cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Normal Egg Hatchability Requires the Simultaneous Administration to the Hen of 1α,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol and 24R,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol

A previous report [Science 201, 835-837 (1978)] presented evidence that the combined and simultaneous administration of the cholecalciferol (D3) metabolites 1 alpha,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1 alpha,25(OH)2D3] and 24R,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [24R,25(OH)2D3] to White Leghorn hens was necessary for embryo development and normal egg hatchability; in the absence of 24R,25(OH)2D3 none of the fertile eggs hatched. The present study extends this fundamental observation to a second species, the Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix japonica and compares the biological actions of the two stereoisomers of the 24,25(OH)2 metabolite, namely the naturally occurring 24R,25(OH)2D3 and its unnatural epimer 24S,25(OH)2D3. Groups of 12-14 vitamin D-depleted adult female Japanese quail were mated with normal male quail and eight consecutive batches of eggs (25-41 eggs from each group) were placed in an egg incubator, and egg hatchability for the fertile eggs monitored on days 21 and 22. The egg hatchability (in percent +/- SD) for each group was: D3 (56.5% +/- 12.8); 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3 (1.3% +/- 2.5); 24R,25(OH)2D3 (29.6% +/- 3.1); 24R25(OH)2D3 + 1 alpha,25-(OH)2D3 (32.8%); and 24S,25(OH)2D3 + 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3 (7.2%). Also for all treatment groups the blood level of the expected vitamin D metabolites were in the normal range, and there were no significant differences in the embryo weights and eggshell thickness (of both hatched and unhatched eggs). These results indicate that the Japanese quail have the inherent capability to discriminate between the stereoisomers of 24,25(OH)2D3 and therefore strongly support the concept that only the naturally occurring 24R,25(OH)2D3 has an identifiable, unique biological role which is different from that of 1 alpha,25(OH)2D3.
Self-assembled III-V quantum dots: potential for silicon optoelectronics

The basic optoelectronic properties of self-forming InGaAs-InAlAs QDs are examined in parallel with their device implementation. Recent results showing remarkably good tolerance to radiation induced point defects and good luminescence emission from InAs-InGaAs QDs grown on dislocation arrays are discussed in terms of an enabling technology which will allow optoelectronics integration with silicon technology.
Purification and properties of the membrane-associated coenzyme F420-reducing hydrogenase from Methanobacterium formicicum.

Abstract The membrane-associated coenzyme F420-reducing hydrogenase of Methanobacterium formicicum was purified 87-fold to electrophoretic homogeneity. The enzyme contained alpha, beta, and gamma subunits (molecular weights of 43,000, 36,700, and 28,800, respectively) and formed aggregates (molecular weight, 1,020,000) of a coenzyme F420-active alpha 1 beta 1 gamma 1 trimer (molecular weight, 109,000). The hydrogenase contained 1 mol of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), 1 mol of nickel, 12 to 14 mol of iron, and 11 mol of acid-labile sulfide per mol of the 109,000-molecular-weight species, but no selenium. The isoelectric point was 5.6. The amino acid sequence I-N3-P-N2-R-N1-EGH-N6-V (where N is any amino acid) was conserved in the N-termini of the alpha subunits of the F420-hydrogenases from M. formicicum and Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum and of the largest subunits of nickel-containing hydrogenases from Desulfovibrio baculatus, Desulfovibrio gigas, and Rhodobacter capsulatus. The purified F420-hydrogenase required reductive reactivation before assay. FAD dissociated from the enzyme during reactivation unless potassium salts were present, yielding deflavoenzyme that was unable to reduce coenzyme F420. Maximal coenzyme F420-reducing activity was obtained at 55 degrees C and pH 7.0 to 7.5, and with 0.2 to 0.8 M KCl in the reaction mixture. The enzyme catalyzed H2 production at a rate threefold lower than that for H2 uptake and reduced coenzyme F420, methyl viologen, flavins, and 7,8-didemethyl-8-hydroxy-5-deazariboflavin. Specific antiserum inhibited the coenzyme F420-dependent but not the methyl viologen-dependent activity of the purified enzyme.
VerbNet class assignment as a WSD task

The VerbNet lexical resource classifies English verbs based on semantic and syntactic regularities and has been used for numerous NLP tasks, most notably, semantic role labeling. Since, in addition to thematic roles, it also provides semantic predicates, it can serve as a foundation for further inferencing. Many verbs belong to multiple VerbNet classes, with each class membership corresponding roughly to a different sense of the verb. A VerbNet token classifier is essential for current applications using the resource and could provide the basis for a deep semantic parsing system, one that made full use of VerbNet's extensive syntactic and semantic information. We describe our VerbNet classifier, which uses rich syntactic and semantic features to label verb instances with their appropriate VerbNet class. It achieves an accuracy of 88.67% with multiclass verbs, which is a 49% error reduction over the most frequent class baseline.
Mutational Analysis of Viroid Pathogenicity and Movement

Viroids are the smallest known agents of infectious disease—small (246 to 375 nucleotides), single stranded, circular RNA molecules that are unencapsidated and lack detectable messenger activity. Viroids replicate autonomously, and the absence of viroid-specified proteins implies that replication and disease induction must result from their ability to interact directly with certain host constituents (reviewed in Diener, 1987). These characteristics, together with the existence of extensive nucleotide sequence data, make viroids uniquely suited for molecular studies of host-pathogen interaction.
A Review of “Behind the Red Door: Sex in China”

Why should sex and marital therapists read a book about sex in China? Behind the Red Door: Sex in China is a fascinating read, and its author, Richard Burger, a former newspaper editor in China, is...
Fostering Dialogue in Psychology: The Costs of Dogma and Theoretical Preciousness

Methodological discourse has the potential to divide or unite research psychologists depending on our approach and understanding of each other’s work. We note the various ways in which genuine dialogue between qualitative and quantitative researchers has been hampered by dogmatic adherence to certain theoretical and epistemological stances. We point to a corresponding phenomenon in the theoretical orientations of clinical psychologists in which cognitive-behavioral therapy is often polarized with humanistic perspectives regarding the approach to psychotherapy. The nature of such polemics within the field of psychology will be discussed along with an example taken from the authors’ personal experience of dialoguing across methodological difference. Finally, we will discuss practical suggestions for how we can increase openness and genuine dialogue between qualitative and quantitative perspectives in psychology.
Optimization of banana juice fermentation for the production of microbial oil

Apiotrichum curvatum ATCC 20509 (formerly Candida curvata D), a lipid-accumulating yeast, was grown in banana juice. The optimum conditions for biomass production in shake flasks were 30°C growth temperature, efficient aeration, a juice concentration of 25%, and preliminary heat treatment at less than sterilization conditions. Under controlled conditions in a fermentor, 20% banana juice was optimum. High concentrations of yeast extract (0.3%) increased biomass production by 40% but decreased oil production by 30%. A lower yeast extract concentration (0.05%) increased biomass production by 2% and oil production by 25%. The best growth and oil production were observed when asparagine (1.4 g/liter) and mineral salts were added to the banana juice. The addition of minerals seemed to improve the utilization of carbon. Growth inhibition was observed when the fermentor was aerated with pure oxygen, even when additional nutrients were present. A fed-batch process permitted the juice concentration to be increased from 15 to 82%; biomass accumulation was three times higher than in batch fermentations. However, the cellular lipid content was only 30% of dry weight, and chemical oxygen demand reduction was slow and inefficient.
The use of the salivagram in the evaluation of severe and chronic aspiration

Chronic salivary aspiration may be responsible for a significant percentage of pneumonia in the neurologically impaired child. The radionuclide salivagram (RS), a simple investigative study, can document salivary aspiration as the source of pulmonary contamination. The purpose of this study was to determine if the results of the RS would accurately identify children with severe and chronic salivary aspiration who would benefit from laryngotracheal separation (LTS). We reviewed 30 records of children with chronic aspiration pneumonitis who underwent LTS between 1988 and 1996. We recorded the number of inpatient days required for respiratory infections before and after LTS. This number was compared with the number of inpatient days for respiratory infection from children (n = 27) who underwent the RS during a ten-month period but who were never referred for LTS. Fifteen children who underwent LTS had a preoperative RS. The RS documented salivary aspiration in 11 of these children. Aspiration was effectively controlled by LTS for this group. There were three studies that failed to show either aspiration or progression of the Technetium 99m sulfur colloid (Tc 99m SC) into the esophagus This finding was felt to represent significant swallowing dysfunction and, therefore, was also considered a positive finding. There was a significant difference in the number of inpatient days for children who had a negative RS and were never referred for LTS when compared with the number of inpatient days for those children who had a positive RS and were referred for LTS. We feel that the RS is an effective tool to document salivary aspiration as the source of recurrent pneumonia. A modification of the technique and interpretation of RS is suggested.
Stress-Limiting Test Structures for Rapid Low-Cost Strength and Stiffness Assessment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the use of a simple printed geometry to estimate mechanical properties (elastic modulus, yield strength) with inexpensive test equipment. Design/methodology/approach – Test geometry is presented that enables controlled strains with manual deformation and repeatable measurement of vibrational frequencies. This is tested with multiple fused deposition modeling (FDM) machines to assess measurement accuracy and repeatability. Printing orientation and some printing parameters are varied to assess the measurement sensitivity. Findings – The test methods show good correlation with manufacturer material specifications in the X-Y plane and reported elastic strain limits. It is also sensitive to printing orientation and printing parameters. Research limitations/implications – Further work is needed to assess the sensitivity of the method to particular defects and parameter errors expected in particular applications. Originality/value – This method supports process ...
The Problem of Axial Rotation in Reading Disability

The problem of axial rotations in reading was investigated by the use of the Lamb Chop Test. Comparisons of reading readiness scores, levels of reading achievement, and scores on the Lamb Chop Test...
Decrease of NADH in HeLa cells in the presence of transferrin or ferricyanide

The short-term incubation of HeLa cells in the presence of diferric transferrin or ferricyanide, which are reduced externally by the transplasma membrane reductase, produces a stoichiometric decrease in NADH and increase in NAD+, which is stimulated by insulin. The NADP/NADPH ratio does not change during 15 min incubation with the oxidants. The total pyridine nucleotide pool of HeLa cells is not affected. Incubation with apotransferrin and ferrocyanide, which cannot act as oxidants for transmembrane electron transport, does not change the pyridine nucleotide concentrations in the cells. Our results show that NADH can act as the internal electron donor for the reduction of external oxidants by the transmembrane reductase. It appears that oxidation of NADH by the transmembrane electron transport using ferricyanide or iron transferrin as external electron acceptors is sufficient to stimulate growth in HeLa cells.
Self-efficacy, attendance, and weight loss in obesity treatment

Self-efficacy is an important predictor of treatment outcomes for a variety of addictive behaviors. However, little research is available regarding its predictive value in obesity treatment. We assessed the predictive validity of the 20-item version of the Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire (WEL) in a consecutive sample of 109 obese adults seeking outpatient treatment at a university-based weight-management center. Although the WEL demonstrated a stable factor structure and sound psychometric properties, it failed to correlate with either program attendance or weight loss. We concluded that self-efficacy judgments (as measured by the WEL) are not predictive of short-term obesity treatment outcomes.
Constructivist psychology of child abuse and implications for psychotherapy

Abstract This paper reviews constructivist and related literature on child abuse and psychotherapy. Constructivist psychology, with its emphasis on the personal, socially embedded construction of meaning, is uniquely situated to contribute to humanistic psychotherapy for child victims and adult survivors. Conversely, work with abused clients deepens our understanding of developmental meaning‐making processes and the social ecologies of meaning within which they unfold. Constructivist approaches to child abuse are inherently humanistic, focusing on the child victim's and adult survivor's attempts to make meaning of their experiences, including the often traumatic experiences of abuse and the relational contexts in which it occurs. This paper first discusses how constructivist psychology may deepen our understanding of the impact of abusive experiences, the reverberation of those experiences through subsequent living, and the role of constructivist therapies in the healing process. Secondly, this paper expl...
Using propensity scores in difference-in-differences models to estimate the effects of a policy change

Difference-in-difference (DD) methods are a common strategy for evaluating the effects of policies or programs that are instituted at a particular point in time, such as the implementation of a new law. The DD method compares changes over time in a group unaffected by the policy intervention to the changes over time in a group affected by the policy intervention, and attributes the “difference-in-differences” to the effect of the policy. DD methods provide unbiased effect estimates if the trend over time would have been the same between the intervention and comparison groups in the absence of the intervention. However, a concern with DD models is that the program and intervention groups may differ in ways that would affect their trends over time, or their compositions may change over time. Propensity score methods are commonly used to handle this type of confounding in other non-experimental studies, but the particular considerations when using them in the context of a DD model have not been well investigated. In this paper, we describe the use of propensity scores in conjunction with DD models, in particular investigating a propensity score weighting strategy that weights the four groups (defined by time and intervention status) to be balanced on a set of characteristics. We discuss the conceptual issues associated with this approach, including the need for caution when selecting variables to include in the propensity score model, particularly given the multiple time point nature of the analysis. We illustrate the ideas and method with an application estimating the effects of a new payment and delivery system innovation (an accountable care organization model called the “Alternative Quality Contract” (AQC) implemented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts) on health plan enrollee out-of-pocket mental health service expenditures. We find no evidence that the AQC affected out-of-pocket mental health service expenditures of enrollees.
Comparison Of Millimeter-Wave Scattering: A Stellar Dendrite VS. Disk And Spheroids

A finite-element model was used to compute differential and total scattering cross-sections for polarized millimeter-wave radiation incident upon a model stellar dendrite ice crystal. Construction of equivalent cylindrical disk and oblate spheroid scatterers was then attempted with the Biot-Arago, Lorentz-Lorenz, and Pruggemann effective medium models. Edge-on and broadside incidence cases were employed in the comparison. Good agreement of scattering properties was found for equivalent oblate spheroids with maximum linear dimensions and aspect ratios equal to those of the dendrite. A two-step effective medium averaging process involving the Pruggemann model produced oblate spheroids which closely imitated the scattering properties of the dendrite.
The Hubble constant from VLA measurement of the time delay in the double quasar 0957+561

IN the double quasar 0957 + 0561, the first detected example of a gravitational lens1, a quasar at redshift z = 1.41 appears as two images separated by ˜6 arcsec and accompanied by an extended radio source2–4. The Hubbie constant, H0, can be estimated from the angular separation and the time delay between the appearance of the same brightness variations in the two images—a method that avoids all the usual uncertainties that attend the estimation of distance by the use of standard candles. From 11 years of Very Large Array (VLA) observations we have found the time delay to be 1.40 ± 0.10 yr, a significantly larger and more robust value than has been obtained from optical measurements5,6. Using a standard lens model7 and taking the observed velocity dispersion of luminous matter in the lensing galaxy8 to measure the true gravitational potential, we find HQ = 46 ± 14 (42 ± 14) km s-1 Mpc-1 for cosmic density parameter ω0 = 0 (1), in approximate agreement with Rhee's recent estimate8. But if, as is likely, there is dark matter in the lensing galaxy, H0 could be as high as 69 ± 21 (63 ± 21) km s-1 Mpc-1. The agreement of several completely independent estimates of H0 gives some confidence that the scale of the Universe is indeed known to about a factor of two.
Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring for Detecting the Relation Between Angiotensinogen Gene Polymorphism and Hypertension

Compared to office measurements, ambulatory monitoring is a more accurate method of blood pressure (BP) characterization and may therefore be useful in a genetics study of hypertension. We studied the relation between the M235T polymorphism of the angiotensinogen gene and hypertension using office and ambulatory (BP) measurements. We enrolled untreated subjects (33 men and 17 women) who were referred for evaluation of office BP >140/90 mm Hg on at least two separate occasions. The M235T genotypes of the angiotensinogen gene were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of DNA extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes and digested with BSTU1. The distribution of the genotypes were MM = 0.22, MT = 0.44, TT = 0.34. Based on office measurements, a significant difference in diastolic blood pressure (BP) was detected only between the TT and the MT genotype subjects (office BP: MM = 150 +/- 25/97 +/- 13 mm Hg, MT = 147 +/- 23/ 95 +/- 13 mm Hg, TT = 161 +/- 25/104 +/- 15 mm Hg). By contrast, with ambulatory BP monitoring, both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significant higher in TT versus MM and MT (ambulatory BP, MM = 138 +/- 10/88 +/- 9 mm Hg, MT = 141 +/- 15/89 +/- 11 mm Hg, TT = 152 +/- 18/97 +/- 12 mm Hg). Covariate analysis revealed an independent relationship between the M235T genotype and systolic, diastolic, and mean ambulatory BP. Ambulatory monitoring improved the analytic power of our study and allowed detection of a clear and consistent relationship between angiotensinogen polymorphism and hypertension with a relatively small sample size.
Theoretical modeling for an electroactive polymer-ceramic-based micro hybrid actuation system

A new configuration of an electroactive polymer, ceramic-based micro hybrid actuation system (μHYBAS) is proposed in this paper. The μHYBAS is a device concept to utilize different electroactive materials in a cooperative and efficient method for optimized electromechanical performance. A theoretical model has been developed, based on the elastic and electromechanical properties of the materials and on the configuration of the device. The μHYBASs investigated use piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as the electroactive polymer (EAP) element combined with the electroactive ceramic (EAC) elements, which are piezoelectric hard lead zirconate titanate (PZT), soft PZT, or Pb(Zn 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -4.5%PbTiO 3 single crystal (PZN-PT single crystal). The μHYBAS demonstrates significantly enhanced electromechanical performance by utilizing advantages of synergistic contributions of the electromechanical responses of an electroactive polymer and an electroactive ceramic. The modeled results provide guidelines for future developments of high performance μHYBASs to meet various applications.
Ubiquitous Semantics: How to Create and Navigate a Personal Semantic Network

Pervasive computing systems including smart phones, home computing systems, or intelligent home appliances collect and store more and more information about users. The amount of information that is constantly being accumulated for each user is enormous. Collected information comprises the user's digital data like messages, online social network connections, or tweets and the user's physical context data like user location, physical proximity to other people, or physical activities. Increasingly powerful content analysis and physical context inference technologies enable the extraction of relationships among places, people, and events, and use the resulting context to construct a personal semantic network (PSN) of the contextual relationships across one's digital and physical interactions. Entities representing locations, people, events, activities etc. serve as pivotal elements empowering the user to navigate their PSN. This paper will discuss and detail both the construction and navigation of a PSN integrating a user's physical and digital content.
Mode of action of the neurotransmitter 5-hydroxytryptamine in stimulating ovarian maturation in the red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii: An in vivo and in vitro study

Ovarian explants from the red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, were incubated with 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and muscle, and with 5-HT in combination with eyestalk tissue, brains, or thoracic ganglia. In vitro, 5-HT without brain or thoracic ganglia in the incubation medium had no significant effect on the ovarian explants. In contrast, in vitro brains and thoracic ganglia induced ovarian maturation, indicating the presence of a gonad-stimulating hormone (GSH) in these tissues. However, this in vitro stimulatory effect was significantly greater when 5-HT was present in the incubation medium with the brains and thoracic ganglia. These results provide in vitro evidence in support of the hypothesis that the previously observed in vivo stimulatory action of 5-HT on the ovaries is an indirect one, 5-HT acting to stimulate release of a GSH. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Synthesis and hydrophobic association of poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) end-functionalized with perfluorocarbon and hydrocarbon groups

Polydimethylacrylamides (PDMAs) end-functionalized with hydrophobic groups were synthesized by the reaction of cesium salts of one- or two-ended living PDMA anion with octadecanoyl and perfluorooctanoyl chlorides and with α-phenylacrylate monomers containing an octadecyl group attached via oligooxyethylene spacers to the acrylate functionality. Size exclusion chromatography or NMR studies indicated that the end functionalizations were nearly quantitative. Reduced viscosity measurements were consistent with predominantly dimeric association of the perfluorooctanoyl-end-functionalized PDMAs. The association of the two-ended, perfluorooctanoyl- and octadecanoyl-functionalized polymers was more extensive and consistent with pairwise association. Furthermore, the presence of oligoethylene oxide spacers between the octadecyl and α-phenylacrylate groups greatly enhanced the hydrophobic association of bis(octadecyl)-end-functionalized PDMA. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1403–1418, 2001
Human figure drawing ability and vestibular processing dysfunction in learning-disabled children

Explored the relationship between vestibular function as measured by duration of postrotary nystagmus and human figure drawing ability in 40 children labeled as learning disabled. Regression analysis revealed that the variable of chronological age shared the most variance with human figure drawing scores. Postrotary nystagmus durations also shared a significant amount of variance with human figure drawing scores, while the variables of IQ and sex were nonsignificant. The results provide additional support for the assertion that some learning-disabled children evidence deficits in vestibular processing ability and that these deficits may affect performance on cognitive-perceptual tasks.
High magnetic field effects in some metallic magnetic materials

Abstract An account is given of the following magnetic properties in high magnetic fields: (1) Magnetic isotherms of pure nickel and Ni-Pd alloys near the Curie points; the exchange splitting energies deduced on this basis are discussed. (2) Metamagnetic transitions in internal fields for the rare earth-cobalt compounds R Co 2 . (3) Metamagnetic transitions in external fields for Co(S, Se) 2 and ordered FePt 3 .
Reminiscences of a menage a trois. The true story of the development of Salem's theory of organic photochemistry☆

Abstract A personal recollection of the beginning of Lionel Salem's theory of a ‘classification of photochemical reactions’ is presented. The classification was developed by a collaborative effort led by Lionel Salem and assisted by N.J. Turro and W.G. Dauben.
Competitive displacement of phosphoinositide 3-kinase from β-adrenergic receptor kinase-1 improves postinfarction adverse myocardial remodeling

Adverse remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) determines the progression of heart failure. Failing hearts are characterized by downregulation of β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) signaling in part...
Ammonia as an attractant for adult Hybomitra lasiophthalma (Diptera: Tabanidae).

Ammonia and carbon dioxide were evaluated as attractants in canopy traps for Hybomitra lasiophthalma (Macquart). Ammonia-baited traps collected 2.5 times as many flies as did unbaited traps (33.27 versus 12.93 per trap per day). Over 45 times as many flies were captured in carbon dioxide-baited traps as in unbaited traps (1,630.64 versus 35.82 per trap per day). Both ammonia and carbon dioxide are effective attractants for H. lasiophthalma .
High-throughput, reliable multicast without "crying babies" in wireless mesh networks

There are two primary challenges to supporting high-throughput, reliable multicast in wireless mesh networks (WMNs). The first is no different from unicast: wireless links are inherently lossy due to varying channel conditions and interference. The second, known as the "crying baby" problem, is unique to multicast: the multicast source may have varying throughput to different multicast receivers, and hence trying to satisfy the reliability requirement for poorly connected receivers can potentially result in performance degradation for the rest of the receivers.In this paper, we propose Pacifier, a new high-throughput reliable multicast protocol. Pacifier seamlessly integrates four building blocks, namely, tree-based opportunistic routing, intra-flow network coding, source rate limiting, and round-robin batching, to support high-throughput, reliable multicast routing in WMNs, while at the same time effectively addresses the "crying baby" problem.
Combining Caspase and Mitochondrial Dysfunction Inhibitors of Apoptosis to Limit Cell Death in Mammalian Cell Cultures

Apoptosis is now recognized as a significant problem in mammalian cell culture. Therefore, in this study, a single gene and multigene approach to inhibit apoptosis has been examined. Stable Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines were generated to overexpress different single, dual, and triple combinations of three apoptosis inhibitor genes. Two upstream inhibitors involved in the mitochondrial pathway, Bcl-XL and Aven, were expressed in addition to a downstream inhibitor of caspases. The caspase inhibitor, a variant of XIAP containing only the caspase inhibitory BIR domains (XIAP-BIRs), has been shown previously to enhance viabilities in mammalian cultures. Stable clonal cell lines were generated and tested for three apoptotic insults: Sindbis virus infection, the chemical reagent etoposide, and spent medium. For all single gene experiments, the Bcl-XL-containing cell lines provided superior protection to either the Aven- or XIAP-BIRs-containing cell lines following initial exposure to the insults. However, the cell lines expressing two or more anti-apoptosis proteins were more effective at inhibiting cell death than those expressing just one anti-apoptosis gene. The cell lines overexpressing Bcl-XL in combination with XIAP-BIRs were especially effective in delaying cell death for all three apoptotic insults. Expression of all three anti-apoptosis genes in concert was only slightly more effective than using Bcl-XL and XIAP-BIRs for some insults. During exposure to spent medium, CHO-BIRS + Aven + BclXL was the best inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) initially, whereas CHO-BIRs + BclXL was particularly effective at later times of the experiment. In conclusion, the utilization of a mitochondrial dysfunction inhibitor used in combination with a caspase inhibitor was more effective in thwarting the progression of apoptosis than either inhibitor expressed individually. Thus, the concurrent expression of multiple apoptosis inhibitors may be the most effective strategy to increase survival of mammalian cells in culture. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Inclusion of charge and polarizability fluxes provides needed physical accuracy in molecular mechanics force fields

Abstract Physical accuracy in MM calculations requires maximally correct forces in addition to structures and energies. This requires inclusion of charge and polarizability fluxes in the energy function. Using our spectroscopically determined force field, which is designed to include these, we present three examples of the improved physical predictions that result from the incorporation of charge fluxes: the reproduction of the water angle opening on going from the isolated molecule to the liquid, the reproduction of the ψ peptide torsion potential with only a single threefold (almost zero barrier) Fourier term, and reproduction of the quantum-mechanical MD ϕ, ψ map of a dipeptide analog.
The level of willingness to evacuate among older adults.

The issues of rising numbers of disasters, overwhelming increases in number of older adults, and historically flawed evacuations present real challenges. During the next two decades, the number of American baby boomers, who turn 65, will increase by 40%. As evidenced by recent disasters, the imperfections and vulnerabilities of flawed evacuations for older adults are still present. This study examined the level of willingness to evacuate among older adults in the event of a disaster. Despite the extensive literature on disasters and evacuation, a significant question regarding evacuation and older adults has not been addressed. The study addressed the following concern: What is the level of willingness among older adults to evacuate when asked to do so by emergency management officials? The sample population consisted of 765 voluntary participants aged 60 years and older from 30 senior/community centers within seven counties within a midwestern state. A group administered survey (The Disaster Evacuation S...
Sensitivity of human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines to targeted inhibition of BET epigenetic signaling proteins

Bromodomain and extra terminal domain (BET) proteins function as epigenetic signaling factors that associate with acetylated histones and facilitate transcription of target genes. Inhibitors targeting the activity of BET proteins have shown potent antiproliferative effects in hematological cancers through the suppression of c-MYC and downstream target genes. However, as the epigenetic landscape of a cell varies drastically depending on lineage, transcriptional coactivators such as BETs would be expected to have different targets in cancers derived from different cells of origin, and this may influence the activity and mechanism of action of BET inhibitors. To test this hypothesis, we treated a panel of lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) cell lines with the BET inhibitor JQ1 and found that a subset is acutely susceptible to BET inhibition. In contrast to blood tumors, we show that LAC cells are inhibited by JQ1 through a mechanism independent of c-MYC down-regulation. Through gene expression profiling, we discovered that the oncogenic transcription factor FOSL1 and its targets are suppressed by JQ1 in a dose-dependant manner. Knockdown of BRD4 also decreased FOSL1 levels, and inhibition of FOSL1 phenocopied the effects of JQ1 treatment, suggesting that loss of this transcription factor may be partly responsible for the cytotoxic effects of BET inhibition in LAC cells, although ectopic expression of FOSL1 alone did not rescue the phenotype. Together, these findings suggest that BET inhibitors may be useful in solid tumors and that cell-lineage–specific differences in transcriptional targets of BETs may influence the activity of inhibitors of these proteins in different cancer types.
Activation of Protein Kinase C by Trimethyltin: Relevance to Neurotoxicity

The differentiated PC12 cell neuronal model was used to determine the effect of trimethyltin (TMT) on protein kinase C (PKC). Cells treated with 5-20 microM TMT showed a partial and sustained PKC translocation within 30 min and persisted over a 24-h period. TMT treatment was accompanied by a low level of PKC down-regulation over 24 h, which was small compared with that produced by phorbol esters. Confocal imaging of differentiated PC12 cells showed that PKC translocates to the plasma membrane and the translocation is blocked by the PKC inhibitor chelerythrine (1 microM). Phorbol myristate-induced PKC down-regulation or inhibition with chelerythrine provided protection against TMT-induced cytotoxicity. It was concluded that TMT-induced PKC translocation and activation contribute to the cytotoxicity of TMT in differentiated PC12 cells.
Optoacoustic laser monitoring of cooling and freezing of tissues

Real-time monitoring of cooling and freezing of tissues, cells, and other biological objects with a high spatial and time resolution, which is necessary for selective destruction of cancer and benign tumours during cryotherapy, as well as for preventing any damage to the structure and functioning of biological objects in cryobiology, is considered. The optoacoustic method, based on the measurement and analysis of acoustic waves induced by short laser pulses, is proposed for monitoring the cooling and freezing of the tissue. The effect of cooling and freezing on the amplitude and time profile of acoustic signals generated in real tissues and in a model object is studied. The experimental results indicate that the optoacoustic laser technique can be used for real-time monitoring of cooling and freezing of biological objects with a submillimeter spatial resolution and a high contrast.
A weak Grothendieck compactness principle

Abstract The Grothendieck compactness principle states that every norm compact subset of a Banach space is contained in the closed convex hull of a norm null sequence. In this article, an analogue of the Grothendieck compactness principle is considered when the norm topology of a Banach space is replaced by its weak topology. It is shown that every weakly compact subset of a Banach space is contained in the closed convex hull of a weakly null sequence if and only if the Banach space has the Schur property.
Efficacy of Antimicrobial Peptoids against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a leading cause of death worldwide. Resistance of Mycobacterium to antibiotics can make treatments less effective in some cases. We tested selected oligopeptoids—previously reported as mimics of natural host defense peptides—for activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and assessed their cytotoxicity. A tetrameric, alkylated, cationic peptoid (1-C134mer) was most potent against M. tuberculosis and least cytotoxic, whereas an unalkylated analogue, peptoid 14mer, was inactive. Peptoid 1-C134mer thus merits further study as a potential antituberculosis drug.
Current Usage of Payments Agreements and Trade Agreements

T WO MAIN FORMS of inconvertibility may be distinguished. Inconvertibility on resident account (internal inconvertibility) means that persons or firms in a country whose currency is inconvertible (hereinafter called an inconvertible country) are not permitted to use the currency of their country to make to nonresidents (wherever the nonresidents may be) payments at their own discretion and for any purpose not specifically prohibited for reasons of public order. Similarly, they are not permitted to receive payments freely from any source outside their own country. Inconvertibility on nonresident account (external inconvertibility) means that nonresidents receiving proceeds in the currency of the inconvertible country, or having claims therein, are not permitted to use that currency freely in all parts of the world and for any purposes, whether to obtain goods and services from the inconvertible country or to exchange the currency received for other currencies. Formally, inconvertibility on nonresident account among inconvertible countries-not, of course, vis-a-vis the United States and other dollar countries-is organized largely on the basis of bilateral agreements between governments or central banks. These agreements are usually referred to as bilateral payments agreements.1 In Western Europe, nonresident inconvertibility has been organized since mid-1950 on the basis
The use of regression techniques for predicting the response of peas to environment.

Six pea varieties were grown in seven environments over two consecutive years and the results analysed using regression techniques. In both years a degree of linearity of response to environment was established for many of the characters recorded. Comparisons were made between the values observed in the second year and those predicted from the results of the first year, using ‘t’ tests. As a result of these comparisons it appears that, due to poor linearity of response and/or different degrees of response in different years, accurate predictability of genotype behaviour was not possible.
Effect of harsh anneals on the LSM/YSZ interfacial impedance profile

Abstract AC impedance spectroscopy was used to investigate the effects of microstructural and interfacial changes on the cathodic reaction occurring at the LSM/YSZ interface. These effects were induced by using harsh anneals of temperatures ranging from 1250 to 1400 °C and times ranging from 1 to 48 h. Additional characterization of the effects of the anneal was performed through the use of SEM and EDS. A separate semicircle with a distinct time constant was observed in the Nyquist plot of samples that have been exposed to anneals of 1400 °C. The magnitude of the resistance of this semicircle was shown to be dependent on the time and temperature of the applied anneal. Extended interfacial pores were also shown to occur in 1400 °C annealed samples.
Programmable High Speed Multi-Level Simultaneous Bidirectional I/O

This paper describes a programmable high speed multi-level simultaneous bidirectional I/O. With programmable high speed differential current switching, the static current flow becomes dependent upon the number of bits in the outgoing data, from 0-bit to 2-bit. The pre-emphasis method was implemented to enhance the transmission speed. Simulation results based on 0.18mum CMOS process show the maximum data rate can be enhanced to 4.8Gb/s/pin. Timing window and voltage window are 480ps and 43mV, respectively
Ice accretion and performance degradation calculations with LEWICE/NS

The LEWICE ice accretion computer code has been extended to include the solution of the two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations. The code is modular and contains separate stand-alone program elements that create a grid, calculate the flow field parameters, calculate the droplet trajectory paths, determine the amount of ice growth, calculate aeroperformance changes, and plot results. The new elements of the code are described. Calculated results are compared to experiment for several cases, including both ice shape and drag rise.
Studies of antiproteolytic effects of glyburide on rat L6 myoblasts: comparisons with insulin.

Cultured L6 myoblasts afford considerable advantages for identifying and studying the insulin-like actions of test substances in a muscle-derived line. We have used this system to examine the interaction of the oral hypoglycemic sulfonylurea glyburide with bovine insulin on protein degradation and synthesis as well as on thymidine incorporation (as a measure of DNA synthesis) in these cells. Bovine insulin, at doses of 0.1 μg/mL to 10 μg/mL, produced a dose-dependent inhibition of protein degradation (measured by release of trichloracetic acid (TCA)-soluble 14C-tyrosine from myoblasts into the culture medium) and increase in total protein content in the cultured myoblasts. At concentrations of 10 μg/mL, insulin achieved its maximal suppression of protein degradation (by nearly 50%) and increased cellular protein content (by 15%) over levels observed in the absence of added insulin. Glyburide, at concentrations at or above 1 μg/mL, significantly suppressed protein degradation (up to 14%) and slightly augmented protein content of the cells. The effects of glyburide on protein degradation were additive with those of submaximally but not maximally effective concentrations of insulin, suggesting a common mechanism of action of the compounds. Both insulin and glyburide, at maximally effective doses, significantly depressed protein degradation as early as 2 to 6 hours after exposure. In addition, in a 24-hour labeling experiment, insulin stimulated tyrosine incorporation into TCA-insoluble protein and thymidine incorporation into DNA in the cells, whereas glyburide did not enhance these processes and, under certain conditions, inhibited them. These results demonstrate that glyburide, either alone or in concert with insulin, is capable of significantly inhibiting protein turnover in skeletal muscle-derived cells. The physiological implications of these observations are discussed.
A criterion for a continuous spectral density

For a given weakly stationary random field indexed by the integer lattice of an arbitrary finite dimension, a necessary and sufficient condition is given for the existence of a continuous spectral density. The condition involves the covariances of pairs of sums of the random variables, with the two index sets being "separated" from each other (but possibly "interlaced") by a certain distance along a coordinate direction.
A talent development approach to assessing pre‐service performance in early childhood teacher education

Abstract A team of early childhood teacher education faculty developed the 3‐D talent development model of teacher education, blending theory and research from many sources. These sources include research on talent development, nonuniversal development, and roles of teachers and their professional growth. The faculty integrated constructs from these sources into a program rooted in principles of social constructivism. Using the 3‐D model, the faculty team identified their task as taking students of teaching through the phases of discovery, discipline, and divergence. Assessments that we developed needed to correspond to this conceptual framework, moving us away from traditional types of student assessment. In this article we offer a synopsis of the talent development model; review five of the approaches to student assessment we use, including alternative assessment activities, “Employmee” feedback forms, electronic portfolios, state teacher evaluation frameworks, and action research projects; and articula...
Algebraic limits of Kleinian groups which rearrange the pages of a book

In this paper, we give examples of two new phenomena in Kleinian groups. We rst exhibit a sequence of homeomorphic marked hyperbolic 3-manifolds whose algebraic limit is not homeomorphic to any element in the sequence. We then use this construction to exhibit situations where the space of convex co-compact representations of a given 3-manifold group has many components but its closure is connected. Let M be a compact, irreducible, oriented 3-manifold and let D( 1(M)) denote the space of all discrete, faithful representations of 1(M) into PSL2(C). A sequence of representations { n} ⊂ D( 1(M)) converging to ∈ D( 1(M)) gives rise to a sequence {N n = H= n( 1(M))} of hyperbolic 3-manifolds, each of which is homotopy equivalent to M . The sequence {N n} is said to converge algebraically to N = H= ( 1(M)). (See [7, 13, 14] for more information about algebraic convergence of Kleinian groups.) In many situations (see [1, 6, 15, 24, 25, 27]), it has been shown that N n must be homeomorphic to N for all large enough n, and we had suspected that this would always be the case. In this paper, we give a collection of examples where N n is not homeomorphic to N for any n. Our sequences are quite well-behaved: the n( 1(M)) are convex co-compact and mutually quasiconformally conjugate, and the algebraic limit ( 1(M)) is geometrically nite. In our examples, M is obtained by gluing a collection of I -bundles to a solid torus along a family of parallel annuli. These manifolds are particularly simple examples of books of I -bundles (see [9]) where, to explain the terminology, one should think of the solid torus as the binding and the I -bundles
High temperature x-ray diffraction studies on Cr-doped V2O3☆

Abstract X ray powder diffraction on high purity (Cr0.01V0.99)2O3 and (Cr0.033V0.967)2O3 prepared by the arc-melting technique has been carried out in the temperature range of room temperature to 500°C. The room temperature rhombohedral structure of (Cr0.01V0.99)2O3 is found to undergo, in agreement with earlier results, a gradual transition to an isomorphous, high-temperature rhombohedral structure over a temperature range of 50–200°C. The percentage of the two phases in this coexistence range has been determined at different temperatures from the relative X ray intensities. This is found to depend on the thermal history of the sample and shows considerable hysteresis between heating and cooling cycles. Annealing of the material at 1600°C is found to stabilize the low temperature form and to broaden the temperature region of the transition. The temperature interval of the electrical anomaly correlates well with the two-phase interval. The lattice parameters and their temperature coefficients have been determined for all the phases.
Muon Magnetic Moment in a Finite Theory of Weak and Electromagnetic Interactions

We calculate the weak-interaction contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment of the order ${G}_{W}m_{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{}{}_{}{}^{2}$ in the Weinberg model for leptons. Using a $\ensuremath{\xi}$-limiting procedure we obtain a finite correction to $\frac{1}{2}(g\ensuremath{-}2)$, which has the value (1.8-2.2) \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}9}$.