cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Specific Cortisol Binding Protein in Porcine Follicular Fluid

A specific cortisol binding protein has been demonstrated in the follicular fluid of the porcine ovary. The binding of cortisol, progesterone, testosterone, i� -androstenedione and estradiol-1 7j3 was studied by equilibrium dialysis at 4#{176}C in follicular fluid obtained from ovaries of mature pigs (6-12-months-old). The binding capacity of the follicular fluid protein with each steroid was variable. Cortisol demonstrated a specific binding to follicular fluid. The mean association constants of cortisol binding to follicular fluid from large, medium and small follicles were 1.99 ± 0.64 (SE) X iO9M’ (N = 8), and 1.30 ± 0.62 (SE) X 109M’ (N = 6) and 2.05 X 109M’ (N = 2), respectively and were not significantly different from each other. The corresponding binding capacities were 0.60 ± 019 (SD) X 10�, 1.06 ± 0.45 (SD) X 10’ and 0.83 X 10’ moles/I of undiluted follicular fluid. Tritiated cortisol bound to follicular fluid protein was displaced by corticosterone, deoxycorticosterone, progesterone and testosterone with relative affinities compared to cortisol (100%) of corticosterone 24%, deoxycorticosterone 20%, progesterone 11% and testosterone <1%. Dexamethasone did not bind to either follicular fluid or porcine serum at the concentrations of protein used for cortisol binding. Tritiated progesterone, testosterone and estradiol-1 7� did bind to follicular fluid, but were not displaced by 200 times the concentration of the respective unlabeled steroids with the experimental conditions used. The nonspecific binding properties of these steroids were similar to those of porcine serum except the serum had a lower binding capacity than that of follicular fluid. Calcium (0.05M Ca�), magnesium (0.05M Mg��), thioglycerol (0.O1M), L-cysteine (0.O1M) and dithiothreitol (0.O1M) did not alter the cortisol binding properties. The follicular fluid was incubated with tritiated steroids and fractionated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The radioactive peak of cortisol was completely displaced by the addition of 700 times the concentration of unlabeled cortisol. The cortisol binding protein had a sedimentation of a 4.1 S fraction as determined by sucrose gradient centrifugation. These results suggest that porcine follicular fluid contains a specific cortisol binding cm�-globulin fraction and, after stripping of the indigenous steroids, it appears to be similar to, but present in twice the concentration of that in serum. The cortisol concentration in follicular fluid (167 ± 29 (SE); 188 ± 43 (SE) and 181 ± 15 (SE) ng/ml in small, medium and large follicles, respectively) was also shown to be higher than the plasma (102 ± 14 (SE) ng/ml), (P<0.05), which may be partly bound to specific cortisol binding protein in the follicular fluid.
Asymptotic memoryless detection of random signals in dependent noise

Abstract Design of detectors for strong mixing signals in strong mixing noise is considered, where a large degree of dependency may occur between the signal and noise. Under the criterion of asymptotic relative efficiency, it is shown that this design reduces to determining the solution of an integral equation, where only knowledge of the second order statistics of the randon processes involved is required. In particular, if the signal is independent of the noise and has nonzero mean, the optimal detector is the same as in the known constant signal case. It is also shown that it is possible to delete several regularity conditions which may be difficult to check in practice in the slightly more restrictive case where the maximal correlation coefficients of the signal and noise tend to zero.
Epidermal Growth Factor Stimulates Extracellular-Signal Regulated Kinase Phosphorylation of a Novel Site on Cytoplasmic Dynein Intermediate Chain 2

Extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK) signaling is required for a multitude of physiological and patho-physiological processes. However, the identities of the proteins that ERK phosphorylates to elicit these responses are incompletely known. Using an affinity purification methodology of general utility, here we identify cytoplasmic dynein intermediate chain 2 (DYNC1I-2, IC-2) as a novel substrate for ERK following epidermal growth factor receptor stimulation of fibroblasts. IC-2 is a subunit of cytoplasmic dynein, a minus-end directed motor protein necessary for transport of diverse cargos along microtubules. Emerging data support the hypothesis that post-translational modification regulates dynein but the signaling mechanisms used are currently unknown. We find that ERK phosphorylates IC-2 on a novel, highly conserved Serine residue proximal to the binding site for the p150Glued subunit of the cargo adapter dynactin. Surprisingly, neither constitutive phosphorylation nor a phosphomimetic substitution of this Serine influences binding of p150Glued to IC-2. These data suggest that ERK phosphorylation of IC-2 regulates dynein function through mechanisms other than its interaction with dynactin.
Mobility and Situational Factors in the Adjustment of Older Workers to Job Displacement

Research on unemployment in the United States has focused mainly on a description of the economic and social consequences resulting from the loss of work. Few attempts have been made to relate these consequences to mobility and situational variables associated with unemployment and re-employment experience. In a phenomenon as complex as unemployment, it is indeed an extensive task to trace the linkages between these variables and their consequences, much less to assign a measure of relative influence to mobility or situational factors. Empirical research on unemployment, however, contains a number of assumptions about these variables and their relationship to the social and psychological consequences of the loss of work. It is the purpose of this paper to report on research that was primarily concerned with (1) a determination of mobility and situational factors linked to the behavior and attitudes of job-displaced workers, and (2) an examination of the unique influence of each variable in explaining the ...
Graphite Fiber Treatments which Affect Fiber Surface Morphology and Epoxy Bonding Characteristics

Abstract Means of inducing carbonyl functional groups to high modulus graphite fibers (Thornel 50) are described. One approach involves wet chemical oxidation of the fibers in aqueous sodium iodate solution. Another route to hypothesized augmented carbonyl functionality on graphite fibers proceeds through reaction of the fibers in an aqueous dioxane osmium tetroxide solution. In the latter case, coupling of graphite carbonyl to oxirane epoxy is postulated as occurring through an intermediate stannic chloride complex, Bonding of fibers to matrix is shown to be improved with little to no loss in tensile properties of the fibers. As a result of the specificity of the reactions, the surface characteristics of the graphite fibers are revealed when viewed with high magnification scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Based on such observations, a model of the fiber is diagrammed as a compromise of a fibrillar structure and ordered crystallites with tilt and sub-grain boundaries. Also described is a thermal oxidati...
Contrast Enhancement - A Route To Submicron Optical Lithography

A new method for the production of submicron photopatterns is described. Good quality images are obtainable even under very low contrast illumination through the use of photobleachable materials in conjunction with standard photoresists. The method consists of applying a thin photobleachable layer to the photoresist surface prior to the conventional exposure step. The bleachable layer (contrast-enhancing layer or CEL) is subsequently removed and the resist developed in the ordinary way. Examples of vertical-walled submicron patterns fabricated using an Optimetrix 10:1 DSW system demonstrate that the CEL process compares well with other advanced photolithographic techniques.
Evaluation of the FOCUS (Feedback on Counseling Using Simulation) Instrument for Assessment of Client-centered Nutrition Counseling Behaviors

Abstract Objective To develop an instrument to assess client-centered counseling behaviors (skills) of student-counselors in a standardized patient (SP) exercise. Methods Descriptive study of the accuracy and utility of a newly developed counseling evaluation instrument. Study participants included 11 female student-counselors at a Midwestern university—10 Caucasian, 1 African-American—for the simulated counseling sessions, in which the Feedback on Counseling Using Simulation (FOCUS) instrument was applied in 2 SP scenarios (cardiovascular disease and diabetes). FOCUS ratings of student-counselors by 4 SPs during 22 sessions were compared with ratings from a 3-member panel of experts who independently viewed the 22 videotaped sessions. Quantitative analysis of instrument validity included inter-rater reliability by computing generalizability coefficients, Pearson correlations, and Spearman rank-order correlations. Results FOCUS criteria encompassed relevant dimensions of nutrition counseling based in a client-centered perspective. The critical points of information gathering and counseling behaviors showed internal consistency overall and good inter-rater reliability with the cardiovascular disease scenario. For both scenarios, pooled ratings of 3 experts agreed with ratings carried out by SPs. Conclusions and Implications Initial findings suggest that the FOCUS instrument with client-centered criteria may enhance evaluation of counseling skills in SP exercises, meriting further study with larger groups.
Hyperspherical harmonics for the representation of crystallographic texture

The feasibility of representing crystallographic textures as quaternion distributions by a series expansion method is demonstrated using hyperspherical harmonics. This approach is refined by exploiting the sample and crystal symmetries to perform the expansion more efficiently. The properties of the quaternion group space encourage a novel presentation of orientation statistics, simpler to interpret than the usual methods of texture representation. The result is a viable alternative to the Euler angle approach to texture standard in the literature today.
Abstract 2538: A novel therapeutic strategy for malignancy: Specific disruption of FAK and IGF-1R interaction with a small molecule compound

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Introduction: Pancreatic cancer and other aggressive malignancies are associated with poor patient survival rates. FAK and IGF-1R are two important tyrosine kinases important for cell survival signaling and found to be upregulated in several malignancies. As a novel strategy, we targeted FAK and IGF-1R protein interactions with a small molecule compound that altered crucial signaling pathways, and hypothesized that this approach would significantly inhibit cell proliferation and lead to apoptosis both alone and in combination with chemotherapy. Methods: The compound C31 (INT2-31) was identified from a high throughput screen to bind to FAK and disrupt protein-protein interactions. The effects of this compound when administered alone or together with 5-FU, gemcitabine or dacarbazine chemotherapy on cell signaling, viability and apoptosis in human pancreatic (Miapaca-2, Panc-1) esophageal (KYSE 70, 140) and melanoma (A375, C8161, SK-Mel28) cancer cells or on in vivo growth of direct human cancer xenografts was evaluated. Statistical analysis via t-test with significance defined as p<0.05. Results: INT2-31 caused a disruption of protein interactions between FAK and IGF-1R in whole cancer cell lysates starting at a concentration of 2.5 μM. It also caused a dose dependent inhibition of cell viability and induction of apoptosis starting at doses of 0.5 µM and 5µM, respectively. These effects were associated with a decrease in phosphorylation of Akt and ERK1/ERK2. INT2-31 treatment, when administered via subcutaneous or intraperitoneal injection, at 15 to 50mg/kg daily, resulted in a significant decrease of in vivo tumor growth in multiple cells lines in the subcutaneous or orthotopic pancreatic model as well as inhibition of growth of direct cancer xenografts. For instance, the size of a direct esophageal cancer subcutaneous xenograft was significantly decreased in INT2-31 treated animals vs control (236 +131 vs 931 +375 cm3, respectively, p<0.005). Tumor Ki67 staining from INT2-31 treated animals demonstrated a significant decrease in positive cells (52% vs 32%, control vs INT2-31, p<0.05). Furthermore, treatment with 5-FU chemotherapy resulted in a synergistic decrease in cell growth and increase in apoptosis when combined with INT2-31 compared to 5-FU or INT2-31 alone. Conclusions: A novel small molecule compound that disrupts the protein interactions of FAK and IGF-1R results in significantly decreased cancer cell proliferation and sensitizes cells to chemotherapy. These effects appear to be mediated through downregulation of p-AKT and p-ERK. This compound deserves further study as a novel treatment strategy in patients with solid tumors. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2538.
Probing the Binding of Propranolol Enantiomers to α1-Acid Glycoprotein with Ligand-Detected NMR Experiments

Mapping the interactions of a small molecule ligand with a protein can provide information important for biochemical studies and for drug design and development. This information can be determined using the ligand-detected 1H NMR experiments T1ρ-NOESY, diffusion, and saturation transfer difference (STD). This work compares the results of these experiments and examines their ability to distinguish the binding epitopes of propranolol enantiomers with α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP). The epitope maps for the propranolol enantiomers are fairly similar, as expected from their similar binding affinities; however, the STD epitope maps provide unique insights into the different orientations of the enantiomers with respect to the AGP binding pocket. Our results suggest that it is best to consider the data provided by several NMR epitope mapping experiments in drawing conclusions about ligand−protein binding interactions.
Adaptive responses of aglomerular toadfish to dilute sea water

Plasma and urine of toadfish (Opsanus tau) in sea water and 10% sea water were analyzed to assess responses of an aglomerular fish to hypoosmotic challenge. Following transfer to 10% sea water, plasma osmotic pressure decreased slowly from 318 to 241 mmol · kg H2O−1, over a period of 10–15 days. Urine osmotic pressure decreased in parallel from 299 to 207 mmol · kg H2O−1, leaving urine/plasma ratios of osmotic pressure essentially unchanged. In contrast, the volume and composition of urine changed rapidly following transfer to 10% sea water. Urine flow rate increased 110% from 3.0 to 6.3 μl · 100g−1 · h−1 and Na+ excretion increased 346%, while excretion of Mg2− and SO42− decreased 81% and 90%, respectively. Excretion rates for Cl− were low in seawater toadfish and decreased further in 10% sea water. An unknown sulfur-containing anion, present in the urine of seawater toadfish, contributed significantly to the composition and ionic balance in urine of toadfish in 10% sea water. These results suggest that the inability to produce strongly dilute urine obliges toadfish to lose salt in order to excrete water, in hypoosmotic media. The decrease in plasma osmotic pressure may be both a strategy to reduce osmotic and ionic gradients in dilute media and a consequence of the kidney's inability to excrete water without salt.
Micros for students-a computer-intensive environment

In order to integrate effective computer utilization into undergraduate engineering, science, computer science, and management curricula, Stevens Institute of Technology has added to its central computer capabilities, personal ownership of microcomputers by students. In 1983, and again in 1984, all entering freshman at Stevens were required to purchase a Digital Equipment Corporation Professional 350 computer with 10 megabyte hard disk, 512K of random access memory and dual floppy disk drives with 800K bytes of storage. With this system, students received PROSE editing software for word processing and two programming languages, BASIC and FORTRAN. DEC PRO 350s have also been distributed in various campus locations and a subsidized program has resulted in widespread faculty ownership of these systems. External grants and institutional funds have supported faculty efforts to develop computer-related curriculum materials in more than 50 courses. Curriculum applications are extremely varied and include simulations, design projects, numerical methods, and tutorials. Currently, there are 1,400 DEC 350s being utilized at Stevens, a pilot networking effort is being implemented, and a fully networked campus is planned for implementation during the 1986/87 academic year. Curriculum examples, initial networking experience, and planning objectives will be discussed.
Bacillus subtilis FlhA: a flagellar protein related to a new family of signal-transducing receptors.

Summary The Bacillus subtilis flhA gene lies in the major che/fla operon, a transcription unit that spans 26 kilobases (kb) of DNA. flhA encodes a 677-amino-acid polypeptide that is a strong candidate for an integral membrane protein. The sequence of FlhA displays substantial homology to a newly identified family of putative signal-transducing receptors that have been implicated in diverse cellular processes. FlhA is the first member of this family to be described from a Gram-positive bacterium. We demonstrate that flhA is a flagellar gene and that FlhA is required in trans for the formation of products from some, but not all, B. subtilis motility-related operons that are regulated by the αD form of RNA polymerase. We suggest that FlhA is a component of a signalling system that is involved with the formation of some flagellar gene products during the biosynthesis of the flagellum.
DEM Error Correction in InSAR Time Series

We present a mathematical formulation for the phase due to the errors in digital elevation models (DEMs) in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry (InSAR) time series obtained by the small baseline (SB) or the small baseline subset method. We show that the effect of the DEM error in the estimated displacement is proportional to the perpendicular baseline history of the set of SAR acquisitions. This effect at a given epoch is proportional to the perpendicular baseline between the SAR acquisition at that epoch and the reference acquisition. Therefore, the DEM error can significantly affect the time-series results even if SB interferograms are used. We propose a new method for DEM error correction of InSAR time series, which operates in the time domain after inversion of the network of interferograms for the displacement time series. This is in contrast to the method of Berardino (2002) in which the DEM error is estimated in the interferogram domain. We show the effectiveness of this method using simulated InSAR data. We apply the new method to Fernandina volcano in the Galapagos Islands and show that the proposed DEM error correction improves the estimated displacement significantly.
Salvaging the infected central line: limited success of antibiotic therapy without line removal

When an indwelling central venous catheter (CVC) is the source of bacteremia in infants with long-term nutritional problems, CVC removal controls sepsis but a central venous access site is sacrificed. If transcatheter antibiotics could resterilize infected lines, then some of the precious CVCs could be salvaged. We reviewed the management and outcome of CVC line infections at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia from July 1980 to September 1984. Bacteremia or fungemia occurred 55 times in 47 patients, aged 1 week to 16 years (median 3 mos), an overall rate of 8% for the study period. CVCs were in place 4 to 310 days (median 27 days) at the time of infection. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common organism isolated, followed by Candila albicans. CVC removal was the primary mode of controlling bacteremia in 32 patients. Generally, antibiotic coverage was added (21 patients), but removal alone without antibiotics appeared to be adequate therapy in 11 patients, including 5 with Candila fungemia. In 15 patients antibiotics were given, attempting to clear the line of infection. Persistent sepsis or positive repeat cultures led to removal of the CVCs in 9 of the 15 (60%). Line infection cleared on initial antibiotic therapy alone in 6 patients, allowing line salvage. However, bacteremia recurred in 3 and in each an organism different from the one causing the original infection was isolated. Sepsis cleared after the removal in 2, and one died of Candila superinfection during a second attempt at line sterilization. Two patients remained free from sepsis with CVC salvage with antibiotic therapy alone (13%). One patient died of peritonitis not related to catheter infection with the original CVC. Of the 47 patients, 8 received replacement CVCs and 1 received a third CVC. Five (55%) suffered another bout of line sepsis, often with organisms different from the one causing the original infection. CVC removal remains the most reliable means of managing line sepsis. Those receiving another CVC are at risk of infecting their new line, often with an organism different from the original one causing the first septic bout. Although theoretically desirable, “sterilizing” CVCs with transcatheter antibiotics alone has limited success.
Prioritizing Wildlife Taxa for Biological Diversity Conservation at the Local Scale

DAVID R. BREININGER*MARY JO BARKASZIREBECCA B. SMITHDONNA M. ODDYJANE A. PROVANCHADynamac InternationalNASA Biomedical Operations OfficeDyn-2, John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899, USAABSTRACT / We identified and ranked 108 resident and mi-gratory wildlife taxa on John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC)that were vulnerable to local, regional, or global extinction.We ranked taxa based on their vulnerability to extinction,their potential role for maintaining faunal integrity, and therelevance of KSC for maintaining their populations in theUnited States and Florida. Several taxa, not listed by agen-cies, were vulnerable to regional or global extinction. Manytaxa not vulnerable to global extinction were vulnerable tolocal and regional extinction. Top predators were vulnerableto extinction because of small population size, isolation fromother populations, and road mortality. Many taxa were de-pendent on habitat conditions at different geographic loca-tions so that conservation required greater collaborationamong land owners, managers, and researchers at local,regional, and global scales.
Mercury inhibition of neutrophil activity: evidence of aberrant cellular signalling and incoherent cellular metabolism.

Exposure to environmental heavy metals has been reported to affect the immune system. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Hg(+2), acting through membrane proteins, disrupts metabolic dynamics and downstream cell functions in human neutrophils. We found that HgCl(2) inhibited: (1) polarization and (2) immunoglobulin (Ig)G-mediated phagocytosis of sheep erythrocytes in a dose-dependent manner from 2.5 to 10 microM. Because these activities have been linked with pro-inflammatory signalling, we also studied the effects of HgCl(2) on intracellular signalling by measuring protein tyrosine phosphorylation. HgCl(2) at doses = 1 microM increased tyrosine phosphorylation. We also studied the effect of HgCl(2) on neutrophil metabolism by measuring NAD(P)H autofluorescence as an indicator of intracellular NAD(P)H concentration. After HgCl(2) treatment, we found that normal sinusoidal NAD(P)H oscillations became incoherent. We recently reported that the NAD(P)H oscillation frequency is affected by cell migration and activation, which can in turn be regulated by integrin-mediated signalling. Therefore, we examined the effects of HgCl(2) on cell surface distribution of membrane proteins. After exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of HgCl(2) we found that CR3, but not other membrane proteins (e.g. uPAR, Fc gamma RIIA and the formyl peptide receptor), became clustered on cell surfaces. We suggest that HgCl2 disrupts integrin signalling/functional pathways in neutrophils.
Networked electronic services usage patterns at four academic health sciences libraries

An examination of the methodology and results from patron use surveys of networked electronic services at four geographically disparate academic health science libraries in the USA between 1999 and 2002. The principal fields of inquiry include demographic differences between in‐house library users as compared to remote library users by status of user; users’ purposes for accessing electronic services; how the purpose of use differs between traditional, in‐person, library services; and differences in usage of electronic resources based upon the location of users. The results of this study should help guide service decisions in academic health sciences libraries.
Pairing of Pentagonal and Heptagonal Carbon Rings in the Growth of Nanosize Carbon Spheres Synthesized by a Mixed-Valent Oxide-Catalytic Carbonization Process

Carbon spheres have been synthesized using a mixed-valent oxide-catalytic carbonization process in macroscopic quantities and at low cost. The technique uses natural gas and reusable catalysts and produces no environmental waste or pollution. The product is all solid spheres (∼210 nm) comprised of layered graphitic flakes. Microstructures of the spheres are studied by transmission electron microscopy. The sphere is believed to be nucleated from a pentagon carbon ring followed by a spiral shell growth. When the sphere grows larger, graphitic flakes are nucleated on the surface due to the formation of paired pentagonal−heptagonal (P−H) carbon rings. A combination of the P−H pairs with the hexagonal networks produces eight basic graphitic configurations for forming the sphere, and they have been observed experimentally.
Sensitivity Of Wetland Saturated Hydraulic Heads and Water Budgets To Evapotranspiration

The sensitivity of wetland saturated hydraulic heads and water budgets to evapotranspiration (ET) was examined using a simplified hydrologic model and eight representations of ET. Estimates of ET that created the most reliable wetland saturated hydraulic heads and water budgets employed vegetation coefficients to correct potential ET, calculated by the Priestley-Taylor equation, to actual ET. The accuracy of simulated hydraulic heads generally improved by , 1 cm, however, when using the most reliable ET estimates based on vegetation coefficients. An ET estimate that used a regression-defined extinction depth created substantial errors in simulated water budgets. Specifically, the extinction-depth ET overestimated the annual actual ET by about 40% (400 mm). An ET approximation that overestimates actual ET by 400 mm annually applied in a regional hydrologic model over the 5400 km 2 area of Everglades National Park would underestimate the annual volume of water available for ground-water recharge and surface- water runoff to coastal estuaries by 2.3 billion m 3 . For comparison, this underestimation is about two thirds of the mean volume of water in Lake Okeechobee (3.8 billion m 3 ), the largest lake in Florida, and clearly demonstrates unbiased estimates of ET are necessary for reliably simulating wetland water budgets.
Serum response factor is essential for the proper development of skin epithelium

Mammalian epidermis is a stratified epithelium that serves as a barrier protecting the organism from mechanical stress and dehydration. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of the actin cytoskeleton in the establishment of a functional skin epithelium. Despite what is known about the actin cytoskeleton in epithelial sheet formation, the molecules important for controlling the actin cytoskeleton during epidermal development have not been determined. Serum response factor (SRF) is a transcription factor that is considered to be an important regulator of the actin cytoskeleton. To examine the role of SRF in the developing mouse epidermis, we have employed gene targeting to ablate Srf in keratinocytes. Conditional inactivation of Srf during the embryonic timepoint leads to a defect in the organization of the epidermis. Immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated a marked loss of the filamentous actin cytoskeleton and E-cadherin localization in epidermis, as well as an aberration in the localization of tight junction proteins. Moreover, impairment of the “inside-out” epidermal barrier was shown. Srf conditional knockout keratinocytes are unable to establish proper intercellular connections or form an epithelial sheet as shown by histological examination and induced keratinocyte differentiation experiments. Our results demonstrate that Srf is essential for the actin-mediated sealing of epithelial cell-cell contacts and the development of functional stratified skin epithelium in vivo.
Terrain aware inversion of predictive models for high-performance UGVs

The capacity to predict motion adequately over the time scale of a few seconds is fundamental to autonomous mobility. Model predictive optimal control is a general formalism within which most historical approaches can be cast as special cases. Applications continue to grow in ambition to seek higher precision of motion and/or higher vehicle speeds. Predictions must therefore improve in fidelity and speed simultaneously. We favor an approach to precision motion control that we call parametric optimal control. It formulates the optimal control problem as one of nonlinear programming - optimizing over a space of parameterized controls encoding all feasible motions. It enables efficient inversion of the solutions to the equations of motion for a ground vehicle. Such an inversion enables a computation of precisely the command signals necessary to drive the vehicle to goal position, heading, and curvature while following the contours of the terrain under arbitrary wheel terrain interactions. Dynamics inversion is so fundamental that many other mobility behaviors can be constructed from it. Fielded applications include pallet acquisition controls for factory AGVs, high speed adaptive path following for military UGVs, compensation for wheel slip on the Mars Exploration Rovers and full configuration space planning in dense obstacle fields.
Experimental requirement of the error-compensating five-frame interferogram-collecting sequence used in phase-shifting interferometry.

Digital phase-shifting interferometry (PSI), a technique widely used in optical testing, requires interferograms collected at optical phase differences separated by a definite phase step. The five-frame interferogram-collecting sequence suggested by Hariharan et al. [Appl. Opt.26, 2504 (1987)] is extremely effective in significantly reducing the errors in height profiles derived using PSI that are caused by phase-step errors. In this Letter, we report on a class of five-frame sequence that, owing to its mathematical equivalence with the one suggested by Hariharan et al. and its ease of execution, is more commonly used but is much less effective in reducing the height profile errors caused by phase-step errors.
Stem cell transplantation eliminates alloantibody in a highly sensitized patient

Highly sensitized patients are forced to stay on transplant waiting lists for many years and ultimately may never find a donor. Peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation may provide a strategy to decrease host alloreactivity through the production of a chimeric state. We investigated alloreactivity and chimerism in a highly sensitized 40-year-old patient with sickle cell disease who underwent a nonradiation based conditioning regimen consisting of fludarabine, ATG, and high dose melphalan, for allogeneic stem cell transplant. Host monocytes and lymphocytes became donor in origin by day 14. PRA, initially 100% pretransplant, fell to 0 by day 263. Anti-red blood cells antibody became undetectable by day 152. The use of a new nonradiation-based conditioning regimen enabled successful engraftment of allogeneic donor PBSCs and the elimination of alloantibody. As new less toxic conditioning regimens are developed, PBSC transplantation might provide a new solution to allosensitization.
Strategies for Developing a University-Sponsored Youth Sports Summer Camp.

(2011). Strategies for Developing a University-Sponsored Youth Sports Summer Camp. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 82, No. 9, pp. 24-50.
Bold Policies for Economic Justice

The U.S. is characterized by a longstanding pattern of large structural racial inequality that deepens further as a result of economic downturn. Although there have been some improvements in the income gap up until around the mid 1970s, the employment gap, and the racial wealth gap - two dramatic indicators of economic security - remains exorbitant and stubbornly persistent. We offer two race-neutral programs that could go a long way towards eliminating racial inequality, while at the same time providing economic security, mobility and sustainability for all Americans. The first program, a federal job guarantee, would provide the economic security of a job and the removal of the threat of unemployment for all Americans. The second program, a substantial child development account that rises progressively based on the familial asset positioning of the child’s parents, would provide a pathways towards asset security for all Americans regardless of their economic position at birth.
Nerve growth factor mRNA stability is controlled by a cis-acting instability determinant in the 3′-untranslated region

Nerve growth factor (NGF) mRNA is rapidly degraded in many non-neuronal cell types with a half-life of between 30 and 60 min. Similar to other short-lived mRNAs the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the NGF mRNA contains a short AU nucleotide-rich sequence. To implicate this region as a cis-acting determinant of NGF mRNA instability, expression vectors containing NGF cDNA with and without the 3'-UTR, and vectors containing only the 3'-UTR were constructed and used in cell transfection experiments. Transfection of HEK293 or NIH3T3 cells with these expression vectors followed by measurement of NGF mRNA half-life indicated that NGF mRNA without the AU-rich 3'-UTR was approximately 3-fold more stable than NGF mRNA containing the 3'-UTR. Similar results were seen in a polysome-based cell-free RNA decay assay using NGF mRNA with and without the 3'-UTR prepared from transfected cells. Addition of a short RNA containing the AU-rich 3'-UTR to the cell-free RNA decay system prolonged the half-life of the full-length NGF mRNA, suggesting competition between these two RNA species for polysome-associated factors which degrade the NGF mRNA. Moreover, transfection of HEK293 or astroglial cells with vectors designed to express only the AU-rich region of the 3'-UTR resulted in enhanced expression of NGF mRNA. The results indicate that the 3'-UTR of the NGF mRNA contains a cis-acting instability determinant which, perhaps by interacting with trans-acting RNA-binding proteins, controls the rate of NGF mRNA turnover.
Trends and disparities in regionalization of pancreatic resection

Background The current recommendation is that pancreatic resections be performed at hospitals doing >10 pancreatic resections annually.
Ethics and the image of the healthcare administrator in popular culture

AbstractIn hospital culture physicians and healthcare administrators often occupy the highest leadership positions. When hospital culture is represented in movies and TV, however, there is a clear distinction between how these two roles are portrayed. The image of physicians in popular culture has largely remained positive: tarnishing some since the sparkling clean, idealized days of Drs Marcus Welby and Ben Casey, but they are still generally portrayed heroically, as the epitome of ethics, dedication, knowledge, and wisdom. The healthcare administrator generally has not fared as well. Cast often as the ‘bad guy’, his character traits typically include avarice, hard-heartedness, and pride. Yet of course in real life healthcare administrators are actual persons, as complex and subject to virtue and vice as any physician – and with ethical challenges as unique to their own profession as those of the physician. With this incongruity between image and reality in mind I plan first to outline the basic ethical ...
Voigt-photorefractive two-wave mixing in Cd0.9Mn0.1Te

Abstract Diluted magnetic semiconductors have pronounced magneto-optic effects. We have used the Voigt effect in a Cd 1 − x Mn x Te (x = 0.1) crystal to demonstrate that an external magnetic-field-induced linear birefringence can control the magnitude and the direction of energy transfer in photorefractive two-wave mixing. This behavior is distinctly different from the Faraday photorefractive effect studied previously. Two-wave mixing is monitored as a function of incident-beam polarization and magnetic-field strength for a grating vector along [ovbar|1 1 0]. A theoretical model is presented to describe the experimental results.
Generation of peripheral B cells occurs via two spatially and temporally distinct pathways

We have identified a population of newly formed bone marrow (BM) B cells that shares multiple characteristics with late transitional B cells in the spleen. Both late splenic transitional B cells and cells within this uncharacterized BM population expressed the cell-surface phenotype AA4(+) CD23(+), yet the developmental kinetics and the renewal rate of AA4(+) CD23(+) BM B cells mirrored recently formed BM B cells. Further, unlike the least mature B cells in the BM and spleen, AA4(+) CD23(+) BM B cells expressed the homing receptor CD62L, were dependent on the antiapoptotic cytokine receptor BR3 and the tec family kinase Btk, and proliferated in response to IL-4 plus CD40 stimulation. Finally, frequencies of lambda light chain-positive B cells declined among AA4(+) CD23(+) B cells in both the BM and spleen, suggesting that V-gene selection events correlate with CD23 expression in both compartments. These observations indicate that the first step in B-cell maturation occurs in both the BM and the periphery and suggest that recently formed B cells exit the BM as a heterogeneous pool of immature and semimature B cells.
A Note on Smoothness Priors and Nonlinear Regression

Abstract A generalization of a nonparametric estimator proposed by Shiller (1984) is considered. The estimator is shown to be directly related to penalized least squares estimation and spline smoothing. Some simplifications concerning the computation of Shiller's estimator and corresponding posterior covariances are indicated.
Specificity of substituted phenyl phosphorus compounds for esterase inhibition in mice.

Abstract Forty-three substituted phenyl phosphorus compounds were studied in relation to selective esterase inhibition in mice, ability to potentiate the toxicity of malathion, and metabolic conversion to more active antiestsrase agents. The malathion potentiation and the degree of in vivo inhibition of the aliphatic esterases hydrolyzing malathion were generally related. A similarity appeared among compounds containing the o -methyl-, o -ethyl- and p -ethylphenyl groupings in their activity for producing neurtotoxicity in hens (activity as recorded in the literature) and for potentiation of malathion in mice. However, several compounds lacking the o -methyl- and o -ethyphenyl groupings were quite selective aliphatic esterase inhibitors and were active in malathion potentiation in mice but did not yield a neurotoxicity with hens. The most active potentiator of malathion by the assay method used was di- o -tolyl mono- p -tolyl phosphate. Metabolic activation to more potent esterase inhibitors was demonstrated for many aryl phosphates containing alkyl substituents in several positions on the phenyl group.
Isotope Sensitive Branching and Kinetic Isotope Effects in the Reaction of Deuterated Arachidonic Acids with Human 12- and 15-Lipoxygenases

Lipoxygenases (LOs) catalyze lipid peroxidation and have been implicated in a number of human diseases connected to oxidative stress and inflammation. These enzymes have also attracted considerable attention due to large kinetic isotope effects (30-80) for the rate-limiting hydrogen abstraction step with linoleic acid (LA) as substrate. Herein, we report kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) in the reactions of three human LOs (platelet 12-hLO, reticulocyte 15-hLO-1, and epithelial 15-hLO-2) with arachidonic acid (AA). Surprisingly, the observed KIEs with AA were much smaller than the previously reported values with LA. Investigation into the origins for the smaller KIEs led to the discovery of isotope sensitive branching of the reaction pathways. Product distribution analysis demonstrated an inversion in the regioselectivity of 15-hLO-1, with hydrogen abstraction from C13 being the major pathway with unlabeled AA but abstraction from C10 predominating when the methylene group at position 13 was deuterated. Smaller but clear changes in regioselectivity were also observed for 12-hLO and 15-hLO-2.
Glucose-galactose malabsorption.

This is the first report in the American literature of a patient with a deficiency of gastrointestinal absorption of glucose and galactose. The disease is characterized by severe, chronic, watery diarrhea starting soon after birth. Marked improvement occurs following the substitution of the offending sugars by fructose. The disease is probably inherited through an autosomal recessive mode.
Modular injection mold manufacturing in a selective laser sintering machine

Reduced time to market places exacting requirements for the speed and quality of the design, manufacture and testing of new plastic parts. Traditionally, the greatest time for getting a new plastic product prototyped and tested is that for the mold fabrication phase. New metal materials for selective laser sintering (SLS) rapid prototyping technology allow direct mold fabrication for prototype plastic parts. Typically these molds are also useable for small scale production runs up to 50,000 parts. Using this technology prototype parts can be manufactured using the same materials and processes as used for the final product allowing testing of the whole manufacturing process for the prototype. This gives a company new opportunities to get a new or modified product to market faster and cheaper than by using traditional mold making processes. In this paper we describe this new technology and discuss how small and mid-size manufacturing companies can benefit from it.
Exploring Wakeup-Free Instruction Scheduling

Design of wakeup-free issue queues is becoming desirable due to the increasing complexity associated with broadcast-based instruction wakeup. The effectiveness of most wakeup-free issue queue designs is critically based on their success in predicting the issue latency of an instruction accurately. Consequently, the goal of this paper is to explore the predictability of instruction issue latency under different design constraints and to identify the impediments to performance in such wakeup-free architectures. Our results indicate that structural problems in promoting instructions to the head of the instruction queue from where they are issued in wakeup-free architectures, the limited number of candidate instructions that can be considered for instruction issue, and the resource conflicts due to non-availability of issue ports all have a significant impact in degrading the performance of broadcast free architectures. Based on these observation, we explore an architecture that attempts to overcome the structural limitations by employing traditional selection logic and by using pre-check logic to reduce the impact of resource conflicts while still employing a wakeup-free strategy based on predicted instruction issue latencies. Finally, we improve this technique by limiting the selection logic to a small segment of the issue queue.
Hazardous Waste Management: An Emerging Policy Area Within an Emerging Federalism

This article examines the manner in which hazardous waste, already being labeled the major environmental issue of the 1980s, is being accommodated in a period of evolving intergovernmental relations. Hazardous waste is a technological problem with economic overtones and political consequences. The governmental mechanisms set up to tackle the issue are understandably complex and, some observers argue, fall short of the mark. Special attention is given to the pivotal role played by state governments. Devolution of operational responsibilities as well as policymaking authority make the states important. Thus far, the evidence regarding state performance is mixed. Instances of policy innovation exist alongside offunctional evasion. Interstate competition and limitedfinancial resources remain confounding factors. Reconfigured federalism may emerge.
On the impact of shrub encroachment on microclimate conditions in the northern Chihuahuan desert

[1] Changes in vegetation cover are known for their ability to modify the surface energy balance and near-surface microclimate conditions. A major change in vegetation composition that has been occurring in many dryland regions around the world is associated with the replacement of arid grasslands by desert shrublands. The impact of shrub encroachment on regional climate conditions remains poorly investigated, and, to date, it is unclear how this shift in plant community composition may affect the microclimate. Here we used concurrent meteorological observations at two adjacent sites dominated by Larrea tridentata shrubs and native grass species, respectively, in the northern Chihuahuan desert to investigate differences in nighttime air temperatures between the shrubland and grassland vegetation covers. The nighttime air temperature was found to be substantially higher (>2°C) in the shrubland than in the grassland, especially during calm winter nights. These differences in surface air temperature were accompanied by differences in longwave radiation and sensible and ground heat fluxes. We developed a one-dimensional model to show how longwave radiation emitted by the ground at night can explain the higher nighttime air temperature over the shrubland. Because of the larger fraction of bare soil typically existing in the shrub cover, the ground surface remains less insulated and more energy flows into the ground at the shrubland site than in the grassland during daytime. This energy is then released at night mainly as longwave radiation, which causes the differences in the nighttime air temperatures between the two land covers.