cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electrochemical Studies of Chemically Modified Nanometer‐Sized Electrodes

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) has been successfully deposited onto nanometer-sized gold (Au) electrodes. The cyclic voltammograms obtained on a 4-ATP SAMs modified electrode show peaks and the peak height is proportional to the scan rate, which is similar to that on an electroactive SAMs modified macro electrode. The electrochemical behavior and mechanism of outer-sphere electron transfer reaction on the 4-ATP SAMs modified nanometer-sized electrode has also been studied. The 4-ATP SAMs modified electrode is further modified with platinum (Pt) nanoparticles. Electrochemical behaviors show that there is electrical communication between Pt nanoparticles and Au metal on the Pt nanoparticles/4-ATP SAMs/Au electrode. However, scanning electron microscopic image shows that the Pt nanoparticles are not evenly covered the electrode.
Prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in host-seeking ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) from a Lyme disease endemic area in northern Michigan.

The Lyme disease spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi Johnson, Schmid, Hyde, Steigerwalt & Brenner, was recovered from the guts of questing Ixodes scapularis Say adults and nymphs and adult Dermacentor variabilis (Say), collected in Menominee County, Michigan, in 1992. Spirochetes were cultured successfully from guts placed in modified Barbour-Stoenner-Kelly II medium held in 5-ml culture tubes or in 0.3-ml wells of microtiter plates. Most isolates were recovered within 2 wk of culturing at an incubation temperature of 34°C. Spirochetes were recovered more rapidly in culture tubes than in microtiter plates. For determination of tick infection with B. burgdorferi , culturing was equivalent to examination of gut smears by immunofluorescence. We found the following infection rates: 57/179 I. scapularis females (31.8%), 62/204 I. scapularis males (30.4%), 9/54 I. scapularis nymphs (16.7%), and 5/383 D. variabilis adults (1.3%).
Research Note: The Lack of Response of Broiler Chickens to Supplemental Niacin When Fed a Corn-Soybean Meal Diet from 3 to 7 Weeks of Age

Abstract An experiment involving 1296 Cobb feather-sexed broiler chickens was conducted to determine their need for supplemental niacin from 3 to 7 wk of age when fed a corn-soybean meal diet. Birds were raised in litter floor pens to 3 wk of age and fed a diet that met or exceeded the 1984 National Research Council nutritional requirements. From 3 to 7 wk of age, birds were assigned to six dietary treatments consisting of 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 mg of supplemental niacin/kg of feed. Twelve replicate pens (six per sex) were fed each dietary treatment. The corn-soybean meal basal diet (unsupplemented with niacin) contained by analysis 21.3% crude protein, .23% tryptophan, and 22 mg of niacin/kg of feed. Birds were weighed at 3 and 7 wk of age on a perpen basis. The body weight gain, total feed intake, and feed conversion were determined for male and female chickens between 3 and 7 wk of age. There were no significant differences in body weight gain (P = .67), feed intake (P = .36), and feed conversion (P =. 12) due to dietary treatments. Treatment by sex interactions was not significant for body-weight gain (P = .53), feed intake (P= .76), and feed conversion (P = .53). It was concluded that a corn-soybean meal diet containing 22 mg of niacin/kg (from corn and soybean meal) and .23% tryptophan was adequate for optimum growth and feed conversion of broiler chickens from 3 to 7 wk.
Allometric comparison of Georgia dairy heifers on farms and at youth shows

Studies were conducted to determine the relationship between allometric measures of growth of Holstein dairy heifers and placing in the show ring, and to compare differences in growth between Holstein heifers that are shown and not shown. In the first study, 494 Holstein show heifers were evaluated at the 2012 and 2013 Georgia Junior National Livestock Shows. Measurements were obtained for weight, head length, withers height, hip height, thurl width, and tail length. Heifer mass index (HMI), average daily gain (ADG), and age were calculated. In total, 72.5% of Holstein show heifers were underweight. Average ADG was 0.63 kg/d, which is below the industry recommendation of 0.7 to 0.8 kg/d. Variables were ranked and converted to percentages to account for differences in class size. Withers height, head length, and HMI were most indicative of show placing. In the second study, we compared differences between growth patterns of show heifers and non-show heifers. An additional 293 non-show Holstein heifers were evaluated on 3 Georgia dairy farms during the same period as the show. In total, 43.3% of non-show heifers were underweight. Average ADG for non-show heifers was 0.71 kg/d, which is within the industry recommendation of 0.7 to 0.8 kg/d. Show heifers weighed less for their age than non-show heifers and tended to be taller at the withers than non-show heifers. The HMI scores were similar for younger show and non-show heifers, but older show heifers had lower HMI scores than non-show heifers of the same age. Show heifers had HMI scores that were lower than values calculated from standard growth data. As show heifers matured, ADG decreased, whereas as non-show heifers matured, ADG increased. Youth, leaders, and parents need to be aware of the importance of growing replacement heifers correctly so that heifers calve at 22 to 24 mo of age at an acceptable size and scale and become profitable members of the milking herd.
Reaction calorimetry as a tool to determine diffusion of vegetable oil macromonomers in emulsion polymerization

Reaction calorimetry proved to be a useful technique to determine unsaturated macromonomer incorporation in emulsion polymerization. Vegetable oil macromonomer (VOMM) incorporation into emulsion polymerization is complicated by diffusion issues through the aqueous phase. Special techniques such as high shear and miniemulsion polymerization assist incorporating VOMM into latexes, but the film performance resembles polymer blends rather than crosslinked systems. Fatty acid surfactants with different ethoxylate lengths were acrylated and used as model macromonomers for this study. Monomer diffusion through the water phase was investigated by monitoring particle size, residual monomer, and heat evolution during polymerization using dynamic laser light scattering, gas chromatography, and reaction calorimetry, respectively. Macromolecules of lower hydrophobicity incorporated better in conventional emulsion polymerization. No special technique was required to obtain coagulum-free latexes and glossy films. Specifically for acrylated fatty acids, an average ethoxylate chain of 10 units was sufficient to facilitate diffusion through the aqueous phase.
Ferromagnetism in iron-chromium alloys. I. Bulk magnetization measurements

Bulk magnetization measurements were made between 5 and 300 K in fields up to 14 kOe on a series of iron-chromium alloys containing from 2- to 70-at.% Cr. The temperature dependence of the magnetization was analyzed to yield spin-wave stiffness coefficients that are systematically different from values obtained directly by inelastic-neutron-scattering measurements. The concentration dependence of the mean moment is approximately linear and is close to the Slater-Pauling curve. However, subtle deviations from linearity reflect the concentration dependence of the individual iron and chromium moments, which is presented in part II. The concentration dependence of the moments can be approximately reproduced by existing coherent-potential-approximation calculations.
The use of relativistic electron beams to create magnetically confined plasmas inside imploding liners

Abstract The compression of plasmas within a slow, nondestructive imploding liner requires the initial plasma be well confined. Furthermore, as conventional techniques cannot be applied inside a liner, new methods of plasma production are required. One such method is to create the plasma, complete with a reversed field confinement configuration, by means of an intense rotating relativistic electron beam. As the configuration is maintained by long-lived currents in the plasma and the inside of the liner wall, no external magnet coils are required. The principle of this method, a theoretical model, and the results of experiments will be described.
The use of value-based priorities when early shipments are forbidden

SUMMARY In this paper we examine the direct use of cost/profit information in random and flow shops where early shipments are forbidden. The ‘forbidden early shipment’ environment is typical of many JIT situations, since vendors must deliver parts on their due dates, not before. Hence an order finishing early must be held in a finished-goods inventory until its shipment date. Therefore managerial policies are needed which finish jobs right on time, neither early nor late. This paper looks at value-based and time-based priority scheduling rules and examines the performance of these rules in money terms, as well as by earliness and tardiness measures. Overall, the results show that forbidding early shipments has a major impact on the performance of the value rules proposed in our earlier research.
Circadian variations in the effects of cyclic nucleotides on the thermoregulatory behaviour of a teleost fish.

Abstract The temperatures selected by white suckers, Catostomus commersoni , placed in a thermal gradient were significantly altered by intraperitoneal injections of cAMP (1 μg/g), cGMP (1 μg/g), caffeine (15 μg/g), and imidazole (5 μg/g). There was an endogenous, circadian, rhythm in the effects of cAMP, cGMP, and caffeine on temperatures selected by individual fish held under constant illumination. Depending on injection time, there was either a significant increase or decrease in temperatures selected by fish injected with cGMP or caffeine. The preferred temperatures selected were elevated by cAMP, though there was a rhythmic variation in the amplitude of the increase. Imidazole consistently decreased the preferred temperatures selected with no apparent rhythmic variation in its actions. These results are considered in relation to the roles of cAMP and cGMP in behavioural and physiological thermoregulation.
Design and calibration features of the clouds and the earth's radiant energy system (CERES) instrument

The clouds and the earth's radiant energy system (CERES) instrument has been developed based on the earth radiation budget experiment (ERBE). The CERES instrument will be flown on the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission and on the first two Earth Observation System platforms. The techniques which were used to calibrate the ERBE instruments on the ground and to maintain calibration in orbit to 1% precision are being refined and applied to the design and calibration of the CERES instrument. The same types of on-board calibration devices will be used for CERES as were used on ERBE to determine any changes in the sensors' responses. The TRW Radiometric Calibration Facility which was used for ERBE calibration has been upgraded for CERES by incorporation of a radiometrically characterized black body as a reference and a cryogenic active cavity radiometer as a calibration transfer device for the shortwave calibration system.
Autonomous Vehicle Control at the Limits of Handling

Racecar drivers have the ability to operate a vehicle at its friction limit without losing control. If autonomous vehicles or driver assistance systems had similar capabilities, many fatal accidents could be avoided. To advance this goal, an autonomous racing controller is designed to gain insights into vehicle control at the friction limits. A bicycle model and a ‘ g-g ’ diagram are used to mimic racecar drivers’ internal vehicle model. Lanekeeping steering feedback and wheel slip feedback controllers are used to imitate drivers making steering and throttle corrections according to the vehicle responses. Experimental results on a low friction surface demonstrate that the controller can robustly track a path while operating at the limits of tyre adhesion and provide insights for the future development of vehicle safety systems.
Performance Evaluation of Jointless Bridges

A recent trend in bridge design has been toward the elimination of joints and bearings in the bridge superstructure. Joints and bearings are expensive in both initial and maintenance costs and can get filled with debris, freeze up, and fail in their task to allow expansion and contraction of the superstructure. They are also a “weak link” that can allow deicing chemicals to seep down and corrode bearings and support components. Because the behavior is unknown and designs are cumbersome, jointless bridges are not widely used despite their enormous benefits. There are no standardized design procedures for these bridges, only a list of specifications and design recommendations are available. The objective of this research on jointless bridges conducted at the Constructed Facilities Center-West Virginia University is to study the behavior of jointless bridges supported on piles and spread footings and subjected to varying load conditions. In addition, time-dependent material properties have also been incorporated in this study. In this paper, the following items are presented: (1) synthesized analytical data that aids in understanding the performance under varying load combinations; (2) effects of primary versus secondary loads, boundary conditions, and system flexibility on induced stresses at various bridge locations; and (3) field testing and monitoring results of a jointless bridge in the state of West Virginia. Based on analytical and experimental results, conclusions are drawn in terms of design alternations.
Reflections on the function of IsiA, a cyanobacterial stress-inducible, Chl-binding protein

The isiA gene encodes a protein that is similar to the Photosystem II chlorophyll-binding protein CP43, but lacks the entire large lumenal loop of over 100 amino acids. What is the function of this IsiA protein? Research on IsiA has traveled a long and interesting path since it was first discovered by its large accumulation during growth under iron-limited conditions. What appeared to be a simple on–off switch for isiA based on iron concentration has developed into a much richer and more intriguing set of possibilities that involve its expression and function. We provide an overview of isiA transcriptional regulation by many environmental factors and its proposed functions. We also describe the response to oxidative stress by cells that lack the IsiA protein. It is now clear that isiA expression can be de-repressed in the presence of normal iron levels and that the regulatory mechanisms can be linked to the inter-relationship between iron homeostasis and oxidative stress. The de facto transcriptional control of isiA expression has expanded to include regulation at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.
An Epidemiologic Study of Dental Caries in Race and Geographic Area

Dental caries experience was determined for white and black high school students in a northern and a southern city of the United States. Expected racial and geographic differences were not found. White and black students showed similar caries experiences, and black students had a higher incidence of caries than reported in earlier studies.
Inactivation and Injury of Listeria monocytogenes in a Minimal Medium as Affected by Benzoic Acid and Incubation Temperature

The population of Listeria monocytogenes in a minimal medium (lacking a nitrogen source) at pH 5.5 decreased logarithmically during incubation. Rate of death of the pathogen, indicated by D-values, was greatly affected by changes in the temperature of incubation (4–35°C), but to a much lesser extent by the presence of benzoic acid (3000 ppm). Injury of L. monocytogenes during incubation was equally detectable on tryptose agar containing 6% salt and McBride Listeria Agar containing 0.5% lithium chloride. A greater degree of injury was detected at the lower than the higher temperatures of incubation, but presence of benzoic acid (3000 ppm) did not seem to affect the extent of injury.
The influence of surgery on recurrence pattern of glioblastoma.

Abstract Objectives Glioblastoma recurs within 2 cm from the primary tumor's margins in 90–95% of cases. Natural history of recurrence is not well defined. The aim of this study was to verify if pattern of recurrence can be influenced by the extent of surgery. Patients and methods 131 patients with glioblastoma underwent tumor removal, followed by standard adjuvant radio-chemotherapy. Depending on the amount of apparently normal white matter measured around the tumor in the surgical specimen, the extent of surgery was classified into: “border resection” (BR, resection margins at the level of tumor border) or “extended resection” (ER, resection margins 1–2 cm far from tumor border). 88 patients had no residual tumor at post-operative MRI. Among these, 60 patients had a local recurrence (LR) – within 2 cm from the primary tumor's margins, 15 patients had a distant recurrence (DR), 13 patients had no recurrence. Survival curves were obtained through the Kaplan–Meier method. Dichotomous data were compared with the chi-square test. Results Patients who underwent ER presented a LR in 67% of cases. Patients who underwent BR presented a LR in 87.5% of cases (p = 0.03). Survival for 60 patients with LR was 16 months vs 35 months for 15 patients with DR (p = 0.06). PFS for patients with LR was 9 months vs 21 months for patients with DR (p = 0.05). Conclusions If tumor grows far from eloquent areas, ER may increase the probability to obtain a gross total resection, a greater number of patients with DR and, therefore, a longer survival.
The Contribution of Attentional Control and Working Memory to Reading Comprehension and Decoding

Little is known about how specific components of working memory, namely, attentional processes including response inhibition, sustained attention, and cognitive inhibition, are related to reading decoding and comprehension. The current study evaluated the relations of reading comprehension, decoding, working memory, and attentional control in 1,134 adolescent students. Path analyses were used to assess the direct and indirect effects of working memory and aspects of attentional control on reading comprehension and decoding. There were significant direct effects of working memory, sustained attention, and cognitive inhibition on reading comprehension, but not decoding. There was a significant direct effect of working memory and response inhibition on decoding, but not comprehension. These results suggest that different aspects of attentional control are important for decoding versus comprehension.
Mapping as a Means of Farmworker Education and Empowerment.

Abstract Mapping is a simple activity that can be effectively linked to popular education of non-students. Mapping exercises have the potential to contribute to profound shifts in thought because the activity simultaneously draws on and challenges deep-seated experiential knowledge. The transformative potential of mapping is illustrated with health-promoter workshops for Latino migrant farmworkers in Benson, North Carolina, that took place in 1998 and 1999. The workshops are part of a larger project designed to reduce pesticide exposure by using community participatory research to develop and disseminate culturally appropriate teaching materials among Latino workers.
Brain Growth Across the Life Span in Autism: Age-Specific Changes in Anatomical Pathology

Autism is marked by overgrowth of the brain at the earliest ages but not at older ages when decreases in structural volumes and neuron numbers are observed instead. This has led to the theory of age-specific anatomic abnormalities in autism. Here we report age-related changes in brain size in autistic and typical subjects from 12 months to 50 years of age based on analyses of 586 longitudinal and cross-sectional MRI scans. This dataset is several times larger than the largest autism study to date. Results demonstrate early brain overgrowth during infancy and the toddler years in autistic boys and girls, followed by an accelerated rate of decline in size and perhaps degeneration from adolescence to late middle age in this disorder. We theorize that underlying these age-specific changes in anatomic abnormalities in autism, there may also be age-specific changes in gene expression, molecular, synaptic, cellular, and circuit abnormalities. A peak age for detecting and studying the earliest fundamental biological underpinnings of autism is prenatal life and the first three postnatal years. Studies of the older autistic brain may not address original causes but are essential to discovering how best to help the older aging autistic person. Lastly, the theory of age-specific anatomic abnormalities in autism has broad implications for a wide range of work on the disorder including the design, validation, and interpretation of animal model, lymphocyte gene expression, brain gene expression, and genotype/CNV-anatomic phenotype studies.
Structural harmony and Neandertäl speech: A reply to Le May

The Neandertal supralaryngeal vocal tract reconstruction reported by Lieberman and Crelin ('71) is based on the methods of comparative anatomy. Normal adult-like humans have a skeletal morphology in harmony with the soft tissue of their vocal tracts. This is also the case for non-human primates and human newborns who have a different skeletal morphology in harmony with a different vocal tract. The “bits and pieces” that together constitute functional complexes are under separate and complex genetic control. The conditions discussed by Le May ('75) can result in the retention of some features of the skeletal morphology of a newborn in association with an adult-like supralaryngeal vocal tract. However, these examples cannot show how the soft tissue of the supralaryngeal hominid vocal tract would match the skeletal structure of a fossil hominid, if the fossil hominid population were subject to the same selectional forces operant on all living primates. The Neandertal supralaryngeal tract is thus probably in harmony with its skeletal morphology and similar to that of a human newborn.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Stimulates Adenylyl Cyclase Activity in Human Myometrial Cells

Abstract Cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) have been implicated in amniotic fluid infections and preterm and term labor. The underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. In some smooth muscle cells, TNFα affects function of the β-adrenergic/adenylyl cyclase pathway. The present study was performed to examine the effects of chronic TNFα exposure on adenylyl cyclase activity in cell cultures of human myometrium. Chronic TNFα exposure led to a dose- and time-dependent increase in basal-, GTP-, NaF-, and forskolin-stimulated adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity. The increase in AC activity was not mediated by changes in the expression of the heterotrimeric G proteins Gsα or Giα as determined by immunoblotting. In addition, increases in AC activity occurred in the presence of indomethacin, indicating that these changes were not provoked by TNFα-induced changes in prostaglandin production. The present results suggest that TNFα-induced increases in AC activity in human myometrial cells obtained fr...
Allowing, refraining, and failing: The structure of omissions

The purpose of this paper is to rectify a rather significant oversight about the structure of omissions. What people have failed to notice is this.' There is a logical structure which holds between terms of omission. We may express this by observing that terms of omission fall rather neatly into three general categories and these categories are logically related to one another. In fact they form what might be called a hierarchy. Now, within this logical framework individual terms have a certain amount of play, allowing for reasonable variation in analysis. But the logical framework which holds between the terms is fixed, and thus provides a stable frame of reference within which to specify individual terms. The logic, once noticed, is obvious. So recognizing it may provide some basis for agreement which has not been noticed before. This would certainly be useful since the analysis of acts and omissions is one of the most thoroughly controversial areas of philosophy today. In such an area even a bit of agreement would be nice. What I propose to do, then, is this. First, I will briefly sketch out the three categories and the logical structure they form. Next, to illustrate the importance of attending to this logical structure, I will review a problem caused for one (otherwise) very good analysis of the term 'refrain'2 which falters at precisely the point where it fails to conform to the logic set out here. In Section III I develop a brief account of the three categories by selecting for analysis a single term to represent each one, and then simply setting out a definition for each term, which due to space limitations I argue for elsewhere. I do this in order to show that a plausible and useful analysis of such terms can be formulated to reflect the logical structure, and also to suggest a more specific context for future exploration of the properties of these categories and the logical relations between them.
Dynamic load balancing algorithm for molecular dynamics based on Voronoi cells domain decompositions

Abstract We present a new algorithm for automatic parallel load balancing in classical molecular dynamics. It assumes a spatial domain decomposition of particles into Voronoi cells. It is a gradient method which attempts to minimize a cost function by displacing Voronoi sites associated with each processor/sub-domain along steepest descent directions. Excellent load balance has been obtained for quasi-2D and 3D practical applications, with up to 440 ⋅ 10 6 particles on 65,536 MPI tasks.
Distribution-free comparison of pricing principles

Abstract Given the mean, coefficient of variation and finite range of a risk, we determine the stop-loss ordered extremal prices for four plausible pricing principles, namely the exponential principle, a new truncated linear zero-utility principle, the PH-transform principle and the Dutch principle. If in the extreme situation of a maximum coefficient of variation, the price of a risk should be maximum and uniquely defined, then the obtained distribution-free prices can be made parameter-free and compared. It is shown that the maximum distribution-free truncated linear zero-utility prices coincide with the minimum distribution-free PH-transform and Dutch prices.
Paraneoplastic endocrine syndromes: a review.

The paraneoplastic endocrine syndromes (“ectopic” or “inappropriate” hormone production) comprise a wide array of symptom complexes associated with malignant or less commonly benign neoplasms. Most of the syndromes are associated with the production of peptide hormones, which, in some instances, have autocrine stimulatory effects. Hypercalcemia, the most common paraneoplastic endocrine syndrome, may be due to the systemic release of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), factors that may be produced locally (cytokines), or by a combination of these mechanisms. A spectrum of other syndromes may be related to the production of specific hormones or growth factors, including insulin-like growth factor and fibroblast growth factor 23. Molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of these syndromes are poorly understood. Mutational events not only may initiate neoplastic transformation but may also lead to the activation (re-expression) of genes responsible for hormone production. Additionally, epigenetic events such as methylation may also be responsible for the development of these syndromes. It is likely that a multiplicity of genetic and epigenetic events may contribute to the development of paraneoplastic endocrine syndromes.
A Formulation of Path Dependence with an Empirical Example

We develop the empirical implications of Page's (2006) definition of path dependence as a process where the sequence of historical events affects the final outcome. A critical necessary condition for path dependence in common dynamic models is a time-varying autoregressive parameter whose value becomes 1 at some point. Failure to meet this condition results in a path independent process whose equilibrium outcome is only a function of the current exogenous conditions. This condition is illustrated with a discrete Markov Chain model and with a computational model with continuous variables, which are illustrated with models of partisan change. A Monte Carlo simulation shows how non-linear least-squares estimation can recover the parameters that distinguish path dependence from path independence. This integration of modeling and an estimation strategy is illustrated with data on civil rights attitudes and macropartisanship. The results have implications for discussions of path dependence in a wide range of social science fields.
Amino acid biosynthesis in plants: Approaching an understanding at the molecular level

The genes encoding GS and EPSP synthase have already been cloned. Clones containing portions of the genes encoding aspartate amino transferase and asparagine synthetase tentatively have been identified by this and other laboratories. It is certain that many other genes encoding other important enzymes involved in amino acid biosynthesis will also be identified in the near future. It is evident that new techniques for the separation of proteins will greatly aid in identifying low abundance genes more rapidly and efficiently. Micro techniques need to be further developed and the necessary equipment made available to laboratories. Hopefully the cost of the required equipment will decrease and commercial enterprises will offer more contract services for work requiring the more expensive equipment. Graduate training in advanced techniques of separating proteins at high resolutions should be encour-aged expanded so that our future scientists are well versed in protein biochemistry as well as in techniques of molecular biology.
Multiple Authorship in the Personnel and Guidance Journal: A 12-Year Study.

The increase of multiple authorship in the Personnel and Guidance Journal over a 12-year period is explored. Reasons for the growth are examined.
A Molecular Model of CD86 and Analysis of Mutations which Disrupt Receptor Binding

CD86 and its homologue CD80 are type I transmembrane proteins expressed on antigen presenting cells. CD80 and CD86 specifically interact with CD28 and CD152 on T cells. This interaction results in T cell costimulation and complements T cell receptor signaling. The extracellular regions of CD80 and CD86 contain two immunoglobulin-like domains. In the presence of low sequence similarity to proteins with known three-dimensional structure, a molecular model of the N-terminal receptor-binding domain of human CD86 was built based on consensus residue analysis and structure-oriented sequence comparison. The model was assessed by energy profile analysis and regions of high, medium, and low prediction confidence were identified. Several CD86 point mutations which abolish receptor binding map to high confidence regions of the model. This has made it possible to rationalize their effects on binding or structure.
Right-wing resistance to the process of American hegemony: the changing political geography of nativism in Pennsylvania, 1920–1998

Abstract The process of hegemony requires the construction of a new and dynamic prime modernity in the capitalist world-economy. Such a process produces new social relations and, therefore, dislocations that invoke political reaction within the hegemonic power. In the case of American hegemony a new urban-based modernity marginalized rural areas and led to the establishment of suburbia as the centerpiece of American modernity. Two periods of nativism illustrate the social dislocations at the beginning and end of American hegemony, Ku Klux Klan activity in the 1920s and hate crimes in the 1990s. Using data for the state of Pennsylvania, the geography of 1920s Klan activity is contrasted with the geography of reported hate crimes in the 1990s. The two spatial patterns illustrate that nativism was a rural phenomena in the 1920s and a suburban phenomena in the 1990s. Nativism at the beginning of American hegemony was a reaction to the new modernity being defined in urban centers. As American hegemony experienced a decline, nativist reaction was found in the social setting that epitomized American consumer modernity, suburbia.
Metal particulate production by modulation-assisted machining

Continuous production of Al 6061-T6 particulate using modulation-assisted machining (MAM) is demonstrated. Superimposition of a controlled, low-frequency modulation in conventional machining causes chips to form as discrete particles. By adjusting the conditions, equiaxed, platelet and fiber-shaped particles having narrow size distributions can be produced. Large-strain deformation leads to microstructure refinement and enhanced hardness. The process is applicable to a wide range of alloys and appears to be intrinsically scalable for large-volume production.
Quasi-Steady Compressible Flow with Heat Transfer in Accelerating Nozzles and Ducts

Internal flows of compressible fluids with heat transfer in accelerating nozzles and constant area ducts are examined. The governing equations are simplified hy the assumption of onedimensional flow and are solved in the form of logarithmic differentials. The logarithmic differentials are approximated by finite-differ ence method that reduces the differentials to algebraic equations. The effect of acceleration and heat transfer on the sonic point in nozzles and ducts is determined. The numerical solution shows that the effect of acceleration on the fluid flow is negligible up to 100 g. Nomenclature A = cross-sectional area of nozzle or duct Ai, ..., Di — coefficients defined in Eqs. (19-23), respectively a,(B = coefficients defined following Eq. (23) a = constant axial acceleration b — nozzle throat diameter c = sonic velocity = (jRT) ^ cp,cv
Pulmonary neoplasms diagnosed with transthoracic needle biopsy

Results of transthoracic needle biopsy have been evaluated on the basis of fourteen years experience comprising 5300 procedures on 2726 patients. In 90.7% of the cases a diagnosis was established. Of these, 46.4% showed cytological evidence of primary or secondary malignancy. In 2.4% false positives and in 3% false negatives were noted. The most important complication was found to be pneumothorax, which was noted in 27.2%, but these cases did not as a rule call for treatment. Hemoptysis was observed in 2-5%. There was minor local bleeding around the lesion in 11% of the patients but this only required observation. In one case out of 1264 malignancies an implantation metastasis was found. There was a single case of air embolism with spontaneous recovery, but no mortality in this series. In our experience, needle biopsy represents a minor, inexpensive and safe procedure, which--with a simple technique--permits a direct approach to all kinds of localized lung lesion with a high degree of accuracy.
Extended relational operators for statistical data manipulations in medical databases

Conventional relational database management systems fail to address three features of statistical data management in a biomedical/clinical database, namely, that (1) statistical and medical data (SMD) require a great deal of space and need to be stored in a reduced form with minimal duplication; indeed, SMD have many derived/calculated and summary statistics that make the number of attributes in a relation (i.e., a set of records) grow rapidly and dynamically; (2) most SMD have hierarchical structures that are difficult to manage using the relational data model since SMD are stored in separate relations for duplication and space considerations; and (3) the management of SMD is made easier if it is possible to reorganize relations or group data, a capability lacking in conventional relational database management systems. In this paper, we (1) introduce five extended relational operators, (lattice) NEST, (lattice) UNNEST, MERGE, SPREAD, and GEN, to reorganize relations; (2) integrate the extended operators with conventional relational algebra and introduce the concept of the lattice relational model; and (3) give applications of the extended relational operators and the lattice relational model in solving the problems of statistical data manipulation in medical databases.
The Measurement of Gravity

Absolute measurements of gravity are needed for establishing several physical standards: relative measurements for determining the shape of the earth and in geophysical prospecting. The time variation at a given place is of interest in connection with tidal deformations and free oscillations of the earth. The techniques currently in use for making these various measurements are described, including surface-ship and airborne surveys. The sources of error in each type of measurement are discussed and the presently obtainable accuracies indicated.
Identification of a fetal exon in the human fast troponin T gene.

A developmentally regulated exon has been identified in the 5′-alternatively spliced region of the human fast Troponin T (TnT) gene. Expressed in fetal (but not adult) muscle, this exon is homologous with the fetal exons recently described in the rabbit and rat fast TnT genes. They all exhibit a split codon organization and encode a highly acidic peptide. To determine if the splicing pathways, including the human fetal exon, are also conserved, we defined the major TnT splicing patterns in fetal muscle. They generate fetal TnT 1, fetal TnT 3, and TnT1f, and TnT3f, species previously described in rabbit and rat skeletal muscles.
Laser-induced cavitation and explosive boiling in superheated liquids: a new GHz probe

Sub- and microsecond relaxation dynamics of superheated surface layers of bulk water cavitating at near-spinodal conditions during heating sub-microsecond long TEA CO2 laser pulses were studied using contact broad-band photoacoustic spectroscopy. Characteristic nanosecond pressure-tension cycles representing steam bubble oscillations were recorded by an acoustic transducer and corresponding oscillation frequencies were measured as a function of incident instantaneous laser fluence during the heating laser pulses. Fundamental oscillation frequencies-9-11 MHz-were found to remain nearly constant in a broad laser fluence range, corresponding to bubble diameters close to thickness of the superheated surface layers. Damped nanosecond and microsecond oscillatory pressure-tension cycles recorded by an acoustic transducer are related to oscillations of steam bubbles of different sizes exhibiting strong dissipative losses and collective (coalescence and percolation) phenomena. These observations demonstrate the apparent ultimate thermodynamic limit of superheating for bulk liquids near their liquid-vapor spinode curves and provide an important insight into basic thermodynamic parameters and spatiotemporal scales of explosive liquid/vapor transformations in absorbing fluids ablated by short laser pulses in the thermal confinement regime.© (2006) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Modelling energy storage systems for electric utility applications: Preliminary considerations

Storage of off-peak electric energy for use during peak load periods is an attractive operating feature of pumped hydroelectric systems. Other forms of energy storage such as compressed air in underground caverns or thermal energy as sensible or latent heat are becoming practical and so, the number of utilities for which storage is a feasible option is increasing. The choice of several storage devices with different characteristics complicates the design problem and suggests the need for a generic model of an energy storage system for use in a generation planning program. This paper contains preliminary considerations in the construction of such a model and in the development of accompanying algorithms for its optimal design and realization by physical energy storage devices.
A hybrid bin scheme to solve the condensation/evaporation equation using a cubic distribution function

Abstract. A computationally efficient method is proposed to replace the piecewise linear number distribution in a hybrid bin scheme with a piecewise cubic polynomial. When the linear distribution is replaced by a cubic, the errors generated in solutions to the condensation/evaporation equation are reduced by a factor of two to three. Alternatively, using the cubic distribution function allows reducing the number of bins by 20 ± 5% when solving the condensation/evaporation problem without sacrificing accuracy.
A telemetry and sensor platform for ambulatory urodynamics

This paper reports the use of pressure sensitive telemetry device to access the pressure state of the bladder for ambulatory urodynamics. The device consisted of pressure sensor, amplifier, VCO, and oscillator. The integrated circuit was fabricated using MOSIS AMI 1.5 micron technology. The device was able to transmit pulses of radio waves whose pulsing rate is a function of the pressure. A small balloon technology was also developed to help the device float in the water.
The Quest for Anthropological Relevance: Borgesian Maps and Epistemological Pitfalls

In this essay, I critique the currently dominant mode of American sociocultural anthropology. Through a historical reading of canonical texts from the 1970s to the 1990s, I trace some of contemporary anthropology's limitations and probe their implications for the possibility of a publicly engaged discipline. I focus my critique on the demand for ever-increasing complexity, identifying it as an implicit form of positivism that renders the results of anthropological inquiries increasingly irrelevant to the big questions of the day. Epistemologically speaking, contemporary anthropology is thus not radical enough. In conclusion, I mobilize the Weberian-Boasian tradition as the most viable alternative to sociocultural anthropology's status quo.
p‐Hydroxymethylbenzoic Acid

[3006-96-0] C8H8O3 (MW 152.08) InChI = 1S/C8H8O3/c9-5-6-1-3-7(4-2-6)8(10)11/h1-4,9H,5H2,(H,10,11) InChIKey = WWYFPDXEIFBNKE-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent used as a linker in solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) and solid-phase organic synthesis (SPOS) primarily to anchor carboxylic acids to polymer supports) Physical Data: mp 183–185 °C. Solubility: soluble in H2O and most organic solvents. Form Supplied in: white solid, widely commercially available. Purification: crystallizes from cold H2O, colorless needles.1-3
Structure and motion from uncalibrated catadioptric views

In this paper we present a new algorithm for structure from motion from point correspondences in images taken from uncalibrated catadioptric cameras with parabolic mirrors. We assume that the unknown intrinsic parameters are three: the combined focal length of the mirror and lens and the intersection of the optical axis with the image. We introduce a new representation for images of points and lines in catadioptric images which we call the circle space. This circle space includes imaginary circles, one of which is the image of the absolute conic. We formulate the epipolar constraint in this space and establish a new 4/spl times/4 catadioptric fundamental matrix. We show that the image of the absolute conic belongs to the kernel of this matrix. This enables us to prove that Euclidean reconstruction is feasible from two views with constant parameters and from three views with varying parameters. In both cases, it is one less than the number of views necessary with perspective cameras.
Integrin αvβ3 and Fibronectin Upregulate Slug in Cancer Cells to Promote Clot Invasion and Metastasis

The blood clotting cascade is selectively involved in lung metastasis, but the reason for this selectivity is unclear. Here we show that tumor cells that metastasize predominantly to the lung, such as renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and soft tissue sarcoma (STS), have an inherent capacity to generate extensive invadopodia when embedded in a blood clot. Compared to other metastatic cancer cells tested, RCC and STS cells exhibited increased levels of expression of fibronectin and an activated form of the integrin αvβ3, which coordinately supported the generation of an elaborate fibronectin matrix and actin stress fibers in fibrin-embedded tumor cells. Together, fibronectin and αvβ3 induced upregulation of the transcription factor Slug, which mediates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as well as fibrin invasion and lung metastasis. This mechanism is clinically significant, because primary cancer cells from patients with metastatic RCC strongly invaded fibrin and this correlated with fibronectin matrix formation and Slug expression. In contrast, tumor cells from patients with localized RCC were largely non-invasive. Together, our findings establish that activated integrin αvβ3 and fibronectin promote lung metastasis by upregulating Slug, defining a mechanism through which cancer cells can colonize blood clots in the lung vasculature.
BLESS: Bloom filter-based error correction solution for high-throughput sequencing reads

Motivation: Rapid advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology have led to exponential increase in the amount of genomic information. However, NGS reads contain far more errors than data from traditional sequencing methods, and downstream genomic analysis results can be improved by correcting the errors. Unfortunately, all the previous error correction methods required a large amount of memory, making it unsuitable to process reads from large genomes with commodity computers. Results: We present a novel algorithm that produces accurate correction results with much less memory compared with previous solutions. The algorithm, named BLoom-filter-based Error correction Solution for high-throughput Sequencing reads (BLESS), uses a single minimumsized Bloom filter, and is also able to tolerate a higher false-positive rate, thus allowing us to correct errors with a 40� memory usage reduction on average compared with previous methods. Meanwhile, BLESS can extend reads like DNA assemblers to correct errors at the end of reads. Evaluations using real and simulated reads showed that BLESS could generate more accurate results than existing solutions. After errors were corrected using BLESS, 69% of initially unaligned reads could be aligned correctly. Additionally, de novo assembly results became 50% longer with 66% fewer assembly errors. Availability and implementation: Freely available at http://source forge.net/p/bless-ec
Does competitive flow reduce internal thoracic artery graft patency

Abstract Background In coronary arteries with moderate stenosis, competitive flow may lead to internal thoracic artery (ITA) graft occlusion. The goals of this study were to determine if competitive flow reduces ITA patency, and if there is a degree of coronary stenosis below which ITAs should not be used. Methods From 1972 to 1999, 50,278 patients underwent primary coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Of these, 2,002 had at least one ITA graft and postoperative angiography before coronary reintervention; 2,999 angiograms of 2,121 ITAs were made. Time-related ITA occlusion was modeled using longitudinal analysis to identify its risk factors while accounting for lack of independence introduced by repeated angiography and multiple ITA anastomoses per patient. Proximal coronary stenosis (maximum preoperative stenosis between ITA anastomosis and aorta) was the surrogate for competitive flow. Results Unadjusted ITA patency was 93%, 89%, 90%, and 92% at 1, 5, 10, and 15 years after CABG. Risk factors associated with ITA occlusion were lesser degree of proximal coronary stenosis ( p p p = 0.0003); later date of CABG ( p = 0.01); right ITA ( p p Conclusions Internal thoracic artery patency decreases as coronary competitive flow increases. However, the nature of this relationship indicates ITAs should not be abandoned at moderate grades of stenosis.