cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of hydrogel incorporation in peat‐lite on tomato growth and water relations

Abstract The effects of subirrigation and cylical (surface) irrigation on shoot growth and water stress of tomato grown in peat‐lite amended with 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 kg Hydrogel/m were examined. While shoot growth showed a quadratic response to increasing Hydrogel rate with maximal growth occurring at the manufacturer's recommended rate (8 kg/m3), growth was greater with cyclical irrigation than with subirrigation. Subirrigation generally resulted in greater plant water stress than cyclical irrigation, but with ≤ 8 kg Hydrogel/m3 this differential irrigation effect diminished temporally. Initially, each kg Hydrogel/m3 increased peat‐lite water content by 9 percent but after 31 days, this value had increased to 27 percent and 16 percent with subirrigation and cyclical irrigation, respectively. The continued hydration resulted in a bulk volume increase sufficiently large with subirrigation to cause the Hydrogel‐amended peat‐lite to overflow the pots.
Citrate concentrations in human seminal fluid and expressed prostatic fluid determined via 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy outperform prostate specific antigen in prostate cancer detection.

Purpose: We compared the performance of citrate concentration measurements in unprocessed human semen and expressed prostatic secretions from controls and from patients with biopsy confirmed prostate cancer to that of prostate specific antigen testing with respect to specificity and sensitivity for prostate cancer detection.Materials and Methods: Semen and expressed prostatic secretions were collected in biopsy proven, prostate cancer bearing and noncancer bearing cases. Citrate concentrations were determined by quantitative in vitro, high field, water suppressed proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Assessments of the diagnostic performance of citrate and prostate specific antigen results in our study populations were made by ROC curve analysis.Results: Citrate was measured in samples from 61 participants, of whom 16 without and 21 with cancer donated semen, and 17 without and 7 with cancer donated expressed prostatic secretions. Mean citrate ± SE compared to that in controls was 2.7-fold lower...
Gif-type oxidation systems. Evidence for a second intermediate between saturated hydrocarbon and ketone

The addition of dianisyl telluride to a GifIV oxidation of adamantane has a marked effect on the ratio of ketone to secondary alcohol formed. This is interpreted as an indication of a second intermediate in the conversion of saturated hydrocarbons into ketones. This second intermediate is probably an FeIII alkoxide.
The Social Contexts of Schooling, Change, and Educational Research

(1981). The Social Contexts of Schooling, Change, and Educational Research. Journal of Curriculum Studies: Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 189-206.
Reassessment of the roles of the peritrophic envelope and hydrolysis in protecting polyphagous grasshoppers from ingested hydrolyzable tannins.

We examined several of the mechanisms that have been reported to enable polyphagous grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) to tolerate ingested hydrolyzable tannins: hydrolysis, adsorption on the peritrophic envelope, and peritrophic envelope impermeability. None of these mechanisms explain the tolerance ofMelanoplus sanguinipes to ingested tannic acid. In this species, tannin hydrolysis was 12–47% complete, adsorption accounted for less than 1% of the tannic acid contained in the midgut, and the peritrophic envelope was permeated by several gallotannins. The foregut is the main site for the chemical transformation of tannic acid in this species. InPhoetaliotes nebrascensis, hydrolysis was more extensive (82% complete), but the peritrophic envelope was readily permeated by two gallotannins. Oxidizing redox conditions were found in the guts of both species, and ingested tannins were oxidized inM. sanguinipes. We hypothesize that the tolerance of some polyphagous grasshoppers to ingested hydrolyzable tannins may be the consequence of their ability to tolerate the reactive oxygen species generated by polyphenol oxidation, whereas others may rely on rapid and extensive hydrolysis.
Nanoscale carbide precipitation in the recast layer of a percussion laser-drilled superalloy

The microstructure of the recast layer formed during percussion laser drilling of a powder-metallurgy Ni-based superalloy has been studied using electron microscopy in conjunction with focused ion beam serial section tomography. It is shown that the dendritic microsegregation of Ti in the supersaturated gamma recast grains reported previously is accompanied by the formation of nanoscale precipitates in the regions between the dendrite arms. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of extraction replicas has shown that the precipitates are Ti-rich MC-type carbides.
Mechanism of protein kinase C activation during the induction and maintenance of long-term potentiation probed using a selective peptide substrate

Previous reports using various protein kinase inhibitors have suggested that protein kinase activity is necessary for both the induction and maintenance of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), a cellular phenomenon likely to contribute to mammalian memory formation. We designed and characterized a selective peptide substrate for protein kinase C (PKC), corresponding to amino acids 28 to 43 of the neuronal protein neurogranin, and used the substrate to obtain direct biochemical evidence for activation of PKC in both the induction and maintenance phases of LTP. As the effect cannot be accounted for by either of two well-known mechanisms for persistent PKC activation, membrane insertion, or proteolysis, the persistent activation of PKC in the maintenance phase of LTP appears to occur via another mechanism. The maintenance phase of LTP is associated with decreased immunoreactivity of PKC, an effect that can be reversed with phosphatase treatment. Thus, PKC appears to be both phosphorylated and persistently activated in the maintenance phase of LTP.
Diphosphoryl lipid A from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides induces tolerance to endotoxic shock in the rat

OBJECTIVES To examine the hemodynamic effects of diphosphoryl lipid A from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides and to examine the ability of this substance to induce tolerance to endotoxic shock. DESIGN Randomized, prospective, controlled study comparing the hemodynamic actions of R. sphaeroides diphosphoryl lipid A to those effects of lipopolysaccharide form Salmonella minnesota, followed by a prospective, randomized, controlled study comparing pretreatment with R. sphaeroides diphosphoryl lipid A and phosphate-buffered saline in the induction of tolerance to endotoxic shock. SETTING Laboratory of the Section of Critical Care Medicine at a University Hospital. SUBJECTS Male Sprague-Dawley rats. INTERVENTIONS Eight rats were randomized to receive intravenous R. sphaeroides diphosphoryl lipid A, 0.5 mg/100 g body weight or S. minnesota lipopolysaccharide, 0.5 mg/100 g body weight. Ten rats were then randomized to receive R. sphaeroides diphosphoryl lipid A, 0.5 mg/100 g body weight, or phosphate-buffered saline intravenously 48 hrs before receiving S. minnesota lipopolysaccharide, 5 mg/100 g body weight, by intravenous infusion. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Cardiac index was significantly decreased from baseline in rats treated with lipopolysaccharide; there was no significant change in the R. sphaeroides diphosphoryl lipid A group. Peak circulating tumor necrosis factor (TNF) concentrations in the lipopolysaccharide-treated rats were higher than in R. sphaeroides diphosphoryl lipid A-treated rats (3.1 +/- 1.0 vs. 1.5 +/- 0.4 ng/mL). R. sphaeroides diphosphoryl lipid A significantly attenuated lipopolysaccharide-induced changes in mean arterial pressure and cardiac index. At baseline, there was no significant difference in serum TNF concentrations between rats pretreated with R. sphaeroides diphosphoryl lipid A and those rats pretreated with phosphate-buffered saline. TNF levels peaked at 1 hr post-lipopolysaccharide infusion at 4.3 +/- 0.6 ng/mL in the phosphate-buffered saline group and at 2.0 +/- 0.5 ng/mL in the R. sphaeroides diphosphoryl lipid A group (p < .02). Four of five rats pretreated with R. sphaeroides diphosphoryl lipid A survived endotoxic shock, whereas none of the phosphate-buffered saline-pretreated rats survived (p = .05). CONCLUSIONS These observations are consistent with previous reports of the limited toxic effects of R. sphaeroides diphosphoryl lipid A and suggest that this molecule retains the ability to induce tolerance to endotoxic shock.
Structural and electronic properties of ZnGeAs 2

Using a first-principles band-structure method based on density functional theory, we have studied the structural and electronic properties of ${\mathrm{ZnGeAs}}_{2}.$ In agreement with experimental data, ${\mathrm{ZnGeAs}}_{2}$ is found to be nearly lattice matched to its binary analog GaAs. The calculated band structures show that ${\mathrm{ZnGeAs}}_{2}$ in the chalcopyrite structure has a direct band gap, about 0.31 eV smaller than the band gap of GaAs. The calculated valence-band offset between ${\mathrm{ZnGeAs}}_{2}$ and GaAs is 0.18 eV; thus, the band alignment of the ${\mathrm{ZnGeAs}}_{2}/\mathrm{GaAs}$ system is type I, with both holes and electrons localized on ${\mathrm{ZnGeAs}}_{2}.$ We also find that at low temperature, $({\mathrm{ZnGeAs}}_{2}{)}_{0.5}(\mathrm{GaAs})$ forms a stable stannite structure. However, the band gap and the mixing energy of the alloy at higher temperature depend sensitively on the local short-range order. The calculated formation energies of the $({\mathrm{ZnGeAs}}_{2}{)}_{n}(\mathrm{GaAs}{)}_{2n}$ superlattices along the [001] direction show strong nonmonotonic behavior, with the formation energy $\ensuremath{\Delta}{H}_{n}$ maximized at $n=2.$ We compared our results for the ${\mathrm{ZnGeAs}}_{2}/\mathrm{GaAs}$ system to the well-studied ${\mathrm{CuGaSe}}_{2}/\mathrm{ZnSe}$ system. The differences between these two systems are explained in terms of their ionicity and their relative strength of the anion p and cation d couplings.
Disialoganglioside GD3 is selectively expressed by developing and mature human mast cells.

Abstract Background: Disialoganglioside GD3 is expressed on the surface of selected cell types. Anti-GD3 mAb administered to human subjects with malignant melanoma produces signs and symptoms of immediate hypersensitivity reactions. Objective: The expression of GD3 by human mast cells was assessed during mast cell development in vitro and in samples of lung and skin. Methods: GD3 on tissue- and in vitro–derived mast cells was analyzed after double labeling of cells for tryptase (G3 mAb) or Kit (YB5.B8 mAb) and GD3 (R24 mAb). Glycolipids in extracts of fetal liver–derived mast cells were examined by using high-performance thin-layer chromatography. Results: Flow cytometry showed that the percentage of GD3 + cells increased in parallel to Kit + cells during the recombinant human stem cell factor–dependent development of fetal liver–derived mast cells. Double-labeling experiments showed that GD3 + cells were also surface Kit + and granule tryptase positive, identifying them as mast cells in preparations of lung-, skin-, fetal liver–, and cord blood–derived cells. The major acidic glycolipid detected was NeuAcα2-8NeuAcα2-3Galβ1-4Glcβ1-1′Cer (GD3). Among peripheral blood leukocytes, only basophils and about 10% of the T cells were labeled with anti-GD3 mAb. Anti-GD3 mAb–conjugated magnetic beads were used to purify mast cells to greater than 90% purity from dispersed skin cells enriched to approximately 12% purity by means of density-dependent sedimentation but were less proficient for dispersed human lung mast cells, most likely because of other cell types that express GD3. Conclusion: GD3 is expressed on the surface of developing human mast cells in parallel to tryptase in secretory granules and, like Kit, can serve as a target for their enrichment by immunoaffinity techniques. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2001;107:322-30.)
The development and validation of three videos designed to psychologically prepare patients for coronary bypass surgery

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the validation of videotape interventions that were designed to prepare patients for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. First, three videotapes were developed. Two of the tapes featured the experiences of three actual CABG patients and were constructed to present either an optimistic portrayal of the recovery period (mastery tape) or a portrayal designed to inoculate patients against potential problems (coping tape). The third videotape contained the more general nurse scenes and narration used in the other two tapes, but did not include the experiences of particular patients. We then conducted a study to establish the convergent and discriminant validity of the three tapes. That is, we sought to demonstrate both that the tapes did differ along the mastery-coping dimension, and that they did not differ in other respects (such as in the degree of information provided or the perceived credibility of the narrator). The validation study, conducted with 42 males who had previously undergone CABG, demonstrated that the intended equivalences and differences between the tapes were achieved. The importance of establishing the validity of health-related interventions is discussed.
On the relationship between response time and dosage of a drug as a function of its mode of entry.

Theoretical studies have been carried out to determine the effect of the route of entry and the temporal sequence of dosage on the response. On the basis of continuity equations applied to a schematized system, equations relating the dosage and response time have been derived for some special cases, and the form of this relatinship is discussed.
Cocaine abuse and treatment.

Abstract In this article we review the neuropharmacology, clinical symptomatology, and consequences of cocaine abuse and discuss management and treatment approaches to the cocaine abuser.
Phenylephrine-Induced Ventricular Arrhythmias in Dogs with Inherited Sudden Death

Dogs with Inherited Sudden Death. Introduction: Dogs with an inherited predisposition to sudden death display ventricular arrhythmias having certain characteristics, such as pause dependence, that are suggestive of early afterdepolarization-induced triggered activity. We hypothesized that α-adrenergic stimulation may facilitate the development of these arrhythmias by inducing a reflex bradycardia and by exerting a direct myocardial effect. Methods and Results: Twenty affected dogs and 7 unaffected dogs were studied. The incidence and severity of ventricular arrhythmias were determined after administration of phenylephrine (0.01 mg/kg IV), with or without pretreatment with propranolol (0.1 to 0.3 mg/kg IV), atropine (0.04 mg/kg IV), or prazosin (0.5 mg/kg IV). Third-degree heart block was induced by AV nodal ablation in 4 affected dogs. Phenylephrine increased ventricular arrhythmias in affected dogs, with or without pretreatment with propranolol, but did not induce ventricular arrhythmias in unaffected dogs. In dogs with intact AV nodal conduction, atropine increased sinus rate, which suppressed baseline and phenylephrine-induced arrhythmias. In dogs with heart block, arrhythmias were increased during baseline and after phenylephrine with or without pretreatment with atropine. Prazosin and overdrive ventricular pacing suppressed phenylephrine-induced arrhythmias. Conclusion: Phenylephrine increases ventricular arrhythmias in dogs with inherited sudden death via both an induction of reflex bradycardia and a direct myocardial effect. Superimposition of heightened α-adrenergic and vagal tone may facilitate the development of sudden death in these animals.
Perceptual thresholds for single vs. Multi-Finger Haptic interaction

This paper presents experiments measuring psychophysical thresholds for multi-finger single point interaction with small haptic effects. Subjects used the UW Multi-Finger Haptic Display to interact with small haptic icons in a virtual environment. A forced-choice adaptive thresholding method is used to find a minimum detectable force magnitude. First, studies are performed to evaluate the consistency of our test apparatus across the four fingertips and to compare our application of the adaptive thresholding method to the prior work. Next, force detection thresholds for individual fingers are collected and compared to the force detection threshold using four fingers simultaneously. The results show comparable force detection levels between index, middle, pinkie and multi-finger interaction (33.5, 32.1, 33.5, 28.9 mN respectively) but less sensitivity with the ring finger (mean threshold of 43.6 mN). Repeated measures analysis of variance and t-tests with Bonferroni correction supports these conclusions. Most importantly, we show that the multi-finger threshold is not significantly lower than the threshold of the individual fingers. The implication for device design is that the relevant multi-finger device parameters are no more stringent than for single finger devices.
Left ventricular structure and function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

Objective Heart failure is a major contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but little is known about myocardial structure and function in this population. This study was undertaken to assess the factors associated with progression to heart failure in patients with RA. Methods With the use of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, measures of myocardial structure and function were assessed in men and women with RA enrolled in the Evaluation of Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease and Predictors of Events in Rheumatoid Arthritis study, a cohort study of subclinical cardiovascular disease in patients with RA, in comparison with non-RA control subjects from a cohort enrolled in the Baltimore Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Results Measures of myocardial structure and function were compared between 75 patients with RA and 225 frequency-matched controls. After adjustment for confounders, the mean left ventricular mass was found to be 26 gm lower in patients with RA compared with controls (P < 0.001), an 18% difference. In addition, the mean left ventricular ejection fraction, cardiac output, and stroke volume were modestly lower in the RA group compared with controls. The mean left ventricular end systolic and end diastolic volumes did not differ between the groups. In patients with RA, higher levels of anti–cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies and current use of biologic agents, but not other measures of disease activity or severity, were associated with significantly lower adjusted mean values for the left ventricular mass, end diastolic volume, and stroke volume, but not with ejection fraction. The combined associations of anti-CCP antibody level and biologic agent use with myocardial measures were additive, without evidence of interaction. Conclusion These findings suggest that the progression to heart failure in RA may occur through reduced myocardial mass rather than hypertrophy. Both modifiable and nonmodifiable factors may contribute to lower levels of left ventricular mass and volume.
A new decision sciences for complex systems

Models of complex systems can capture much useful information but can be difficult to apply to real-world decision-making because the type of information they contain is often inconsistent with that required for traditional decision analysis. New approaches, which use inductive reasoning over large ensembles of computational experiments, now make possible systematic comparison of alternative policy options using models of complex systems. This article describes Computer-Assisted Reasoning, an approach to decision-making under conditions of deep uncertainty that is ideally suited to applying complex systems to policy analysis. The article demonstrates the approach on the policy problem of global climate change, with a particular focus on the role of technology policies in a robust, adaptive strategy for greenhouse gas abatement.
Role of KatG catalase-peroxidase in mycobacterial pathogenesis: countering the phagocyte oxidative burst

Reactive nitrogen species (RNS) play an essential role in host defence against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in the mouse model of tuberculosis (TB), as evidenced by the increased susceptibility of mice deficient in the inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase (NOS2). In contrast, the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in protection against MTB is less clear, and mice defective in the ROS-generating phagocyte NADPH oxidase (Phox) are relatively resistant. This suggests that MTB might possess efficient mechanisms to evade or counter the phagocyte oxidative burst, effectively masking the impact of this host defence mechanism. In order to assess the role of ROS detoxification pathways in MTB virulence, we generated a katG null mutant of MTB, deficient in the KatG catalase-peroxidase-peroxynitritase, and evaluated the mutant's ability to replicate and persist in macrophages and mice. Although markedly attenuated in wild-type C57Bl/6 mice and NOS2(-/-) mice, the DeltakatG MTB strain was indistinguishable from wild-type MTB in its ability to replicate and persist in gp91(Phox-/-) mice lacking the gp91 subunit of NADPH oxidase. Similar observations were made with murine bone marrow macrophages infected ex vivo: growth of the DeltakatG MTB strain was impaired in macrophages from C57Bl/6 and NOS2(-/-) mice, but indistinguishable from wild-type MTB in gp91(Phox-/-) macrophages. These results indicate that the major role of KatG in MTB pathogenesis is to catabolize the peroxides generated by the phagocyte NADPH oxidase; in the absence of this host antimicrobial mechanism, KatG is apparently dispensable.
The load-carrying capacity and friction coefficient of incompressible textured parallel slider bearings with surface roughness inside the texture features

Surface texturing is used to increase hydrodynamic pressure and reduce friction and wear between parallel sliding surfaces in a variety of applications. The shape, geometry, and density of the patt...
Inhibition of sphingosine kinase-2 ablates androgen resistant prostate cancer proliferation and survival

Abstract Background Endogenous sphingolipid signaling has been shown to play an important role in prostate cancer endocrine resistance. Methods The novel SphK2 inhibitor, ABC294640, was used to explore SphK signaling in androgen resistant prostate cancer cell death signaling. Results It dose-dependently decreased PC-3 and LNCaP cell viability, IC 50 of 28 ± 6.1 μM ( p p 50 of 14 ± 0.4 μM ( p p p Conclusions SphK2 inhibition decreases androgen resistant prostate cancer viability, survival, and proliferation independently of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Findings are in contrast to recent observations of ABC29460 acting dependently on the intrinsic pathway in other endocrine resistant cancer cell lines.
Liturgy as Curriculum: The Dynamics of Liturgical Education

Most Catholic schools avail themselves of many opportunities during the academic year to gather for an all-school Mass. Select teachers and students typically plan the liturgy and execute the needed ministries during Mass. This article situates liturgy planning and celebration in the context of the formal curriculum and calls for explicit liturgical education in Catholic schools. One Catholic high school’s experience with a “showcase liturgy” concept is described in detail.
Evaluating design choices for shared bus multiprocessors in a throughput-oriented environment

The authors consider the evaluation of design choices in multiprocessors with a single, shared bus interconnect operating in an environment in which each task is being executed on a single processor and the performance of the multiprocessor is measured by its overall throughput. To evaluate design choices, they develop mean value analysis analytical models and validate the models by comparing their results against the results of a trace-driven simulation analysis for 5376 multiprocessor configurations. The trace-driven simulation uses actual programs and simulates their execution in a throughput-oriented environment. It is found that: (1) cache block sizes that yield the best performance in a multiprocessor differ from the block sizes that yield the best uniprocessor performance metrics, (2) a larger cache set associativity might be warranted in a multiprocessor even though it might not be warranted in a uniprocessor, (3) a split transaction, pipelined bus yields much higher multiprocessor throughput than a circuit switched bus, especially for larger main memory latencies, and (4) increasing the bus width appears to be an effective way of improving multiprocessor throughput. >
Endogenous Beliefs in Models of Politics

In the standard rational choice model, actors have exogenously given beliefs that perfectly match objective probabilities. As such, these beliefs cannot be optimistic or motivated by preferences, even though substantial empirical evidence indicates that human beliefs routinely satisfy neither of these criteria. I present a tractable Endogenous Beliefs Model and apply it to three different political environments from across the subfields of political science. In the model, players form beliefs that maximize a utility function that represents preferences over outcomes and the anticipatory experience of uncertainty. Applications include voter turnout, taxation and collective choice, and crisis bargaining. The model captures the empirical evidence about belief formation much better than the standard model. Moreover, these applications show how rigidly insisting on the standard rational choice model rejects otherwise reasonable explanations by fiat, precisely because of its implausible assumptions about beliefs.
Differences in Potential Reproductive Rates of Male and Female Seahorses Related to Courtship Roles

Dwarf seahorses, Hippocampus zosterae (Syngnathidae), are distinguished by extreme morphological specialization for paternal care, the formation of monogamous pair bonds and mating repeatedly over the course of a breeding season. To determine the potential reproductive rates of male and female dwarf seahorses, we measured (1) the maximum number of offspring produced per breeding cycle when sexually receptive mates were unlimited, and (2) the relative time each sex was unavailable for mating (‘time out’). We paired sexually isolated males and females with sexually receptive partners and observed them from the day of introduction through to copulation, to determine the length of time it takes each sex to prepare to mate. We conducted additional experiments to determine the length of gestation, which when added to the time needed to prepare to mate and copulate gives an estimate of total reproductive cycle duration, T. We estimated potential reproductive rate by dividing the mean number of offspring produced per breeding cycle by the duration of the breeding cycle (T). We estimated reproductive ‘time out’ by identifying the period of time males and females were physiologically capable of mating (‘time in’, S) and subtracting time S from time T. When provided with sexually receptive partners, females took 2 days longer than males to complete courtship and copulation, but neither males nor females remated during gestation. Therefore, males could potentially produce 17% more offspring than females over the course of one breeding season. Females had reproductive ‘times out’ 1.2 times longer than did males, as they were only capable of mating during the 4 h directly preceding copulation. Thus, H. zosterae males have higher potential reproductive rates and shorter reproductive ‘times out’ compared with H. zosterae females. These results and previous work indicating that seahorses display traditional courtship roles support the prediction that the sex having the higher potential reproductive rate, or equivalently, the shorter ‘time out’, will compete more intensely for access to the opposite sex.  2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
The Na,K-ATPase α4 isoform from humans has distinct enzymatic properties and is important for sperm motility

In the rat, the Na,K-ATPase alpha4 isoform exhibits unique enzymatic characteristics and is important for sperm motility. In this work, we studied expression, localization and function of alpha4 in human spermatozoa. We show two catalytically active Na,K-ATPase alpha polypeptides with different ouabain affinity and identified expression of alpha1, alpha4, beta1 and beta3 isoforms in the gametes. In addition, human sperm presented two Na,K-ATPases composed of alpha4, alpha4beta1 and alpha4beta3. Kinetic analysis of these isozymes produced in insect cells showed that, compared with human alpha1beta1, alpha4beta1 and alpha4beta3 exhibit higher Na(+) and lower K(+) affinity and higher sensitivity to ouabain. These particular enzymatic properties suggested a role for alpha4 in sperm function. Using computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), we found that ouabain inhibition of alpha4 significantly decreased percentage sperm motility. In contrast, ouabain did not affect linearity of forward progression, amplitude of lateral head displacement, beat cross frequency and sperm straight-line, curvilinear or average path velocities. This suggests a primary role of alpha4 in flagellar motility. Accordingly, we found alpha4 in the sperm tail, predominating in the mid-piece of the flagellum. Therefore, similar to the rat ortholog, human Na,K-ATPase alpha4 isoform has a distinct activity that is essential for sperm function.
THE USE OF MEASURABLE COEFFICIENTS IN PROCESS FORMULATIONS -- ZOOPLANKTON GRAZING

Scavia, D. and Eadie, B.J., 1976. The use of measurable coefficients in process formulations -- zooplankton grazing. Ecol. Modelling, 2: 315--319. This paper redefines a construct previously used to model phytoplankton--zooplankton interactions in such a way as to permit the use of measurable quantities as construct coefficients. The new construct can use unaltered values of the half-saturation constant for zooplankton grazing on total available food (ks) and the minimum food concentration necessary to stimulate effective feeding (BMIN) reported in the literature. Typical values for these coefficients are 0.1--15 and 0.016--0.19, respectively.
Modeling, Parameter Identification, and Validation of Reactant and Water Dynamics for a Fuel Cell Stack

This paper describes a simple two-phase flow dynamic model that predicts the experimentally observed temporal behavior of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack and a methodology to experimentally identify tunable physical parameters. The model equations allow temporal calculation of the species concentrations across the gas diffusion layers, the vapor transport across the membrane, the degree of flooding in the electrodes, and then predict the resulting decay in cell voltage over time. A nonlinear optimization technique is used for the identification of two critical model parameters, namely the membrane water vapor diffusion coefficient and the thickness of the liquid water film covering the fuel cell active area. The calibrated model is validated for a 24 cell, 300 cm2 stack with a supply of pressure regulated pure hydrogen.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Everlast: long-life, supercapacitor-operated wireless sensor node

This paper describes a supercapacitor-operated, solar-powered wireless sensor node called Everlast. Unlike traditional wireless sensors that store energy in batteries, Everlast's use of supercapacitors enables the system to operate for an estimated lifetime of 20 years without any maintenance. The novelty of this system lies in the feed-forward, pulse-frequency modulated (PFM) converter and open-circuit solar voltage method for maximum power point tracking (MPPT), enabling the solar cell to efficiently charge the supercapacitor and power the node. Experimental results show that Everlast can achieve low power consumption, long operational lifetime, and high transmission rates, something that traditional sensor nodes cannot achieve simultaneously and must trade-off.
Rad53 Phosphorylation Site Clusters Are Important for Rad53 Regulation and Signaling

Budding yeast Rad53 is an essential protein kinase that is phosphorylated and activated in a MEC1- and TEL1-dependent manner in response to DNA damage. We studied the role of Rad53 phosphorylation through mutation of consensus phosphorylation sites for upstream kinases Mec1 and Tel1. Alanine substitution of the Rad53 amino-terminal TQ cluster region reduced viability and impaired checkpoint functions. These substitution mutations spared the basal interaction with Asf1 and the DNA damage-induced interactions with Rad9. However, they caused a decrease in DNA damage-induced Rad53 kinase activity and an impaired interaction with the protein kinase Dun1. The Dun1 FHA (Forkhead-associated) domain recognized the amino-terminal TQ cluster of Rad53 after DNA damage or replication blockade. Thus, the phosphorylation of Rad53 by upstream kinases is important not only for Rad53 activation but also for creation of an interface between Rad53 and Dun1.
Bio-inspired sensor skins for structural health monitoring

This paper presents the simulation and experimental work that proved the feasibility of using a patch antenna for strain measurement. A patch antenna, besides serving as a data transmitting device, can function as a transducer that directly encodes the strain experienced into its resonant frequency. Printed on a flexible substrate, the antenna sensor is small in size, has a low profile and can be conformal to any attached surface. The technique for interrogating the antenna sensor using a wireless non-contact method is also demonstrated. Without needing electric wiring for power supply and data transmitting, the antenna sensor has a great potential for the realization of engineered sensor skins that imitate the sense of pain for structural health monitoring purposes.
The Long Cycle of Global War and the Transformation of Alliance Norms

Within the study of world politics, the relationship between alliance formation and war remains one of the most perplexing problems. This paper contends that explanations of the linkage can be impr...
The Impact of Socioeconomic Status and Metropolitan Area Racial Composition on Visible Consumption Among Whites and Racial/Ethnic Minorities

This study examines visible consumption patterns among racial/ethnic minorities and whites in the USA. We use data from the Consumer Expenditure Interview Survey (CEX) and the Current Population Survey to measure consumption behaviors. Expenditure on clothing is used as a measure of visible consumption. Our hypotheses are derived from the visible consumption theoretical framework as posited by Veblen and from status display models. However, contrasting with these theoretical frameworks, our results do not confirm previous findings that African Americans and other minorities have higher levels of expenditures on visible items as compared to whites. Instead, we find income, education and occupation (socioeconomic status) to be more important predictors of visible consumption than race and ethnicity. Further, we find that consumption behaviors are influenced by the proportion of whites in a metropolitan area, which we do relate to race/ethnicity. We pay particular attention to the consumption behaviors of racial minorities in relation to their metropolitan area racial composition. Our results raise interesting questions about the theoretical propositions made regarding differences in visible consumption expenditures among racial/ethnic groups.
The Sigma-1 Receptor as a Pluripotent Modulator in Living Systems

The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein that resides specifically in the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane (MAM), an interface between ER and mitochondria. In addition to being able to translocate to the plasma membrane (PM) to interact with ion channels and other receptors, Sig-1R also occurs at the nuclear envelope, where it recruits chromatin-remodeling factors to affect the transcription of genes. Sig-1Rs have also been reported to interact with other membranous or soluble proteins at other loci, including the cytosol, and to be involved in several central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Here, we propose that Sig-1R is a pluripotent modulator with resultant multiple functional manifestations in living systems.
Algorithm-Induced Prior for Image Restoration.

This paper studies a type of image priors that are constructed implicitly through the alternating direction method of multiplier (ADMM) algorithm, called the algorithm-induced prior. Different from classical image priors which are defined before running the reconstruction algorithm, algorithm-induced priors are defined by the denoising procedure used to replace one of the two modules in the ADMM algorithm. Since such prior is not explicitly defined, analyzing the performance has been difficult in the past. Focusing on the class of symmetric smoothing filters, this paper presents an explicit expression of the prior induced by the ADMM algorithm. The new prior is reminiscent to the conventional graph Laplacian but with stronger reconstruction performance. It can also be shown that the overall reconstruction has an efficient closed-form implementation if the associated symmetric smoothing filter is low rank. The results are validated with experiments on image inpainting.
Actuation Technologies for Humanoid Robots with Facial Expressions(HRwFE)

Actuators are key components for creating Humanoid Robots with Facial Expressions (HRwFE). HRwFE are those robots capable of demonstrating expressions utilizing artificial muscles, deformable skin, motion control systems and artificial intelligence. The main objective of this paper is to briefly assess various actuation technologies: electromagnetic, pneumatic piezoelectric, shape memory alloy, conducting polymer actuators in terms of various performance indices and comparing the properties with muscles in human head. Research in HRwFE are getting momentum and there exist a strong derive to build them because they can potentially be used for various applications including health care, military, industry, and household. For all kinds of humanoid robots, the selection or synthesis of actuators that meet the need of biological head is challenging. This paper focuses on the issues mentioned above and presents comparative assessment of the actuation technologies focusing on humanoid head.
The Rural Negro Minister: His Personal and Social Characteristics

T HIS is a study of the personal and social characteristics of the rural Negro minister. It includes 141 ministers who attended the Summer School for Ministers at Virginia State College from 1943-1946.' Ninety ministers pastored rural churches only, 15 pastored urban churches only; 27 pastored both rural and urban churches; and nine were not pastoring. The 132 ministers pastoring churches served 305 churches in as many communities located in 60 counties, representing every significant subregion in the State in which Negroes comprise a significant part of the population.
Host-selection Behavior Differences between the Fruit Fly Sibling Species Rhagoletis pomonella and R. mendax (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Laboratory, field cage, and field experiments on natural populations revealed substantial differences in host-selection behavior exhibited by females of the sibling species Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) (which infests apple and hawthorn) and R. mendax Curran (which infests blueberry and huckleberry). In laboratory assays with a single fruit, R. pomonella attempted oviposition into apple and hawthorn more often than R. mendax , while R. mendax attempted oviposition more often than R. pomonella into highbush and lowbush blueberry and huckleberry. Oviposition responses similar to these were exhibited to the surface waxes of apple and blueberry transferred onto artificial fruit. In field-cage assays with a single potted apple tree, R. pomonella foraged longer in the tree and visited more leaves and fruit than R. mendax . In contrast, R. mendax spent more time and visited more leaves and fruit than R. pomonella when both species were tested on blueberry and huckleberry plants. Oviposition was exclusively limited to each species' natural hosts in the field-cage experiments. Studies of natural populations revealed that these species differed substantially in their alightment response to wooden fruit models of different size. Since R. pomonella and R. mendax appear to be interfertile in laboratory crosses, the behavioral differences documented here probably constitute one of the major barriers to their frequent interbreeding in nature.
Nitrogen Metabolism in White Mice in the Course of Tumor Development

SummaryIn the course of the growth of Sarcoma 180 in white mice the excretion of nitrogen diminishes chiefly at the expense of urea and of the urinary protein, with the latter tending to disappear entirely. The excretion of the other urinary constituents is practically unaffected.
Automated Detection And Location of Hydrofracking-induced Microseismic Event From 3C Observations In an Offsetting Monitor Well

The idea of construction of algorithm and results of developed software on the determination of microearthquake locations due to frac job is given. Influence of anisotropy on the accuracy of frac event locations is briefly discussed. Methodology of determination of horizontal component of geophones is developed based on perfshots and earlier located frac events data. Produced software works in real time and in automated regime.
Potential Gaps in the Satellite Observing System Coverage: Assessment of Impact on NOAA's Numerical Weather Prediction Overall Skills

AbstractThe current constellation of environmental satellites is at risk of degrading due to several factors. This includes the following: 1) loss of secondary polar-orbiting satellites due to reaching their nominal lifetimes, 2) decrease in the density of extratropical radio-occultation (RO) observations due to a likely delayed launch of the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate-2 (COSMIC-2) high inclination orbit constellation, and 3) the risk of losing afternoon polar-orbiting satellite coverage due to potential launch delays in the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) programs. In this study, the impacts from these scenarios on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Global Forecast System skill are quantified. Performances for several metrics are assessed, but to encapsulate the results the authors introduce an overall forecast score combining metrics for all parameters, atmospheric levels, and forecast lead times. The first result suggests that remo...
Screening of the SSR Core Primers of Upland Cotton and Analysis of Genetic Diversity for 95 Core Germplasms with SSR Markers

Fifty-two pairs of core primers distributing evenly on 26 chromosomes of cotton were screened out from 391 pairs of cotton SSR primers for the diversity analysis of 92 accessions of G.hirsutum and three accessions of G.arboretum germplasm resources.The results show that these primers have 2～13 alleles,with the mean of 5.7692;polymorphic information content(PIC) about 0.3457～0.8800,with the mean of 0.7100;primers' discrimination power(DP) about 0.2859～0.8780,with the mean of 0.6896;effective number of alleles(Ne) about 1.5283～8.3327,with the mean of 4.1771;diversity(H') about 0.5297～2.2248,with the mean of 1.4366.This suggests that there are abundant genetic variations at these loci detected.Cluster analysis indicated that at the similarity coefficient of 0.73,3 accessions of G.arboretum resources fell into a sub-branch and 92 accessions of G.hirsutum resources into four other sub-branches,basically according with pedigree analysis results.The similarity coefficients of 92 accessions of G.hirsutum resources were between 0.71～0.97,with the mean of 0.84,indicating that G.hirsutum resources possess high genetic similarity and accordingly narrow genetic basis.Broad selection of parents,frequent introduction and intermingle of unknown consanguinity during breeding process,causes abundant genetic background of G.hirsutum resources.Thus,polymorphism analysis of founder parents and understanding of the genetic variation of breeding materials,can provide technical support for breeding novel varieties.
Isotopically constrained lead sources in fugitive dust from unsurfaced roads in the southeast Missouri mining district.

Abstract The isotopic composition of lead (Pb) in fugitive dust suspended by a vehicle from 13 unsurfaced roads in Missouri was measured to identify the source of Pb within an established long-term mining area. A three end-member model using 207 Pb/ 206 Pb and concentration as tracers resulted in fugitive dust samples plotting in the mixing field of well characterized heterogeneous end members. End members selected for this investigation include the 207 Pb/ 206 Pb for 1) a Pb-mixture representing mine tailings, 2) aerosol Pb-impacted soils within close proximity to the Buick secondary recycling smelter, and 3) an average of soils, rock cores and drill cuttings representing the background conditions. Aqua regia total concentrations and 207 Pb/ 206 Pb of mining area dust suggest that 35.4–84.3% of the source Pb in dust is associated with the mine tailings mixture, 9.1–52.7% is associated with the smelter mixture, and 0–21.6% is associated with background materials. Isotope ratios varied minimally within the operational phases of sequential extraction suggesting that mixing of all three Pb mixtures occurs throughout. Labile forms of Pb were attributed to all three end members. The extractable carbonate phase had as much as 96.6% of the total concentration associated with mine tailings, 51.8% associated with smelter deposition, and 34.2% with background. The next most labile geochemical phase (Fe + Mn Oxides) showed similar results with as much as 85.3% associated with mine tailings, 56.8% associated with smelter deposition, and 4.2% associated with the background soil.
The Evolutionary Transition from Anoxygenic to Oxygenic Photosynthesis

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews briefly the early geologic evidence for photosynthesis and the structural and functional differences between anoxygenic and oxygenic photosynthesis, and then goes on to discuss the evolutionary transitions that have led us to the current situation in which oxygenic photosynthetic organisms dominate the biosphere, and anoxygenic organisms have largely retreated to specific environmental niches. Understanding the historical milestone provides unique insight not only into the evolutionary process, but also into how organism-environment interactions effect global-scale changes, ranging from carbon cycling and sequestration to composition of the atmosphere and oceans. The sequence identity decreases and the structural similarity diminish with increase in evolutionary distance between proteins. The chapter also focuses on the Type II reaction centers (RCs) that are found in two classes of anoxygenic phototrophs: purple photosynthetic bacteria and green filamentous photosynthetic bacteria (RC II) as well as photosystem II of oxygenic photosynthetic organisms (PS II). A number of lines of evidence agree that early RC complexes were found in anoxygenic phototrophs and were probably protein homodimers. The transition from these primitive anoxygenic complexes with a simple protein complement and bacteriochlorophyll pigments to the oxygenic PS II with chlorophyll pigments, an Mn-containing an oxygen evolving complex (OEC), and a much more complex protein complement was a remarkably dramatic evolutionary development that is still very poorly understood.