cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calorimetric evidence for allosteric subunit interactions associated with inhibitor binding to band 3 transporter

Abstract A calorimetric endotherm occurring at 68 degrees C (the C-transition) has been assigned previously to the integral domain of band 3 and was shown to be shifted to 78 degrees C after covalent binding of 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate (DIDS). In this study, we correlate the fractional appearance of the shifted C-transition with the fraction of DIDS bound to the band 3 monomer population. Our results show a distinctly nonlinear correlation plot with the appearance of the shifted C-transition lagging behind DIDS labeling of the band 3 monomer population. The lag suggests that both monomers of a band 3 dimer must be labeled by DIDS in order for the shifted C-transition to appear at 78 degrees C, implying that the thermal unfolding of the integral domain of band 3 is modulated by allosteric interactions between subunits. This is the first in situ structural evidence supporting ligand-mediated subunit interactions within a "carrier"-type transporter protein oligomer.
Investigating the role of DNA repair enzymes in DNA replication and recombination (735.3)

Hypothesis: A mutant DNA repair protein (DSS1) will be unable to facilitate Homologous Recombination Repair (HRR) within osteosarcoma cell lines. Also depletions in the DNA repair enzyme RAD51AP1 will hinder the cells ability to rescue stalled replication forks and repair replication associated Double Strand Breaks (DSB), along with causing a S-phase check point defect in cells. In this study DNA damage was induced via exogenous and endogenous stresses, to test the fitness of cells. To gain insight into the role DNA repair proteins play after DNA damage, mutant osteosarcoma cell lines were exposed to high intensity X-rays. The ability for cells to faithfully repair double strand breaks was assessed by fluorescent activated cell sorting and immunocytochemistry. The levels of S phase check point activation by the phosphorylation of check point kinase1 was assessed by infrared Western blot analysis. We also depleted the DNA interacting enzymes and studied the effects on DNA damage, DNA replication, and the c...
Latino/a help-seeking behavior and endorsement of common factors

Reasons for underutilization of mental health services by the Latino/a population have been examined in previous research. In the current study, I explored Latino/as college students‘ perceptions of the common factors in therapy and how these perceptions explain willingness to seek professional mental health services. A comparison group of European American college students was utilized to examine similarities and differences between racial groups. No statistically significant differences were noted between groups for the perceived helpfulness of the common factors. However, perceptions of helpfulness significantly accounted for more variance in willingness to seek help for Latino/as (15%) than European Americans (5%) when controlling for previous therapy experiences.
An affordable virtual laboratory infrastructure to complement a variety of computing classes

Although computing as a field has matured and provided numerous technologies that improve the lives of people everywhere, it is still a growing field that requires educators to up-to-date in the face of rapidly changing technology. Although it is highly desirable to create physical laboratories in which to practically train students, these physical laboratories are expensive. This paper thus presents a response to this problem by highlighting a virtualized infrastructure for laboratory exercises in computing topics. Although not perfect, the easily deployed and configurable approach presented here is promising for adoption as a learning tool at a wide range of institutions.
Dietary Influence on Bile Acid Conjugation in the Cat

Cats fed a semipurified diet containing casein as the source of protein develop taurine deficiency. In order to establish whether this had an adverse effect on bile, kittens and adult cats were fed the casein diet or that diet with a supplement of taurine, cystine, or methionine, and gall bladder bile was characterized for its taurine-glycine conjugation and the cholesterol :phospholipid :bile acid ratio. The data indicate that cats conjugate their bile acids almost exclusively with taurine, and though plasma and retinal pools of taurine are largely depleted by feeding the casein diet, the conjugation of bile acids is only moderately affected. A major conversion to glycine conjugation did not occur, but free cholic acid did increase with decreased taurine conjugation. Dietary supplements of methionine or cystine, precursors of taurine, failed to satisfy the taurine requirement for bile acids in kittens whereas methionine appeared to satisfy this requirement in adult cats. The cholesterol :phospholipid :bile acid profile was not appreciably altered by these dietary circumstances. It would appear that kittens may require dietary taurine and that taurine pools in cats may be biologically independent of one another. J. Nutr. 106: 1241-1246, 1976.
An alternative formulation for determining weights of joint displacement objective function in seated posture prediction

The human posture prediction model is one of the most important and fundamental components in digital human models. The direct optimization-based method has recently gained more attention due to its ability to give greater insights, compared to other approaches, as how and why humans assume a certain pose. However, one longstanding problem of this method is how to determine the cost function weights in the optimization formulation. This paper presents an alternative formulation based on our previous inverse optimization approach. The cost function contains two components. The first is the weighted summation of the difference between experimental joint angles and neutral posture, and the second is the weighted summation of the difference between predicted joint angles and the neutral posture. The final objective function is then the difference of these two components. Constraints include (1) normalized weights within limits; (2) an inner optimization problem to solve for the joint angles, where joint displacement is the objective function; (3) the end-effector reaches the target point; and (4) the joint angles are within their limits. Furthermore, weight limits and linear weight constraints determined through observation are implemented. A 24 degree of freedom (DOF) human upper body model is used to study the formulation. An in-house motion capture system is used to obtain the realistic posture. Four different percentiles of subjects are selected and a total of 18 target points are designed for this experiment. The results show that using the new objective function in this alternative formulation can greatly improve the accuracy of the predicted posture.
Impacts of linseed meal and estradiol-17β on cellularity, angiogenic and vasoactive factor mRNA expression, and vascularity of the uterus in ovariectomized ewes

Ilse, B. R., O'Neil, M. R., Lardy, G. P., Reynolds, L. P. and Vonnahme, K. A. 2012. Impacts of linseed meal and estradiol-17β on cellularity, angiogenic and vasoactive factor mRNA expression, and vascularity of the uterus in ovariectomized ewes. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 92: 297–306. The objective of the current study was to determine the estrogenic potential of the phytoestrogen secoisolariciresinol diglycoside (SDG) found in linseed meal (LSM) on uterine cell proliferation, vascularity, and angiogenic factor mRNA expression. Ovariectomized ewes (n=48) were fed a diet containing 12.5% LSM for 0, 1, 7, or 14 d and implanted with estradiol-17β (E2) for 0, 6, or 24 h before tissue collection. There was an interaction of LSM×E2 on uterine mass (grams; P=0.03; percentage change; P<0.003). Uterine mass increased (P≤0.02) after 24 h of E2 exposure on days 1, 7, and 14 of LSM feeding, with the greatest mass occurring in ewes exposed to E2 for 24 h and 1 d LSM feeding. Regardless of days fed LSM, after 24 h of E2 exposu...
Unified analog and digital models for half bridge DC-DC converter with current doubler rectifier

The half bridge DC-DC topology with current doubler rectification is suitable for high current low voltage applications. In this paper, both analog and digital unified state space models and small signal models valid for symmetric, asymmetric and duty cycle shifted controlled half bridge DC-DC converter are derived. The discretized analog model and derived digital model are compared based on the digital controller design. In addition, a digital controller is designed based on the digital model for symmetric half bridge DC-DC converter. The results are verified by experiment.
An equipment model and its role in the interpretation of nominal compounds

For natural language understanding systems designed for domains including relatively complex equipment, it is not sufficient to use general knowledge about this equipment. We show problems which can be solved only if the system has access to a detailed equipment model. We discuss features of such models, in particular, their ability to simulate the equipment's behavior. As an illustration, we describe a simulation model for an air compressor. Finally, we demonstrate how to find referents in this model for nominal compounds.
Reactions of oximes with trimethylsilyl iodide: dehydration and beckmann rearrangement

Abstract Aldoximes are dehydrated in good yields to nitriles and certain ketoximes undergo Beckmann rearrangement when treated with trimethylsilyl iodide.
Analysis of phosphorescence in heterogeneous systems using distributions of quencher concentration

A continuous distribution approach, instead of the traditional mono- and multiexponential analysis, for determining quencher concentration in a heterogeneous system has been developed. A mathematical model of phosphorescence decay inside a volume with homogeneous concentration of phosphor and heterogeneous concentration of quencher was formulated to obtain pulse-response fitting functions for four different distributions of quencher concentration: rectangular, normal (Gaussian), gamma, and multimodal. The analysis was applied to parameter estimates of a heterogeneous distribution of oxygen tension (PO2) within a volume. Simulated phosphorescence decay data were randomly generated for different distributions and heterogeneity of PO2 inside the excitation/emission volume, consisting of 200 domains, and then fit with equations developed for the four models. Analysis using a monoexponential fit yielded a systematic error (underestimate) in mean PO2 that increased with the degree of heterogeneity. The fitting procedures based on the continuous distribution approach returned more accurate values for parameters of the generated PO2 distribution than did the monoexponential fit. The parameters of the fit (M = mean; sigma = standard deviation) were investigated as a function of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR = maximum signal amplitude/peak-to-peak noise). The best-fit parameter values were stable when SNR > or = 20. All four fitting models returned accurate values of M and sigma for different PO2 distributions. The ability of our procedures to resolve two different heterogeneous compartments was also demonstrated using a bimodal fitting model. An approximate scheme was formulated to allow calculation of the first moments of a spatial distribution of quencher without specifying the distribution. In addition, a procedure for the recovery of a histogram, representing the quencher concentration distribution, was developed and successfully tested.
Banning Corporal Punishment of Children: A Position Paper Association for Childhood Education International

(1999). Banning Corporal Punishment of Children: A Position Paper Association for Childhood Education International. Childhood Education: Vol. 76, No. 1, pp. 36-39.
Full-folding optical potentials for elastic nucleon-nucleus scattering based on realistic densities

Optical model potentials for elastic nucleon-nucleus scattering are calculated for a number of target nuclides from a full-folding integral of two different realistic target density matrices together with full off-shell nucleon-nucleon $t$ matrices derived from two different Bonn meson exchange models. Elastic proton and neutron scattering observables calculated from these full-folding optical potentials are compared to those obtained from ``optimum factorized'' approximations in the energy regime between 80 and 400 MeV projectile energy. The optimum factorized form is found to provide a good approximation to elastic scattering observables obtained from the full-folding optical potentials, although the potentials differ somewhat in the structure of their nonlocality.
Optical detection of water/alcohol vapours by polymide lightguides

Abstract Planar polyimide lightguides are used as optical sensors for the detection of H 2 O/alcohol vapours. The waveguide birefringence is monitored while it is exposed to a defined atmosphere. The diffusion of the vapour molecules into the polyimide film causes a detectable phase shift between two index-matched waveguide modes of different polarization (TE- and TM-modes). The phase shift, i.e., the birefringence ΔN of the lightguide, is a direct measure of the partial vapour pressure. The value of the birefringence and the time constants for the dynamic behaviour strongly depend on the type of vapour molecules. In the case of differing time constants, a selectivity in mixed atmospheres can be achieved by evaluating the measured data.
On the access‐control mechanism of the program component manager

This paper examines various issues that pertain to the access-control mechanism of the program component manager. We examine such questions as what constitutes an access-right, what kind of information about managed resources does one need, how revocation keys, right-sets, and exception conditions are handled, etc. It is argued that most of these issues can be handled by the compiler with no explicit programming required. This simplifies the task of programming and enhances reliability. A possible method for handling these issues which was adopted in our implementation is also described.
Perceived quality of life in pregnant adolescent girls.

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the perceived quality of life and functional status of pregnant adolescent girls. Study Design: The Medical Outcomes Survey-Short Form 36, version 2, is a multi-item scale that measures a subject's perception of eight health components. These questionnaires and demographic surveys were completed by teen patients aged 14 to 18 years during antenatal visits to a university-based resident continuity clinic. Mean scores (0 points indicates the poorest perceived health and functional status, 100 points indicates the highest perceived health and functional status) were then compared with mean scores for women in the general population of all ages and, specifically, women aged 18 to 24 years. Results: Forty-two pregnant adolescent girls participated (median age, 16 years; median education level, 10th grade). Ninety-two percent of the girls belonged to a racial-ethnic minority, and all qualified for Medicaid. Pregnant adolescent girls had slightly lower overall scores for all components of perceived quality of life, with the exception of the vitality component. Scores were significantly lower than normative scores (by >1 SD) for only the physical functioning component. Conclusion: There appears to be little change in perceived quality of life in pregnant adolescent girls. This information may be useful in the provision of comprehensive care to pregnant adolescent girls. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;188:1231-3.)
Contribution of Phonemic Segmentation Instruction With Letters and Articulation Pictures to Word Reading and Spelling in Beginners

English-speaking preschoolers who knew letters but were nonreaders (M = 4 years 9 months; n = 60) were taught to segment consonant–vowel (CV), VC, and CVC words into phonemes either with letters and pictures of articulatory gestures (the LPA condition) or with letters only (the LO condition). A control group received no treatment. Both trained groups outperformed controls on phoneme segmentation, spelling, word reading, and nonword repetition posttests. LPA training enhanced children's ability to learn to read words with practice more than LO training. The favored explanation, consonant with the motor theory of speech perception, is that LPA training activated the articulatory features of phonemes in words as children practiced reading them so that grapheme-phoneme connections were better secured in memory. Results also suggested that phoneme segmentation training with letters improved phonological short-term memory.
Constructing Physical Fights: An Interactionist Analysis of Violence among Affluent, Suburban Youth

Based on more than four years of ethnographic fieldwork and a dataset of 189 violent encounters, this article explores the social phenomenology of physical fights in a novel setting. Although American sociologists have traditionally depicted violence as a distinctively “ghetto” phenomenon, the members of this sample were overwhelmingly white and affluent. Since the usual explanatory background factors—race, poverty, and neighborhood—cannot adequately account for their violent experiences, the dataset is especially valuable for analyzing the generic interactional processes through which physical fights unfold. Furthermore, the article suggests a model that runs counter to the prevailing sociological perspective that violence is universally motivated by independent, preexisting conflicts. Oftentimes, the sample members set out to “get into” fights for their perceived experiential rewards and only later instigated disputes as a means to motivate and justify violent action. Using the method of analytic induction, the article presents a generalizable theory of how fights unfold in interaction. Three stages were necessary for achieving a fight: (1) agreeing to fight as a solution to a challenge to “interpersonal sovereignty,” (2) transcending the ordinary fear of violence, and (3) using competitive techniques of violence.
Automatic target recognition using waveform diversity in radar sensor networks

In this paper, we perform a number of theoretical studies on constant frequency (CF) pulse waveform design and diversity in radar sensor networks (RSN): (1) the conditions for waveform co-existence, (2) interferences among waveforms in RSN, (3) waveform diversity combining in RSN. As an application example, we apply the waveform design and diversity to automatic target recognition (ATR) in RSN and propose maximum-likehood (ML)-ATR algorithms for non-fluctuating target as well as fluctuating target. Simulation results show that our waveform diversity-based ML-ATR algorithm performs much better than single-waveform ML-ATR algorithm for non-fluctuating targets or fluctuating targets. Conclusions are drawn based on our analysis and simulations.
Biosystematic study of Berlandiera (Compositae)

Berlandiera is revised to includeB. subacaulis, B. pumila, B. texana, andB. lyrata with its varietieslyrata andmacrophylla. All species may be induced to interbreed readily, producing F1 progeny which are vigorous but with reduced fertility. Sympatric species produce natural hybrids which are proposed here asB. Xhumilis (=B. pumila XB. subacaulis) andB. Xbetonicifolia (=B. pumila XB. texana). All taxa investigated hadn = 15 chromosomes, including new counts forB. subacaulis and all six F1 hybrids.
Lake Michigan's Late Quaternary Limnological and Climate History From Ostracode, Oxygen Isotope, and Magnetic Susceptibility

The limnology of Lake Michigan has changed dramatically since the late Pleistocene in response to the expansion and contraction of continental glaciers, to differential isostatic rebound, and to climate change. The lake sediment's stratigraphic trends, magnetic susceptibility, δ18O, and ostracode species abundance ratios provide criteria to identify the lake's response to glacial ice and to differential isostatic rebound. The latter phenomena dominate the lake's late Pleistocene and early Holocene history. The lake's hydrological budget provides the primary linkage between the lake and climate, particularly effective moisture. Dissolved salts were stored in the lake's water column when the lake's output shifted toward evaporation, but were flushed when output shifted toward outflow. The lake's salt storage history may be interpreted from some ostracode, δ18O, and magnetic susceptibility records found in sediment cores. Climate change influenced the entire lake's limnological history, but became the primary limnological driver from about the middle-Holocene to the present. The complex limnological history of Lake Michigan resulted in substantial changes in the ostracode species assemblages; from about 12,000 ka to about 5,500 ka, five ostracode intervals can be identified. These ostracode intervals provide a within-lake biostratigraphy and a stratigraphic reference for reconstruction of the paleoenvironmental dynamics of the lake.
Bioluminescence spectra of shallow and deep-sea gelatinous zooplankton: ctenophores, medusae and siphonophores

We have examined the variability and potential adaptive significance of the wavelengths of light produced by gelatinous zooplankton. Bioluminescence spectra were measured from 100 species of planktonic cnidarians and ctenophores collected between 1 and 3500 m depth. Species averages of maximal wavelengths for all groups ranged from 440 to 506 nm. Ctenophores (41 species) had characteristically longer wavelengths than medusae (34 species), and the wavelengths from siphonophores (25 species) had a bimodal distribution across species. Four species each produced two different wavelengths of light, and in the siphonophore Abylopsistetragona these differences were associated with specific body regions. Light from deep-dwelling species had significantly shorter wavelengths than light from shallow species in both ctenophores (p = 0.010) and medusae (p = 0.009). Although light production in these organisms was limited to the blue-green wavelengths, it appears that within this range, colors are well-adapted to the particular environment which the species inhabit.
Low-socioeconomic status workers: their health risks and how to reach them.

Objective To help workplace health promotion practitioners reach low-socioeconomic status workers at high risk for chronic diseases. Methods We describe low-socioeconomic status workers' diseases, health status, demographics, risk behaviors, and workplaces, using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, and Bureau of Labor Statistics. Results Workers with household annual incomes less than $35,000, or a high school education or less, report more chronic diseases and lower health status. They tend to be younger, nonwhite, and have much higher levels of smoking and missed cholesterol screening. They are concentrated in the smallest and largest workplaces and in three low-wage industries that employ one-quarter of the population. Conclusions To decrease chronic diseases among low-socioeconomic status workers, we need to focus workplace health promotion programs on workers in low-wage industries and small workplaces.
Coronary angiography: A decade of advances

Abstract Coronary angiography remains the definitive diagnostic technique for determining appropriate therapy of obstructive coronary artery disease, as well as for assessing the therapeutic results of surgery, angioplasty or thrombolytic therapy. Technologic improvements over the last 5 to 10 years have significantly enhanced both the diagnostic quality and the safety of coronary angiography. Among these improvements are the use of double-angulated vessel views, digital enhancement and postprocessing maneuvers and the use of low-osmolality contrast media. Newer noninvasive imaging techniques, such as cine-computered tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and digital echocardiography continue to play a very limited role in establishing the pathoanatomy of the coronary circulation.
GEMMs Shine a Light on Resistance to Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for advanced prostate cancer inexorably leads to resistance, and clinically useful biomarkers are lacking. The value of genetically engineered mice for coclinical studies is clearly demonstrated in a recent publication that reveals XAF1, XIAP, and SRD5A1 as novel predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets for ADT resistance.
Swampman, etiology, and content

Se proposant de resoudre le conflit opposant l'intuitionnisme du swampman et le naturalisme sur la question de l'intentionnalite, l'A. montre que les deux termes de l'opposition, a savoir les theories teleosemantiques, fondees sur la survenance du contenu a partir de l'histoire et des fonctions des structures qui produisent des etats, d'une part et l'intuition du swampman selon laquelle une structure physique de type identitique a l'homme normal possede des etats pleins de contenu, d'autre part, defendent de maniere legitime des connexions avec le monde reel pour les premieres, et la possession de contenus intentionnels pour le second
Titanium diboride particle-reinforced aluminium with high wear resistance

A TiB2 particle (61 vol%, 4 μm mean size) reinforced aluminium fabricated by liquid-aluminium infiltration was subjected to unlubricated rolling wear and was found from the weight loss to be 1.5 times more wear resistant than 17-4 ph stainless steel, twice as wear resistant as 1020 steel, 7.5 times more wear resistant than 2024 aluminium, and 12.8 times more wear resistant than the aluminium matrix. This wear resistance is attributed to the lack of particle pull-out and the ability of the TiB2 particles to protect the softer underlying matrix from abrasion. This composite was approximately three times more wear resistant than AlN particle (50 vol%)-reinforced aluminium. The greater wear resistance of Al/TiB2 compared to Al/AlN is due to the slow wear of the TiB2 particles and the AlN particle pull-out. A slight decline in tensile strength and no effect on the modulus was observed in Al/TiB2 after heating at 300 or 600°C for 240 h. This high-temperature stability is attributed to the lack of reactivity between TiB2 and the aluminium matrix.
Phenomenological Analysis of Shock-Wave Propagation in Weakly Ionized Plasmas

Shock propagation into weakly ionized gases shows several features differing markedly from conventional, nonionized-gas shock structure. Phenomenological analysis of general macroscopic features of the previously observed plasma shock effects allows only two possible interpretations: existence of an energy (momentum) flux toward the wave precursor or volumetric energy release (exothermic phase transition) in the upstream portion of the wave (precursor) followed by reverse transition in the downstream portion of the wave. It is shown that known microscopic mechanisms are not capable of producing such a flux or energy release: Typical processes involving electrons, ions, and excited species do not couple strongly to neutral atoms and molecules, and there is not enough energy stored in these species because of the low ionization fraction. The theoretical basis for phase transitions in low-density, weakly ionized plasmas also is unknown. Analysis of the steady two-wave system created by either of the two effects raises a question as to whether the observed plasma shocks are stable objects. Another question is whether there exists phase transition within the plasma shock. It also remains unclear to what extent twodimensional thermal inhomogeneity effects contribute to the observed phenomena. Answering these fundamental questions requires additional experimental studies of the problem. p D d E E/N F h j k
Acoustically generated flows in microchannel flexural plate wave sensors: Effects of compressibility

Abstract Acoustically generated flowfields in flexural plate wave sensors filled with a Newtonian liquid (water) are considered. A computational model based on compressible flow is developed for the sensor with a moving wall for pumping and mixing applications in microchannels. For the compressible flow formulation, an isothermal equation of state for water is employed. The velocity and pressure profiles for different parameters including flexural wall frequency, channel height, amplitude of the wave and wave length are investigated for four microchannel height/length geometries. It is found that the flowfield becomes pseudo-steady after sufficient number of flexural cycles. Both instantaneous and time averaged results show that an evanescent wave is generated in the microchannel. The predicted flows generated by the FPWs are compared with results available in the literature. The proposed device can be exploited to integrate micropumps with complex microfluidic chips improving the portability of micro-total-analysis systems.
Robust structure estimation of maximum causal entropy processes

The principle of maximum causal entropy extends random field models to settings with feedback and interaction by providing a framework for estimating a process based on its interactions with another known process. Previous work has assumed a causal structure for the influences of revealed information. In this work, we investigate the task of estimating this structure from data.
An immunocytochemical comparison of Müller cells and astrocytes in the cat retina.

Immunocytochemical localization, at the light and electron microscopic levels, of five different known glial proteins was used to compare Muller cells with astrocytes in the adult cat retina. Retina from two different areas of the eye was examined. A region of retina on the border of the optic nerve was used because of its large population of astrocytes, and a region away from the optic nerve was used to examine Muller cells (astrocytes are sparse in this region). Antibodies to cellular retinaldehyde binding protein and glutamine synthetase labeled the Muller cells but not the astrocytes, while labeling with anti-carbonic anhydrase C, anti-alpha crystallin and anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein was found in both Muller cells and astrocytes.
Electrophysiological correlates of hyperacuity in the human visual cortex.

The human visual system is capable of detecting a vernier misalignment with extraordinary accuracy. Since this remarkable precision in spatial localization is better than can be naively predicted by simple optical or anatomical considerations it has been termed a hyperacuity1. So far no single neurone model seems capable of accounting for hyperacuity2, and the retinal image might require reconstitution in a finer grained form in the visual cortex3. We report here an electrophysiological correlate of hyperacuity recorded from the human visual cortex. The amplitude of the visually evoked potentials (v.e.ps) elicited by the appearance of a vernier offset varied systematically with the magnitude of the offset. Extrapolation of the function relating v.e.p. amplitude and log offset to zero voltage resulted in an electrophysiological estimate of vernier acuity that was similar to the observer's psychophysical threshold.
Minimum detectable change for single-leg-stance-time in older adults.

Abstract Introduction Knowledge of real change values for clinical balance measures can guide clinicians and researchers in interpretation of change scores to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. We are not aware of studies that have reported minimum change values for single-leg-stance-time (SLST) in community-dwelling older adults. A measure of absolute reliability, the standard error of measurement (SEM), can be used to compute minimum detectable change (MDC), a clinically useful indicator of change in performance exceeding that attributable to measurement error. The purpose of this study was to quantify MDC for SLST in community-dwelling older adults. Methods Twenty-five adults (60–89 years) performed repeated trials of SLST. Relative and absolute reliability for SLST were quantified using the intraclass correlation coefficient and SEM. The MDC was computed from the SEM. Results SEM was 8.7 s and MDC at the 95% confidence level was 24.1 s for SLST. SLST exhibited large measurement error (40.8%) and high minimum change (113.1%) percent values. Conclusion Change in SLST performance should exceed 24.1 s to be considered real change. SLST exhibits poor absolute reliability and appears unlikely to be sensitive to detecting change in performance in geriatric clinical settings and research studies.
Aglycogeusia: the inability to recognize sweetness and its possible molecular basis.

Two patients have been found who could not recognize the taste of any sweet substances. This has afforded us apparently the first opportunity to study this phenomenon; we have called it aglycogeusia.
Design of methanol feed control in Pichia pastoris fermentations based upon a growth model

The methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris is an effective system for recombinant protein productions that utilizes methanol as an inducer, and also as carbon and energy source for a Mut(+) (methanol utilization plus) strain. Pichia fermentation is conducted in a fed-batch mode to obtain a high cell density for a high productivity. An accurate methanol control is required in the methanol fed-batch phase (induction phase) in the fermentation. A simple "on-off" control strategy is inadequate for precise control of methanol concentrations in the fermentor. In this paper we employed a PID (proportional, integral and derivative) control system for the methanol concentration control and designed the PID controller settings on the basis of a Pichia growth model. The closed-loop system was built with four components: PID controller, methanol feed pump, fermentation process, and methanol sensor. First, modeling and transfer functions for all components were derived, followed by frequency response analysis, a powerful method for calculating the optimal PID parameters K(c) (controller gain), tau(I) (controller integral time constant), and tau(D) (controller derivative time constant). Bode stability criteria were used to develop the stability diagram for evaluating the designed settings during the entire methanol fed-batch phase. Fermentations were conducted using four Pichia strains, each expressing a different protein, to verify the control performance with optimal PID settings. The results showed that the methanol concentration matched the set point very well with only small overshoot when the set point was switched, which indicated that a very good control performance was achieved. The method developed in this paper is robust and can serve as a framework for the design of other PID feedback control systems in biological processes.
Mixed 0-1 Programming by Lift-and-Project in a Branch-and-Cut Framework

We investigate the computational issues that need to be addressed when incorporating general cutting planes for mixed 0-1 programs into a branch-and-cut framework. The cuts we use are of the lift-and-project variety. Some of the issues addressed have a theoretical answer, but others are of an experimental nature and are settled by comparing alternatives on a set of test problems. The resulting code is a robust solver for mixed 0-1 programs. We compare it with several existing codes. On a wide range of test problems it performs as well as, or better than, some of the best currently available mixed integer programming codes.
Clinical analysis of the flexor hallucis brevis as an alternative site for monitoring neuromuscular block from mivacurium

Abstract Study Objectives: To compare the flexor hallucis brevis, which is responsible for flexion of the great toe, to the adductor pollicis as a site for monitoring the onset and recovery from neuromuscular block after an intubating dose of mivacurium chloride. Design: Prospective patient-controlled study. Setting: University teaching hospital. Patients: 10 ASA physical status I and II adults (age 18 to 55 years, 6 women, 4 men) scheduled for elective procedures requiring muscle relaxation for tracheal intubation. Measurements and Main Results: Patients were monitored at the adductor pollicis and the flexor hallucis brevis during the onset and recovery of neuromuscular block, which was administered to facilitate tracheal intubation. All subjects were given mivacurium 0.2 mg/kg over 30 seconds. Their train-of-four (TOF) response was continually monitored at both sites until the patient recovered from the intubating dose to a TOF ratio of 0.75. The time to onset of neuromuscular block, recovery of the first TOF response, and recovery to a TOF ratio of 0.75 were compared between the two monitoring sites using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Following administration of the intubating dose of mivacurium, the loss of all twitch response occurred 1.2 minutes sooner at the adductor pollicis than at the flexor hallucis brevis ( p p = 0.046). Conclusions: Due to its lag behind the adductor pollicis, the flexor hallucis brevis is not a good indicator of when to intubate the trachea during the onset of neuromuscular block; however, its faster recovery may make it useful for monitoring deep neuromuscular block intraoperatively or during recovery when the adductor pollicis TOF response still shows complete blockade.
Assessing Walkability in the City of Buffalo: Application of Agent-Based Simulation

Significant research has been conducted on how environmental attributes influence people’s decisions to walk. In much of this research, however, environmental attributes are averaged for neighborhoods or census geographies for sampled populations. Moreover, the effect of an agent’s walking choices on other actors is not adequately represented by either objective or perceived measures in the literature. Macro-level patterns of walkability arise from interactions across actors and urban environments. The agent-based approach allows for modeling individual uses of the environment by treating the populations as objects that can interact with the environment and other people. This study builds on previous research on pedestrian movement and geographic information system (GIS) measures of the built environment using the agent-based approach to explore the dynamics of the built environment and people’s decision-making processes concerning walking. The results show that models that take individual perspective into account and include social interaction can better capture characteristics of the built and social environment that influence people’s walking choices. This method lays out a new framework for assessing macro-level patterns of walkability across a city using micro-level data.
Paleoenvironmental interpretation of multiple soil–loess sequence at Milford Reservoir, northeastern Kansas

Abstract A loess/soil section near the Republican River in northeastern Kansas includes three superposed soils/paleosols in at least three superposed loess units, including Peoria Loess (PL), the Gilman Canyon Formation (GCF), and Loveland Loess (LL), The GCF coincides with a composite soil with a 1.3 m thick, buried organic-rich (A) horizon that yields AMS radiocarbon ages from 30.3 to 22.4 ka (or 35.7 to 26.9 ka when calibrated) that overlies a 1.6 m oxidized B horizon complex. The B subhorizons stratigraphically and morphologically resemble the “reddish pedocomplex” described elsewhere in Kansas and Illinois that dates between about 69 and 35 ka. The upper LL yields a TL age of about 136 and 130 + 30 ka. Thus, PL, the GCF, and LL were probably deposited mainly during the late Wisconsinan, middle Wisconsinan, and Illinoian (∼ Oxygen Isotope Stages (OIS) 2, 3, and 6, or about 12 to 24, 24 to 60, and 130 to 188 ka, respectively). Soils 1, 2, and 3, then formed mainly during OIS stages 1, 3, and 5, respectively, or about 12 to 12, 60 to 60, and 73 to 130 ka. In comparison with other dated stratigraphic sections in the Great Plains, soils/paleosols have relatively simple, cumulic horizon sequences, as is typical at sites distal from principle loess source regions. Nonetheless, they record a complex pedosedimentary history that reflects climatically-driven variations in rates of sedimentation and pedogenesis. Soil 1 is an Udic Argiustoll with 21-cm A (mollic)/69-cm Bt (argillic)/60-cm Bk horizons, that formed under modern-type grassland and climate. Soil 3, the Sangamon paleosol, includes a 3-m thick, highly rubified and clay-rich argillic horizon that, based on its morphological properties, probably formed under a relatively warm, moist, equable climate and deciduous-type forest. Soil 2 coincides with the GCF, and as such is a pedolithostratigraphic unit that includes a 1.3-m mollic horizon and to 1.6-m oxidized 3Btb and 3BCb horizons. Whereas the oxidized B horizons apparently represent relatively warm, moist climatic conditions between about 65 to 35 ka, the upper cumulic (mollic) A horizons of the GCF probably formed under progressively cooling climate and grassland between about 35.7 and 26.9 (calibrated radiocarbon) ka. Estimated mean accumulation rates (MARs) of loess range from 0.12 m/k yr for the GCF to about 0.5 m/k yr for PL.
Infection preventionists' awareness of and engagement in health information exchange to improve public health surveillance.

Background Advances in electronic health record (EHR) systems and health information exchange (HIE) are shifting efforts in public health toward greater use of information systems to automate notifiable disease surveillance. Little is known about infection preventionists' (IPs) awareness, adoption, and use of these technologies to report information to public health. Methods To measure awareness and engagement in EHR and HIE activities, an online survey of IPs was conducted in states with HIE networks. A total of 63 IPs was invited to participate; 44 IPs (69%) responded. The survey asked about the adoption and use of EHR systems, participation in regional HIE initiatives, and IP needs with respect to EHR systems and public health reporting. Results Over 70% of responding IPs reported access to an EHR system, but less than 20% of IPs with access to an EHR reported being involved in the design, selection, or implementation of the system. Just 10% of IPs reported that their organizations were formally engaged in HIE activities, and 49% were unaware of organizational involvement in HIE. IPs expressed a desire for better decision support, paperless reporting methods, and situational awareness of community outbreaks. Conclusion Many IPs lack awareness and engagement in EHR and HIE activities, which may limit IPs ability to influence or utilize key information technologies as they are implemented in health care organizations.
Consulting and Change in the Storytelling Organisation

A participant‐observation study of consulting in a large office supply firm of how consultants and organisational stakeholders perform stories to make sense of events and to enact change during their conversations is presented. A theory of organisation as a collective storytelling system in which precedent and future‐directed stories are shared, revised and interpreted to account for and to affect unfolding organisational changes is extended. It is illustrated how very terse stories, told in everyday conversations, require the listener silently to fill in major portions of the story line and story implications. Storytelling and story interpretation is a critical part of the consulting work done in complex organisations.
P-224: Damage-Free Cathode Coating Process for OLEDs

OLED displays require the growth of inorganic films over organic films. The inorganic film sometimes manifests as cathode metal (bottom-emission displays), or as the optical enhancement layer (OEL, in top emission displays). Sputtering is the first process of choice in both cases due to simplicity, low cost and scalability. However, plasma damage to the organic underlayers prevents sputtering from being routinely used. A closed-drift ion beam sputtering process was found effective in growing inorganic films with negligible damage to the organic underlayers.
Power-efficient grating-based scanning optical delay line: Time-domain configuration

A power-efficient, grating-based, time-domain rapid scanning optical delay line (TD-RSOD) suitable for optical coherence tomography (OCT) is presented. The 6 dB power efficiency of this TD-RSOD over conventional double-pass Fourier-domain RSOD (FD-RSOD) provides approximately 4 dB SNR advantage in a typical balanced-detection OCT. The scanning performance of TD-RSOD is comparable to that of FD-RSOD.
Transcriptional activation at adjacent operators in the divergent-overlapping ilvY and ilvC promoters of Escherichia coli.

The ilvC gene encodes acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase (EC 1.1.1.89), the second enzyme in the parallel isoleucine-valine biosynthetic pathway. Expression of the ilvC gene is induced by acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase substrates, acetohydroxybutyrate or acetolactate. This substrate induction is mediated by a positive activator encoded by an adjacent gene, ilvY. The ilvY and ilvC genes are transcribed in opposite directions from promoters that are overlapping. In this paper we characterize the in vitro DNA binding properties of the ilvY-encoded activator protein. The ilvY product binds to two adjacent operator sites located in the divergent-overlapping ilvY and ilvC promoter region. One of these operators, designated O1, contains regions of dyad symmetry centered at position +17 relative to the ilvY transcriptional start site, and the second site, designated O2, contains an homologous inverted repeat sequence centered about the — 35 region of the ilvC promoter. Binding of the ilvY product at the O1 and O2 operator sites is co-operative and this ilvY protein-DNA complex in the presence of acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase substrate is a prerequisite for RNA polymerase binding to the ilvC promoter as detected by DNase I protection experiments. Additionally, chromosomal galK transcriptional fusion assays were performed to characterize the regulation of the ilvY and ilvC promoters in vivo. Transcription of the ilvC gene is maintained at a basal level of activity which is elevated as much as 15-fold in the presence of ilvY product and acetohydroxybutyrate. The ilvY product represses ilvY transcription in a manner that does not appear to be dependent on acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase substrate. We discuss models in which activation of ilvC transcription results from a direct interaction of ilvY protein with RNA polymerase or an ilvY-mediated alteration of the DNA conformation of the ilvC —35 promoter region. Additionally, we discuss the role of acetohydroxybutyrate and acetolactate in ilvY transcriptional regulation.
Species specific aggregation of dissociated sponge cells.

CURTIS has suggested that the initial phase of aggregation of a mixture of cells from Haliclona occulata and cells from Halichondria panicea is not species specific, and he has questioned the general validity of descriptions of species specific aggregation in marine sponges1. Although aggregation is not totally specific in many combinations, it is so in some cases, including the one noted above2,3. I have evidence to support the assertion that species specificity is complete in certain combinations of cells, and to question the applicability of the indirect test for specificity used by Curtis.
Signals and Choices in a Competitive Interaction: The Role of Moves and Messages

This study examines the effect of signals from a competitor on the decisions of managers in a situation of strategic interdependence. The context is a multi-period pricing simulation and the payoffs are structured in accordance with a Prisoner's Dilemma. The signals consist of messages from the competitor and observations of the pricing decisions made by the competitor. The managers' responses to particular types of signals and particular combinations of moves and messages change over the course of the simulation. Suggestions for future research on competitive signaling are offered.