cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Graph Menagerie: Abstract Algebra and the Mad Veterinarian

Jessica owns three adorable cats: Boo, Kodiak, and Yoshi. Yoshi, unfortunately, has a bad habit: He likes to damage Jessica’s carpet. Sometimes Jessica wishes she had a machine that would magically change Yoshi into a tidier pet . . . a goldfish, perhaps. Of course, a goldfish is much smaller than a cat, so perhaps Yoshi could instead be turned into two goldfish. Or maybe two goldfish and a turtle? But goldfish and turtles aren’t too cuddly; Jessica might regret the change, so she would want the machine to be able to turn two goldfish and a turtle back into a cat. In the parlance of recreational mathematics, Jessica sometimes wishes she were a Mad Veterinarian. Mad Vet scenarios were originally presented by Harris [7], who posed questions as to which collections of animals can be transformed by Mad Vet machines into other collections. Recently, such scenarios have been used as the basis of various problem solving and Math Circle activities; see, for instance, [13]. In this article we take a different approach, using Mad Vet scenarios to explore the concepts of groups, semigroups, and directed graphs. We have two main goals in analyzing Mad Vet scenarios. Corresponding to any Mad Vet scenario there is a naturally defined semigroup, which may or may not be a group. Our first main goal is to help readers gain some intuition about when a given semigroup is actually a group; to this end, we provide a number of not-so-run-of-themill examples involving these algebraic structures. Our second main goal is to illustrate a practice common in mathematics: namely, answering a question in one area by recasting it in another area, answering the recast question there, and then using that result to answer the original question. There are numerous examples of such powerful cross-disciplinary pollination, including Euler’s solution to the classic K¨ onigsberg Bridges Problem; see, for instance, Chapter 1 in Biggs et al. [4]. We provide a beautiful example of this technique, posing an abstract algebraic question and answering it using graph theory. Along the way, we provide numerous examples and specific computations. We also present some follow-up questions and information which could be used to supplement the material in an abstract algebra course. We assume that the reader is familiar with first-semester abstract algebraic concepts such as groups and equivalence relations. A good source for these topics is Fraleigh [5].
Benefits and burdens: Does it really matter What we allocate?

There is growing, evidence that allocation decisions concerning burdens and benefits are not processed equivalently. This paper suggests three dimensions on which information processing for resource allocations differs: status quo effects (individuals react more strongly to losses in status quo than to gains), resource valence effects (individuals react more strongly to resource allocations involving burdens than those involving benefits), and blame effects (individuals react more strongly to resource allocation decisions in which they exercise choice). Results of an empirical study confirm significant differences in the information processing of burdens and benefits, and also confirm the importance of psychological distance in the reactions of individuals to burdens and benefits allocations.
Getting real: a naturalistic methodology for using smartphones to collect mediated communications

This paper contributes an intentionally naturalistic methodology using smartphone logging technology to study communications in the wild. Smartphone logging can provide tremendous access to communications data from real environments. However, researchers must consider how it is employed to preserve naturalistic behaviors. Nine considerations are presented to this end. We also provide a description of a naturalistic logging approach that has been applied successfully to collecting mediated communications from iPhones. The methodology was designed to intentionally decrease reactivity and resulted in data that were more accurate than self-reports. Example analyses are also provided to show how data collected can be analyzed to establish empirical patterns and identify user differences. Smartphone logging technologies offer flexible capabilities to enhance access to real communications data, but methodologies employing these techniques must be designed appropriately to avoid provoking naturally occurring behaviors. Functionally, this methodology can be applied to establish empirical patterns and test specific hypotheses within the field of HCI research. Topically, this methodology can be applied to domains interested in understanding mediated communications such as mobile content and systems design, teamwork, and social networks.
Quality Assurance in Hemostasis: The Perspective from the College of American Pathologists Proficiency Testing Program

External quality assurance (EQA) is an important component of the total quality assurance program of a clinical hemostasis laboratory. The College of American Pathologists (CAP) helps meet this requirement by providing a proficiency testing program that evaluates a broad range of hemostasis methods and analytes. This article reviews the published experience of the CAP proficiency testing program in hemostasis. The purpose is to formulate general conclusions about the benefits of EQA. Between 1963 and 2006, the performance characteristics of a variety of tests have been evaluated, including the prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, coagulation factor activity assays (e.g., fibrinogen, factor [F] VIII, FIX, FXI), von Willebrand factor assays, unfractionated heparin monitoring, lupus anticoagulant testing, and platelet function. Based on the results of these evaluations, the major benefits of EQA are to (1) enhance patient care and safety through improved laboratory testing; (2) characterize test accuracy and precision across multiple methods; (3) correlate specific method variables with accuracy and precision; (4) identify interfering substances and quantify their effects across multiple methods; (5) identify clinical laboratories that are at risk for poor performance so that their performance can improve; and (6) satisfy accreditation and regulatory requirements.
Special Section Guest Editorial: Fiber Lasers

This PDF file contains the editorial “Special Section Guest Editorial: Fiber Lasers” for OE Vol. 50 Issue 11
Tracer Kinetic Modeling of [11C]AFM, a New PET Imaging Agent for the Serotonin Transporter

[11C]AFM, or [11C]2-[2-(dimethylaminomethyl)phenylthio]-5-fluoromethylphenylamine, is a new positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand with high affinity and selectivity for the serotonin transporter (SERT). The purpose of this study was to determine the most appropriate kinetic model to quantify [11C]AFM binding in the healthy human brain. Positron emission tomography data and arterial input functions were acquired from 10 subjects. Compartmental modeling and the multilinear analysis-1(MA1) method were tested using the arterial input functions. The one-tissue model showed a lack of fit in low-binding regions, and the two-tissue model failed to estimate parameters reliably. Regional time–activity curves were well described by MA1. The rank order of [11C]AFM binding potential (BPND) matched well with the known regional SERT densities. For routine use of [11C]AFM, several noninvasive methods for quantification of regional binding were evaluated, including simplified reference tissue models (SRTM and SRTM2), and multilinear reference tissue models (MRTM and MRTM2). The best methods for region of interest (ROI) analysis were MA1, MRTM2, and SRTM2, with fixed population kinetic values ( or b′) for the reference methods. The MA1 and MRTM2 methods were best for parametric imaging. These results showed that [11C]AFM is a suitable PET radioligand to image and quantify SERT in humans.
Centroid-moment tensor solutions for July-September 1986

Abstract Centroid-moment tensor solutions are presented for 170 earthquakes that occurred during the third quarter of 1986. The solutions are obtained using corrections for aspherical Earth structure.
Liposuction: Some Memories and Thoughts

Eugene H. Courtiss, MD ASAPS President, 1977-1978 In early 1978 one of my residents asked me to speak on the subject of thigh lifts at plastic surgery grand rounds. I said, “Let me think about it and I'll get back to you”—which, as I learned long ago, is a good reply when I'm unsure how to respond to a question. I then asked my secretary to pull the records and photographs of all my patients who had undergone thigh lifting procedures. The results were very revealing: All of the patients had long, depressed, and, in many cases, wide scars. Even more striking was that I had not been able to improve the large lateral bulges that bothered many of them (Figure 1). I agreed to speak at plastic surgery grand rounds and present these “state-of-the-art” results. However, I knew there had to be a better way to treat this problem. Figure 1 Typical result of a “classic” thigh lift. A , Preoperatwe view; B , postoperative view. My interest was piqued when, in August 1978,1 read “Suction Curette Removal of Excessive Local Deposits of Subcutaneous Fat,”1 the first article published on the subject in the English language. Purportedly, here was a way to remove the bulging lateral thigh fat that I could not have treated otherwise. The article indicated that the instrument necessary to perform the procedure could be obtained from St. Gall, Switzerland. New instruments are frequently described in medical articles; however, I did not appreciate the implications of this one. I wrote to the company that manufactured the instrument and recall receiving the reply that the instrument cost $250. Before long, I received a suction curette accompanied with instructions in French! Because my high school and college grades in French were consistently low (straight C minus), I thought it …
Improving newborn screening for cystic fibrosis using next-generation sequencing technology: a technical feasibility study

Many regions have implemented newborn screening (NBS) for cystic fibrosis (CF) using a limited panel of cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) mutations after immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT) analysis. We sought to assess the feasibility of further improving the screening using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. An NGS assay was used to detect 162 CFTR mutations/variants characterized by the CFTR2 project. We used 67 dried blood spots (DBSs) containing 48 distinct CFTR mutations to validate the assay. NGS assay was retrospectively performed on 165 CF screen–positive samples with one CFTR mutation. The NGS assay was successfully performed using DNA isolated from DBSs, and it correctly detected all CFTR mutations in the validation. Among 165 screen-positive infants with one CFTR mutation, no additional disease-causing mutation was identified in 151 samples consistent with normal sweat tests. Five infants had a CF-causing mutation that was not included in this panel, and nine with two CF-causing mutations were identified. The NGS assay was 100% concordant with traditional methods. Retrospective analysis results indicate an IRT/NGS screening algorithm would enable high sensitivity, better specificity and positive predictive value (PPV). This study lays the foundation for prospective studies and for introducing NGS in NBS laboratories. Genet Med 18 3, 231–238.
When Does Reciprocity in the Actions of Nations Occur

To understand the occurrence of reciprocation, we must consider the ways in which the prior actions of another nation may affect decision makers' expectancies and the values they give to various possible outcomes of the interaction. Cooperative prior action by the other tends to raise the actor's expectancy that his own cooperative action will result in mutual cooperation and also to increase the intrinsic value of cooperation. Conflictive actions by the other nation will tend to raise the value that decision makers place on winning over the other and to decrease their expectancies that cooperative behavior will result in mutual cooperation. While the prior actions of the other tend to lead to reciprocation, its occurrence depends also on other factors that affect national leaders' expectancies and values. Relevant other factors include the extent to which the nations are dependent on exchange relations with each other and the relative power of the two sides. Mutual reciprocity is most likely when there is a high and balanced level of exchange and when the power of the two sides is about equal.
Toll-like receptors: key players in antiviral immunity

TLRs are a family of innate receptors whose specificities are predetermined in the germline. Therefore, TLRs have evolved to recognize conserved features of microbes. Viruses typically lack the conserved features common to other pathogen classes, so the innate immune system has evolved to recognize viral nucleic acid as a hallmark of viral infection. In this review we discuss examples of TLR-mediated viral recognition and the functional consequences of this recognition for antiviral immunity.
Protection Systems that verify and supervise themselves

This paper highlights some important design aspects that a Protection and Control system should have when applied to protecting a Smart Grid or Smart Transmission & Distribution Substation. These aspects are aimed at de-risking the designs and, at the same time, reducing overall project cost. The electricity industries of many countries currently only put equipment into service following thorough design checks and detailed site commissioning using highly skilled engineering personnel. Such a thorough and detailed approach increases the overall cost of a project. Although best endeavors are made to identify and resolve all errors at the design and site commissioning stages, it is often not practicable to eliminate them all. This situation triggers a need for designs to be of such a nature that those errors, which may have slipped through during the site commissioning, get automatically detected prior to equipment operating on the live system.
Pair-difference chi-squared statistics for Key Comparisons

Pair-difference chi-squared statistics are useful for analysing metrological consistency within a Key Comparison. We show how they relate to classical chi-squareds and how they can be used with full rigour, for any comparison of a scalar measurand, to compare the observed dispersion of results with the dispersion that would be expected on the basis of the claimed uncertainties. In several limits, the distributions of these pair-difference statistics are exact chi-squareds. For other cases, the Monte Carlo method can evaluate the distributions even in the presence of non-Gaussian uncertainty distributions, including the Student distribution to be construed when a participant has reported a degrees of freedom. Monte Carlo methods also treat inter-laboratory covariances in a transparent manner appropriate for metrology. Pair-difference chi-squared statistics are independent of the choice of a Key Comparison Reference Value (KCRV) and so may expedite the process of analysis, consensus building and publication for Key Comparisons. They are appropriate for judging pair metrology. We discuss them as a necessary, but not sufficient, test for a Key Comparison reported in the conventional way using a KCRV. The deficiencies of using solely the classical chi-squared test are discussed. A good remedy is available with pair-difference chi-squared statistics.
What Went Wrong? Reflections on Science by Observation and the Bell Curve

The Bell Curve aims to establish a set of causal claims. I argue that the methodology of The Bell Curve is typical of much of contemporary social science and is intrinsically defective. I claim better methods are available for causal inference from observational data, but that those methods would yield no causal conclusions from the data used in the formal analyses in The Bell Curve. Against the laissez-faire social policies advocated in the book, I claim that when combined with common sense and other information, the informal data mustered in The Bell Curve support a range of "liberal" social policies.
EFFECT OF SURFACE OXIDATION ON THE THERMIONIC WORK FUNCTION OF BERYLLIUM.

The thermionic work functions of five different beryllium samples were studied as a function of the degree of surface oxidation. The state of oxidation of each sample was determined by visual observation and by analysis of x-ray diffraction patterns. The data were analyzed by the Schottky plot-Richardson plot method. One wire was completely oxidized to BeO and its Richardson work function was found to be 3.80±0.06 e V and the thermionic constant was 31 amps/cm2-∮K2. From visual and x-ray analyses of the various samples, it is concluded that the lowest work function determined for any of the beryllium samples, 3.22±0.08 eV, is the closest to the work function of pure polycrystalline beryllium metal.
Onset and dynamic expression of S100 proteins in the olfactory organ and the lateral line system in zebrafish development

In the zebrafish olfactory epithelium, three morphologically distinct olfactory neurons express different marker proteins. We utilize this feature to access developmental dynamics of one of the neuron types, the crypt cells, to determine whether they are differentiated at a stage similar to other olfactory neurons. Immunohistochemical studies using an S100 antibody that specifically recognizes crypt cells showed that S100-positive cells appear in olfactory rosettes as early as at 2day postfertilization (dpf). However, some of the rosettes did not have any S100-positive cells until 4 dpf. The number of S100-positive cells in individual rosettes increased steadily over the next 3days before it decreased significantly. There were 7.8 S100-positive cells per rosettes on average in larvae at 7 dpf. The number reduced to 2.2 at 9 dpf. A recovery to a pre-reduction level was detected in 12 dpf larvae. We also observed S100-positive cells in neuromasts of the lateral line system in 2 dpf larvae, suggesting that the crypt cells and sensory cells in the neuromasts have similar onsets of differentiation. Our data have provided a time line of differentiation of crypt cells in development of the olfactory system and demonstrated that this type of cell is differentiated at a stage similar to ciliated and microvillous olfactory neurons. A nonlinear growth trajectory of the crypt cell population in the first nine days of zebrafish development implicates a possible functional significance of crypt cells in early life stages of zebrafish.
Enzymatic cleavage of a glycoprotein of respiratory syncytial virus.

The 75K glycoprotein of the A2 strain of respiratory syncytial virus was cleaved by digestion with trypsin orStaphylococcus aureus protease V8. The fragments resulting from trypsin digestion were 40K and 29K; those from the Staphylococcal protease were 49K and 37K.
Insulin-like growth factor-II overexpression in MCF-7 cells induces phenotypic changes associated with malignant progression.

It has been proposed that the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) can act as autocrine and/or paracrine growth promoters in breast cancer. To investigate this hypothesis, we infected early passage MCF-7 cells with a retroviral vector containing the coding sequence for the IGF-II preprohormone along with a constitutive cytomegalovirus promoter sequence. These cells do not normally express IGF-I or IGF-II. After infection with the retroviral vector, several single cell clones were analyzed. Seven of nine isolated clones expressed very high levels of IGF-II mRNA. Biologically active IGF-II protein was easily detectable in the medium conditioned by the IGF-II-expressing clones, and IGF receptors were down-regulated in these. All IGF-II-expressing clones showed marked morphological changes in anchorage-dependent culture, growing in large clumps and as free-floating colonies. The cells also cloned in soft agar in the absence of estrogen, while the wild-type MCF-7 cells and control cells infected with an irreleva...
Individual differences in executive functioning: implications for stress regulation.

Background Executive functioning (EF) refers to the set of neurocognitive processes that facilitate novel problem solving, modification of behavior in response to environmental changes, planning and generating strategies for complex actions, and ability to override pre-potent behavioral and emotional responses to engage in goal-directed behavior.
Idiopathic muscular hypertrophy of the equine small intestine: 11 cases (1980–1991)

The medical records of 11 horses with idiopathic muscular hypertrophy (MH) of the small intestine were reviewed to determine the clinical and pathological features of the disease. The median age of affected horses was 10.0 years (range 5-18 years). No breed or sex predisposition was apparent. Ten horses (91%) had chronic (23 days to 2.4 years) signs of mild, intermittent colic, and 1 horse had signs of severe colic of only 3 days' duration. Partial anorexia and chronic weight loss of variable duration (1-6 months) were prominent historical findings in 5 (45%) horses. Diagnostic tests, with the exception of exploratory caeliotomy, were ineffective for definitive diagnosis of intestinal MH as a cause of colic. In 2 horses, however, a thickened, rigid ileum was detected by palpation per rectum, and in 5 horses, multiple loops of distended small intestine were detected by palpation per rectum. Hypertrophy of both the circular and longitudinal layers of muscularis was determined as the cause of intestinal thickening in all horses. Muscular hypertrophy of the ileum was present in 9 (82%) horses. Two horses (18%) had MH of a section of jejunum only, and 4 (36%) horses had MH of the ileum in combination with MH of other sections of small intestine. Two (18%) horses had MH of the entire small intestine. In 9 (82%) horses, intestinal MH resulted in narrowing of the luminal diameter at the site of MH. Small diverticula were present on the mesenteric border of the hypertrophied ileum of 5 (45%) horses. Five linear (up to 150-cm) diverticula were present in the hypertrophied jejunum of 1 (9%) horse. Haemomelasma ilei was present on the antimesenteric serosal surface of affected intestine of 8 (73%) horses. Full-thickness rupture of the ileum with subsequent diffuse, septic peritonitis occurred in 3 (27%) horses.
Spontaneous Subdural Hematoma and Intracystic Hemorrhage in an Arachnoid Cyst

We report the case of 22-year-old man with nontraumatic intracystic hemorrhage into a middle cranial fossa arachnoid cyst associated with a contiguous subacute subdural hematoma. Arachnoid cysts are benign intra-arachnoidal fluid collections frequently detected incidentally during neuroimaging. Rare complications of arachnoid cysts such as intracystic hemorrhage or subdural hematomas and subdural hygromas typically occur after head trauma. Our review of the literature identified fewer than 30 cases of arachnoid cysts with complicating intracystic hemorrhage and ipsilateral subdural hematomas.
Feature extractors for distortion- invariant robot vision

Various feature extractors/classifiers for a hierarchical feature-space pattern recognition system are described. The system is intended to achieve multiclass distortion-invariant object identification. Although only a Fourier transform feature space is used, our basic hierarchical concepts, our theoretical analysis, and our general conclusions are applicable to other feature spaces. The performance using intensity and phase Fourier transform features and the performance in the presence of noise are studied and quantified for two different two-class pattern recognition data bases.
Design, Construction, and Use of Minnesota Woman, A Thermally Instrumented Mannequin

An adult female thermally instrumented mannequin was designed and constructed for apparel flammability research at the University of Minnesota. Forty-four chromel-alumel thermocouples (0.13 mm diam...
Attitudes and Beliefs Predicting Taiwanese Older Adults’ Intentions to Attend Strength and Balance Training Programs

While strength and balance training (SBT) programs are effective in preventing falls, older adults rarely participate. A cross-sectional study design was used to explore factors that influence thei...
BIOLOGICAL ACTION OF 17α‐HYDROXYPROGESTERONE 17‐n‐CAPROATE ON THE REPRODUCTIVE PROCESSES OF THE RAT

The effect of Detalutin on estrous cycles mating ovulation and implantation estradiol-17beta-induced uterine growth and litter size in albino rats was studied. .5-7.5 mg Delalutin daily for 7 days for 3 cycles did not delay estrous cycles; it decreased the variability of the rat estrous cycle. Progesterone pretreatment delayed mating time while Delalutin pretreatment caused mating to occur in about 1/3 the control time. The number of corpora lutea and implantations was also highest with Delalutin. Delalutin did not significantly inhibit the uterine-growth-inducing action of estradiol-17-beta not did it suppress the number of living young per litter as progesterone did. No females treated with Delalutin aborted.
WASTE TREATMENT COSTS FOR SALTWATER AQUACULTURE FACILITIES

Data are reported on costs for various processes used for treating wastes produced from saltwater aquaculture operations. Unit costs are developed for selected treatment flowsheets.
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS OF THE RABBIT : VII. PNEUMONIAS ASSOCIATED WITH BACTERIUM LEPISEPTICUM.

1. Four general types of spontaneous pneumonia, associated with strains of Bact. lepisepticum similar in biology and virulence, are described: (1) an acute, diffuse form, with subpleural and perivascular orientation of the exudate, (2) lobar, (3) pleuro-, and (4) abscess pneumonia. 2. The acute, diffuse, lobar, and pleuro pneumonias may be induced experimentally by intranasal instillation of a virulent strain of Bact. lepisepticum. 3. These same types occur when the organisms are inoculated intravenously, intratesticularly, and subcutaneously. 4. Intrabronchial insufflation of the organisms brings about infection in less than half of the animals. When effective, a sharply circumscribed, peribronchial lesion is found at the base of the lung, which spreads peripherally by direct extension, and generally by invasion of the blood stream. 5. It is concluded that differences in the types of pneumonia following infection with similar strains of Bact. lepisepticum depend upon the resistance of the animal, and that the usual portal of entry of this organism into the lungs, in cases of acute and lobar pneumonia, is by way of the blood stream.
On the tautomerization reaction 2-pyridone*2-hydroxypyridine: an ab initio study

Abstract The reaction 2-pyridine (PY) ⇌ 2-hydroxypyridine (HP) has been studied as a prototype of tautomerism of heteroaromatic compounds. Geometrical structures and relative energies of the two tautomers as well as of the transition state (TS) for the intramolecular hydrogen transfer have been obtained using ab initio methods with different basis sets. Correlation energy is introduced through configuration interaction within a double-zeta basis set plus polarization functions. Analytical second derivatives are also calculated to obtain the harmonic frequencies.
The impact of international conflict and detente on bargaining in arms control negotiations: An experimental analysis

This paper reports on a laboratory experiment which investigated the impact of conflict and cooperation in a hypothetical international environment on the bargaining processes and outcomes of a sim...
Empathy and the Expression and Recognition of Sarcasm by Close Relations or Strangers

This study examined how relational type and empathy affect the use of sarcasm. We paired interviewers of high and low empathy with either an interviewee who was closely related or a stranger. Interviewers were given 10 questions to ask the interviewee, alternating sarcastic questions with sincere questions. Following each interview, participants completed questionnaires to assess their understanding of how sarcasm affected the interview. Relationship (closely related vs stranger) was a significant factor in recognition of sarcasm but not in its use. Empathy (high vs low) did not significantly affect the production or recognition of sarcasm.
Long-term follow-up after aortic vaivuloplasty and defect closure in ventricular septal defect with aortic regurgitation

The clinical course was studied in 25 patients with ventricular septal defect (VSD) and aortic regurgitation (AR) who had undergone aortic valvuloplasty and VSD closure. Twelve patients had a doubly committed subarterial VSD and 13 had a perimembranous type of VSD. Preoperatively, progressive hemodynamic disturbance after the onset of AR occurred in 11 patients (44%). The follow-up period extended from 6 months to 23 years (mean 10 years). Four patients required prosthetic valve replacement after valvuloplasty. One of these had had initial improvement of the AR but required valve replacement 20 years later; the condition of the other 3 did not improve initially and their valves were replaced 1 month to 8.5 years later. Four other patients had no initial improvement as a result of valvular reconstructive surgery, but the AR did not progress and remained hemodynamically well tolerated. Hence, the overall success rate of the valvuloplasty, defined as improving or preventing progressive AR, was 21 of 25 (84%). Since initial and long-term improvement in aortic valve function can be expected in most patients after valvuloplasty and closure of the VSD, early surgical intervention is recommended in patients with a VSD and AR.
Two Regions are Involved in Ca2+-Dependent Inactivation of Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Channels

Skeletal (RyR1) and cardiac muscle (RyR2) isoforms of ryanodine receptor calcium channels are ∼65 % homologous in amino acid sequences; however they differ in their regulation by endogenous molecules and proteins. Both RyR1 and RyR2 are inhibited by millimollar Ca2+, but RyR2 affinity for inhibitory Ca2+ is ∼10 times lower than RyR1. Previous studies demonstrated that C-terminus quarter of RyR has critical domain(s) for Ca2+ inactivation (Du and MacLennan (1999) J. Biol. Chem.274, 26120; Nakai et al. (1999) FEBS Lett.459, 154). We pursued these observations to obtain further insights into RyR regulation by Ca2+. We constructed and expressed 8 RyR1/RyR2 chimeras in HEK293 cells and determined Ca2+ activation and inactivation affinities of these channels by [3H]ryanodine ligand binding method. We found that replacing two regions of RyR1 with corresponding RyR2 sequence reduced the affinity for Ca2+ inactivation. The first region (RyR2 amino acid 4020-4250) contains two EF hand Ca2+ binding motifs (EF1: 4036-4047, EF2: 4071-4082). Another chimera containing only EF2 of RyR2 (RyR2 4053-4250) has only a modest (not significant) change in Ca2+ inactivation. The results suggest that EF1 is a critical determinant for RyR inactivation by Ca2+. Consistently, a chimera channel carrying only RyR2-EF1 (RyR2 3692-4052) showed significantly reduced Ca2+ inactivation, whereas a chimera carrying RyR2 3692-4019 (no EF hands) behaved essentially as RyR1. Second, preliminary studies indicate that substitution of the last ∼450 amino acids of RyR1 with corresponding RyR2 (4521-4968) results in Ca2+ inactivation affinity between RyR1 and RyR2. Replacing both regions in RyR1 with RyR2 sequences (4020-4250 and 4521-4968) further reduced Ca2+ inactivation affinity, which suggests that in addition to EF1, C-terminal ∼450 amino acids have a role in Ca2+-dependent inactivation of RyRs. Supported by NIH, AHA and NSF.
The Menin Tumor Suppressor Protein Is Phosphorylated in Response to DNA Damage

Background Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is a heritable cancer syndrome characterized by tumors of the pituitary, pancreas and parathyroid. Menin, the product of the MEN1 gene, is a tumor suppressor protein that functions in part through the regulation of transcription mediated by interactions with chromatin modifying enzymes.
Solubilization of a reticulocyte ribosomal fraction responsible for the decline in ribosomal activity with cell maturation.

Abstract The declining activity of protein synthesis in the maturing reticulocyte has previously been shown to be chiefly ribosomal in origin and to consist of a decline in both ribosomal quantity and ribosomal activity. The purpose of this study was to identify the ribosomal components responsible for this decline in activity. To accomplish this, ribosomes from young and old cells were separately dissociated by KCl into a 30S subunit, a 50S subunit, and KCl-soluble fractions, and a comparison was made of their activity in various combinations. Our studies show that: 1. the ribosomal changes responsible for the decline in protein synthesis with age occur predominantly in the KCl-soluble fraction; 2. the young and old KCl extracts show multiple but different components by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; 3. the young KCl extract stimulates the synthesis, not only of hemoglobin, but also that directed by poly U and by f2RNA; and 4. the old KCl fraction in each case inhibited synthesis, possibly due to a ribonuclease activity.
Visualizing and manipulating Focal Adhesion Kinase regulation in live cells

Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) is essential for cell migration and plays an important role in tumor metastasis. However, the complex intermolecular and intramolecular interactions that regulate FAK activity at the focal adhesion remain unresolved. We have engineered a toolbox of FRET sensors that retain all of the individual FAK domains but modulate a key intramolecular regulatory interaction between the band 4.1/ezrin/radixin/moesin (FERM) and kinase domains of FAK. We demonstrate systematic control and quantitative measurement of the FERM-kinase interaction at focal adhesions, which in turn allows us to control cell migration. Using these sensors, we find that Tyr-397 phosphorylation, rather than kinase activity of FAK, is the key determinant of cell migration. Our sensors directly demonstrate, for the first time, a pH-dependent change in a protein-protein interaction at a macromolecular structure in live cells. The FERM-kinase interaction at focal adhesions is enhanced at acidic pH, with a concomitant decrease in Tyr-397 phosphorylation, providing a potential mechanism for enhanced migration of cancer cells.
Dilute laminar spray diffusion flames near the transition from group combustion to individual droplet burning

A dilute laminar spray flame of heptane was experimentally studied in a coflow configuration. The spray flame was characterized by using phase Doppler interferometric techniques and thermocouples. When burning in air, the flame had a candle-like appearance. It was naturally anchored a few millimeters above the burner through a stabilization annular flame. A droplet vaporization region could be visually identified above this annulus, as a relatively dark inner core. The spray burned in an internal or partial group combustion mode, with an inner core surrounded by a common flame and some droplets at the outer periphery burning individually. Thanks to the relatively narrow droplet size distribution in the spray, some characteristic parameters of group combustion theory could be computed from the experimental measurements reliably. In the region bound by the common flame, the ratio of interdroplet distance to droplet diameter ranged from 16 to an upper limit at least as large as 50, which shows the remarkable efficiency of droplet clouds at inhibiting oxidizer penetration within the core. A group combustion number, that was determined using the flame radius as cloud length scale, was found to be approximately constant in the lower part of the combustion region. This part of the flame was found to set the stage for the burning mode throughout the bulk of the spray flame. The value of this characteristic number was also consistent with predictions of group combustion theory for spherically symmetric spray flames burning in internal group combustion mode. Another aspect of the theory that found experimental confirmation was the transition from group combustion to individual droplet burning that was promoted via oxygen enrichment of the oxidizer stream. Such an enrichment caused two effects. The group combustion number decreased via a decrease of the flame radius. At the same time, the critical group combustion number Gcr for the transition to individual droplet burning, which is a function of the oxygen concentration in the free stream, increased. At sufficiently large oxygen concentration, the condition G < Gcr was eventually reached, resulting in individual droplet burning. Experimentally, as the oxygen concentration was raised, the percentage of droplets experiencing individual droplet combustion progressively increased. At a molar oxygen concentration of 0.62, the transition to individual droplet burning seemed complete, as manifested by the flame appearance as a collection of chemiluminescent streaks radiating from a common origin.
Issues in management information systems planning

Abstract lt has been advocated that management information Systems (MIS) planning is an important activity which an organization must perform in order to achieve organizational goals. In this paper, based on a field study of 131 large organizations, several issues related to MIS planning have been examined. These issues include: the impact of current MIS services on the overall competitive position of an organization; the impact of future MIS capabilities on the long-term competitive viability of the organization; the factors which prompted organizations to develop an MIS plan; the formal business planning processes used for the MIS function; the areas covered in the MIS plan; the main driving force in undertaking the development of a long-term MIS plan; and, the usefulness of the MIS plan in directing the organizational MIS activites. It has been shown that organizations vary significantly on each of these major MIS planning issues.
Monitoring aortic stiffness in the presence of measurement artifact based on an arterial tube model

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) determined through the foot-to-foot time delay between carotid and femoral artery waveforms is an index of aortic stiffness with proven clinical value. However, handheld transducers, which are often used to non-invasively measure the waveforms, are prone to motion artifact that may limit the full potential of this index. Here, we conceived an artifact robust technique to estimate PWV based on an arterial tube model. We applied the technique to high fidelity canine arterial pressure waveforms before and after contamination with known amounts of noise. Our results showed that, as the signal-to-noise ratio decreased, the PWV estimates of the technique predicted diastolic and mean arterial pressure with increasingly greater accuracy than the PWV estimates of the conventional foot-to-foot detection technique.
Conditional Rescue of Protein Kinase C ε Regulates Ethanol Preference and Hypnotic Sensitivity in Adult Mice

Conventional gene targeting is a powerful tool to study the influence of specific genes on behavior. However, conclusions relevant for adult animals are limited by consequences of gene loss during development. Mice lacking protein kinase C epsilon (PKCepsilon) consume less alcohol and show greater acute sensitivity to alcohol than do wild-type mice. There are no selective inhibitors of PKCepsilon that can be administered systemically and cross the blood-brain barrier to test whether these phenotypes result from loss of PKCepsilon during development or in adulthood. Here we used conditional expression of PKCepsilon in the basal forebrain, amygdala, and cerebellum to rescue wild-type responses to alcohol in adult PKCepsilon(-/-) mice. Subsequent suppression of transgenic PKCepsilon restored PKCepsilon(-/-) behaviors. These findings establish that PKCepsilon signaling in the adult brain regulates alcohol consumption and sensitivity. If this extends to humans, then PKCepsilon inhibitors might prove useful as novel therapeutics for alcoholism.
CORRELATION OF DNA ACCUMULATION RATE WITH THYMIDYLATE SYNTHETASE AND THYMIDINE KINASE ACTIVITIES IN DEVELOPING RAT CEREBELLUM: EFFECT OF THYROXINE1

— Using the method of least squares, a logistic curve was fitted to the data points for DNA content in neonatal rat cerebellum versus postnatal age (day 0 is the day of birth). The resultant equation was differentiated to give an expression for the rate of cerebellar DNA accumulation in units of ng/h per mg wet cerebellum. The DNA accumulation rate in control rats increased from 77.0 at 2 days of age to a maximum of 108 at 7 days of age and declined thereafter to a minimum of 16.3 on day 15. Thyroxine treatment significantly (P < 0.05) increased the rate to 89.8 (117% of control) at 2 days of age, and a significant elevation was maintained to 6 days of age at which time a maximum rate of 115 (114% of control) was attained. The rate was significantly decreased below control at 9 and 12 days of age, and reached a minimum of 9.22 on day 15. The developmental pattern for the activity of cerebellar thymidylate synthetase (EC 2.1.1.6), in units of pmol/h per mg wet cerebellum, closely paralleled the pattern for DNA accumulation rate in both control and thyroxine-treated animals. In controls, thymidylate synthetase activity increased from 98.6 at 2 days of age to a maximum of 125 at 7 days of age and declined thereafter to a minimum of 30.0 at 15 days of age. In thyroxine-treated animals, the activity was significantly increased to 118 (122% of control) at 4 days of age and remained significantly elevated through 6 days of age at which time a maximum activity of 154 (115% of control) was attained; thereafter, the activity was significantly decreased below control and reached a minimum of 16.9 (56.3% of control) on day 15. The developmental pattern for the activity of cerebellar thymidine kinase (EC 2.7.1.21) did not parallel the DNA accumulation rate quite so closely, in neither treated nor control animals, as did the pattern for thymidylate synthetase activity. These data suggest that thymidylate synthetase activity in the developing rat cerebellum may be more important for maintenance of replicative DNA synthesis than is thymidine kinase activity. In addition, the thyroxine-induced acceleration of the increase and subsequent decline in rate of DNA accumulation and in the activities of thymidylate synthetase and thymidine kinase in developing rat cerebella is probably the result of alterations in the number of external granular cells undergoing replicative DNA synthesis.
Energy metabolism in the apicomplexa

Publisher Summary The phylum Apicomplexa consists entirely of obligate intracellular parasites, including the causative agents of malaria, toxoplasmosis, coccidsis and several other diseases of clinical and veterinary importance. These include enhanced understanding of the mechanisms of nutrient uptake, basic aerobic and anaerobic processes, structure, and biochemistry of the enzymes responsible for these activities, insights into metabolic regulation, and improved understanding of the host-parasite relationship. Enzymatically, apicomplexan energy production is an amalgam of aerobic and anaerobic pathways and can vary considerably from species to species. This chapter focuses on energy metabolism in Plasmodium falciparum , because ofthe importance of this parasite as a human pathogen, the extensive biochemical information available for this species, and the comprehensive catalog of genome sequence data now entering the public domain. P. falciparum provides an adequate type specimen for considering many aspects of apicomplexan biochemistry, including energy metabolism, but this phylum includes several thousand species, exhibiting considerable diversity. The chapter summarizes that the rapidly expanding genome and EST sequence databases for apicomplexan parasites, coupled with biochemical characterization and pharmacological studies, may surely yield new drugs that are active against these important pathogens.
Luminescence of LuCl $_3$ Doped With Pr $^{3+}$

The optical properties of Pr3+ activated LuCl3 under intra-ionic 4f2 rarr 4f1 5d1 and band gap (lambdaex = 193 nm; X-ray) excitations has been evaluated. The luminescence of LuCl3 :Pr3+ is found to be strongly dependent on the excitation energy: for energies less than the absorption edge of the host, the luminescence of LuCl3: Pr3+ is dominated by the 4f1 5d1 rarr 4f2 interconfigurational optical transitions. When luminescence is excited by photons with energies corresponding to the absorption edge or the band gap of the host, the emission spectrum is dominated by the intraconfigurational 4f2 rarr 4f2 optical transitions, which emanate from the Pr3+ 3PJ states. The luminescence efficiency of the inter- and intraconfigurational optical transitions is high at room temperature. A model to account for the dependence of the emission behavior of Pr3+ ion on the excitation energy is presented.
ROLES OF T AND B LYMPHOCYTES IN THE TERMINATION OF UNRESPONSIVENESS TO AUTOLOGOUS THYROGLOBULIN IN MICE

The data presented in this paper support the hypothesis that unresponsiveness to autologous thyroglobulin (Tg) exists in the T cells and responsiveness exists in the B cells. Such a conclusion is based on the results of antigen-binding studies where few, if any, thymocytes recognized syngeneic Tg. Comparable numbers of antigen-binding lymphocytes for syngeneic Tg were found in the spleens of normal intact mice and of nude mice. The latter fact suggested that B cells exist which recognize self-constituents. From antigen-suicide experiments, a clearer picture of the susceptibility of B cells to iodinated self-antigen and of the obligatory role of antibody in the induction of lesions was developed. Only bone marrow cells (B cells) were affected by [125I]syngeneic Tg, in which case the incidence of lesions was diminished. From adoptive transfer experiments, the results demonstrate that unresponsiveness may be terminated by immunization with a mixture of heterologous (cross-reacting) Tg's. In this situation T cells are required since a B-cell reconstituted host failed to make antibody (plaque-forming cells) and to develop lesions. T cells in this form of an unresponsive state may recognize determinants on the heterologous Tg unrelated to autologous Tg and as such stimulate the normal complement of B cells to produce antibody that both reacts with autologous and heterologous Tg.
Legal Realism for Economists

Abstract Economists have made great progress in understanding the incentives and behavior of actors who operate outside of traditional economic markets, including voters, legislators, and bureaucrats. The incentives and behavior of judges, however, remain largely opaque. Do judges act as neutral third-party enforcers of substantive decisions made by others? Are judges “ordinary” policymakers who advance whatever outcomes they favor without any special consideration for law as such? Emerging recent scholarship has started to explore more nuanced conceptions of how law, facts, and judicial preferences may interact to influence judicial decisions. This work develops a perspective on judging that can usefully be understood as the modern manifestation of American Legal Realism, a jurisprudential movement of lawyers, judges, and law professors that flourished in the early twentieth century. The purpose of this essay is to introduce, in simplified form, the Realist account of judicial decision making; to contras...
Oxygen saturation/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio is a simple predictor of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation failure in critically ill patients

Purpose Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) can improve outcomes of critically ill patients. Early and simple predictors of NPPV outcome could improve clinical management of patients with respiratory failure.