analgesia in humans.

Background:Accumulating evidence suggests that there are sex differences in analgesic responses to opioid agonists. Several studies using an oral surgery pain model have reported more robust analgesia to κ-agonist–antagonists (e.g., pentazocine, nalbuphine, butorphanol) among women than among men. H
Personality and negotiation style: The moderating effects of cultural context

This article contends that although studies on the relationship of personality traits on negotiation styles have generated mixed results, incorporating cultural context could provide some interesting results. Given this premise, this study explores the moderating effects of cultural context on the personality and negotiation relationship. The personality variables of conciliatory predisposition, trusting nature, and risk propensity, and their interrelationship with the problem-solving style of negotiation were investigated. The study utilized a sample from two culturally diverse groups: American and Filipino industrial exporters. The results show that personality variables had little direct impact on problem-solving. As for the moderating effect of cultural context, the findings suggest that context moderates the relationship between the negotiator's conciliatory nature and problem-solving. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hybrid QFT/H for control of nonlinear systems: An example of position control of a Pendulum

This work presents the control design of an uncertain nonlinear pendulum using a combined QFT/Hinfin technique. The uncertain nonlinear model of the plant is replaced by a set of linear time invariant equivalent (LTIE) plants through local linearization. The weight selections are then obtained from Hinfin theory to subsequently achieve a robust controller for the set of LTIE models. To enhance closed loop response characteristics, a pre filter analogous to quantitative feedback (QFT) design is incorporated. The single hybrid controller that combines the QFT and Hinfin control techniques ensures performance and robustness for the nonlinear pendulum. Simulations and experimental results are presented to validate the approach.
Production of nitric oxide by sperm of the steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and its actions on motility and respiration

The objective was to characterize nitric oxide (NO) involvement in steelhead sperm physiology with respect to modulation of motility and quiescent sperm respiration, and to assess NO production. Activation of sperm motility in the presence of a NO scavenger (PTIO) decreased path straightness (STR; from 62 to 44%, P < 0.05) and wobble (indicator of lateral head movement, WOB; from 68 to 61%, P < 0.05), whereas activating solution containing a NO donor (SNAP) increased STR (from 62 to 71%, P < 0.05). Neither SNAP nor PTIO impacted percent motility or velocity when present in activating media alone. Incubation of quiescent sperm with SNAP reduced motility (from 96 to 53%, P < 0.0001), curvilinear velocity (from 156 to 83 μm/s P < 0.0001), and WOB (from 77 to 50%, P < 0.0001); however, these effects were abolished by inclusion of PTIO. Response of quiescent sperm to SNAP was reversible with time, whereas PTIO alone had no effect. Incubation of sperm with SNAP decreased respiration to approximately one half of control (P < 0.05). With the fluorescent NO indicator, DAF-FM DA, intracellular NO was detected in quiescent, but not activated, sperm. Incubation of activated sperm in an immobilization buffer resulted in reappearance of NO. In addition to illustrating NO sensitivity of steelhead sperm motility, we inferred that the effects of NO on quiescent sperm occurred via inhibition of respiration, and that these sperm produced NO prior to activation.
A compact underwater vehicle using high-bandwidth coanda-effect valves for low speed precision maneuvering in cluttered environments

A highly maneuverable, compact vehicle for underwater precision inspection of complex structures is presented. The vehicle will have no appendages such as rudders, screws, and other external thrusters, which might get tangled and interfere with the underwater structure in a cluttered environment. A multi-axis, integrated thruster mechanism using Coanda-effect high-speed valves for switching the direction of jets can be encapsulated in a compact, egg-shaped body. Compared to traditional screw thrusters, these valves have improved dynamic performance in switching the jet stream direction. Furthermore, the reaction forces and moments due to switching can be substantially reduced. First, the principle of Coandaeffect water jet valves is introduced, and its governing equations are obtained. Optimal dimensions and parameters producing a maximum of thrust are obtained, and are experimentally verified. Multiple Coanda-effect valves are then integrated into a tree structure to create a multi-axis thrust mechanism. A simple planar proof of concept prototype is built and tested.
Vegetation response after post-fire mulching and native grass seeding

Post-fire mulch and seeding treatments, often applied on steep, severely burned slopes immediately after large wildfires, are meant to reduce the potential of erosion and establishment of invasive plants, especially non-native plants, that could threaten values at risk. However, the effects of these treatments on native vegetation response post fire are little studied, especially beyond one to two years. We compared species richness, diversity, and percent canopy cover of understory plants one, two, three, four, and six years after immediate post-fire application of wood strand mulch, agricultural wheat straw mulch, hydromulch + seed with locally adapted native grasses, seed only with locally adapted native grasses with no mulch, and untreated (no mulch or grass seeding) after the 2005 School Fire in Washington, USA. For wood strand mulch treatments, mean canopy cover of grasses and forbs was low, varying from 3 % to 20 % in post-fire years two through six; whereas wheat straw mulch had the lowest mean cover of grasses, 29 % in post-fire years two through six. Plots hydromulched and seeded with grass, and those seeded with grass but not mulched, tended to have higher grass cover than other treatments and untreated plots over the six years. Species richness and diversity was highest for the hydromulch + seed treatment. Ten non-native species were found, but never with more than 2 % canopy cover, each. Although the inference of our small-plot work is limited, our results suggest that post-fire rehabilitation treatments apparently altered the abundance and diversity of native perennial understory plants for one to six years post fire—effects that could persist for decades.
Dynamics of DNA translocation in a solid-state nanopore immersed in aqueous glycerol

Nanopore-based technologies have attracted much attention recently for their promising use in low-cost and high-throughput genome sequencing. To achieve single-base resolution of DNA sequencing, it is critical to slow and control the translocation of DNA, which has been achieved in a protein nanopore but not yet in a solid-state nanopore. Using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we investigated the dynamics of a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecule in an aqueous glycerol solution confined in a SiO(2) nanopore. The friction coefficient ξ of the ssDNA molecule is found to be approximately 18 times larger in glycerol than in water, which can dramatically slow the motion of ssDNA. The electrophoretic mobility μ of ssDNA in glycerol, however, decreases by almost the same factor, yielding the effective charge (ξμ) of ssDNA being roughly the same as in water. This is counterintuitive since the ssDNA effective charge predicted from the counterion condensation theory varies with the dielectric constant of a solvent. Due to the larger friction coefficient of ssDNA in glycerol, we further show that glycerol can improve trapping of ssDNA in the DNA transistor, a nanodevice that can be used to control the motion of ssDNA in a solid-state nanopore. Simulation results of slowing ssDNA translocation were confirmed in our nanopore experiment.
Crime and Punishment: The Role of Norms in Crisis Bargaining

In this work I test the proposition that normative standards of behavior can influence state actions in security-related conflicts. Specifically, I examine the construction of norms in the settlements of security-related disputes and the effects these settlements have on subsequent militarized interactions. I argue that dispute settlements alter subsequent crisis bargaining in two important ways. First, they act as normative referents that alter the interpretation of subsequent crisis bargaining behavior both by identifying a solution to the dispute which alleviates fears of demands for future concessions and by defining a set of acts which both sides consider illegitimate. Second, in combination with the response to their violation, dispute settlements inflict reputational costs on states that violate them. I test these arguments against a realist theory of crisis bargaining through an analysis of 122 reinitiated international crises between 1929 and 1979. I find strong support for the hypothesis that states can and do construct normative standards that guide their behavior in international crises, whereas realist theory receives only mixed support.
Effect of Serine Proteolytic Enzymes (Trypsin and Plasmin), Trypsin Inhibitor, and Plasminogen Activator Addition to Ultra-High Temperature Processed Milk

Abstract Proteolysis and gelation were investigated in single strength, 2% fat, UHT-processed milk following aseptic addition of combinations of plasmin, plasminogen, trypsin, trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz), and urokinase (plasminogen activator). Individual 250-ml milk containers processed by direct or indirect methods were examined for the following attributes over 10 mo: growth on slants, appearance, pH, apparent viscosity, gel formation, enzymatic activity, and casein breakdown. Control milk samples in the study did not gel. Addition of trypsin at 1.5 or 7.5mg protein/L of milk or addition of plasmin at .3 or 1.5mg protein/L did not result in gelation. However, containers with plasminogen at .3mg protein/ L began forming a gel at 5.5 mo. Enzyme activity in plasminogen-treated samples was not detected spectrophotometrically using an L-lysine- p -nitroanilide substrate, but extensive casein breakdown was apparent by SDS-PAGE. The evidence suggests plasminogen-derived activity promotes UHT milk gelation.
Tristetraprolin expression and microRNA-mediated regulation during simian immunodeficiency virus infection of the central nervous system

The RNA-binding protein tristetraprolin (TTP) participates in normal post-transcriptional control of cytokine and chemokine gene expression, dysregulation of which contributes to the HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. Transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of TTP has been described, including regulation by microRNA-29a. In the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) model of HIV CNS disease, control of cytokine/chemokine expression coincides with the end of acute phase infection. This control is lost during progression to disease. In this study, we assessed TTP regulation and association with cytokine regulation in the brain during SIV infection. Quantitation of TTP expression over the course of SIV infection revealed downregulation of TTP during acute infection, maintenance of relatively low levels during asymptomatic phase, and increased expression only during late-stage CNS disease, particularly in association with severe disease. The ability of miR-29a to regulate TTP was confirmed, and evidence for additional miRNA targeters of TTP was found. However, increased miR-29a expression in brain was not found to be significantly negatively correlated with TTP. Similarly, increased TTP during late-stage disease was not associated with lower cytokine expression. TTP expression is regulated during SIV infection of the CNS. The lack of significant negative correlation of miR-29a and TTP expression levels suggests that while miR-29a may contribute to TTP regulation, additional factors are involved. Reduced TTP expression during acute infection is consistent with increased cytokine production during this phase of infection, but the increases in TTP observed during late-stage infection were insufficient to halt runaway cytokine levels. While antisense inhibitors of the post-transcriptional targeters of TTP identified here could conceivably be used further to augment TTP regulation of cytokines, it is possible that high levels of TTP are undesirable. Additional research is needed to characterize members of the miRNA/TTP/cytokine regulatory network and identify nodes that may be best targeted therapeutically to ameliorate the effects of chronic inflammation in retrovirus-associated CNS disease.
Where is the Evo in Evo‐Devo (evolutionary developmental biology)?

I provide a brief discussion of the present/future of Evo-Devo, reviewing opinions expressed by colleagues with different opinions/backgrounds about what Evo-Devo should be and the potential of this flourishing field and combining them with an analysis of the recent, and excellent inaugural meeting of the Pan-American Society for Evo-Devo. As an advocate of Evo-Devo and its enormous future potential, I feel that despite our different views and fields of research, we Evo-Devoists are all in the same boat and should try our best to make sure this potential is fully expressed. Therefore, I call attention to some concerns raised by other colleagues, which in my opinion are demonstrated by a quantitative analysis of the titles/abstracts of the 56 talks at this meeting. This analysis is very simple, in order to maintain the needed objectivity and minimize bias. Yet, it is profound in its implications, precisely because of its simplicity and because this meeting is clearly a major landmark for the development/future directions of Evo-Devo. The analysis shows that terms associated with development at the more molecular/genetic level were vastly overrepresented compared to terms related to evolution or to development at the whole organism level. That is, it provides support for the idea that current Evo-Devo is mainly focused on Devo, and that Devo itself is largely focused on "Geno," that is, on molecular/genetic developmental studies. This trend seems to be leading towards a loss of focus on the whole organism and on the major microevolutionary and macroevolutionary questions/theories that remain to be solved/tested.
Geographic Disparity in the Use of Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy Among Elderly Women Undergoing Breast Conservation for Invasive Breast Cancer

Purpose To evaluate geographic heterogeneity in the delivery of hypofractionated radiation therapy (RT) for breast cancer among Medicare beneficiaries across the United States. Methods and Materials We identified 190,193 patients from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Chronic Conditions Warehouse. The study included patients aged >65 years diagnosed with invasive breast cancer treated with breast conservation surgery followed by radiation diagnosed between 2000 and 2012. We analyzed data by hospital referral region based on patient residency ZIP code. The proportion of women who received hypofractionated RT within each region was analyzed over the study period. Multivariable logistic regression models identified predictors of hypofractionated RT. Results Over the entire study period we found substantial geographic heterogeneity in the use of hypofractionated RT. The proportion of women receiving hypofractionated breast RT in individual hospital referral regions varied from 0% to 61%. We found no correlation between the use of hypofractionated RT and urban/rural setting or general geographic region. The proportion of hypofractionated RT increased in regions with higher density of radiation oncologists, as well as lower total Medicare reimbursements. Conclusions This study demonstrates substantial geographic heterogeneity in the use of hypofractionated RT among elderly women with invasive breast cancer treated with lumpectomy in the United States. This heterogeneity persists despite clinical data from multiple randomized trials proving efficacy and safety compared with standard fractionation, and highlights possible inefficiency in health care delivery.