cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A multifunctional vector system for heterologous expression of proteins in Escherichia coli Expression of native and hexahistidyl fusion proteins, rapid purification of the fusion proteins, and removal of fusion peptide by Kex2 protease

Abstract Vectors have been constructed for the general purpose of expressing foreign proteins in E. coli . These vectors allow the production in high yield of either native proteins or of fusion proteins which contain, at their amino terminus, the peptide Met Gly His 6 Ser Gly Leu Phe Lys Arg/, where Leu Phe Lys Arg/is the recognition site for Kex2 protease which cleaves at the site indicated by/. The His 6 sequence is used as a ligand for the one-step affinity purification of the expressed proteins on columns containing Ni or Zn ions chelated to iminodiacetic acid-agarose. After affinity chromatography, the purification peptide is cleaved off with Kex2 protease from Saccharomyces cerevisiae . The vectors also allow site-directed mutagenesis and sequencing of the cloned gene to be expressed without any intermediate subcloning. For practical examples of over-expression, affinity purification, and removal of the purification peptide, we chose a high-molecular-weight protein, phospholipase C γ1 , (PLC γ1 , M r 148000) and a low-molecular-weight protein, Hit-1 ( M r 16000). Both were obtained pure and in high yield. PLC γ1 was fully active; the function of Hit-1 is not known. A set of companion vectors for co-expression of additional proteins has also been developed. These allow expression of proteins which enhance the production or activity of the protein of primary interest and of proteins which exhibit trans-interactions.
The inhibitory effect of metoclopramide on plasma cholinesterase activity.

The in vitro effect of mewclopramide on plasma cholinesterase (PCHE) activity was studied to investigate a mechamism for metoclopramide-induced prolongation of succinylchollne action. The mean PCHE of the control samples was 0.86  0.02 unit.ml -J . PCHE activity in the presence of metoclopromide, at concentrations of O.05, 0.10, 0.50, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 p.g.ml ~, was reduced to 0.78 +. 0.02, 0.69 +- 0.04.0.50  0.03, 0.39 +0.02, 0.24 +- 0.0l andO.15 +- 0.01 unit.ml -l, re,Rectively. Our data demonstrated that PCHE activity was sign~cantly depressed by metaclopramide at all concentrations studied (p < 0.001). Our data also show that the concentration of metoclopramide required to inhibit 50 per cent of PCHE activity (1~o) was 0.8 v,g'ml -I (2.4  10 -6 M). We recommend caution when succinylcholine and or ester type local anaesthetics are administered to patients who are also receiving metoclopramide, especially in high doses. Metoelopramide is one of the most commonly used drugs in the perioperative period. It is especially used by anaesthetists as an antiemetic and to facilitate gastric emptying, thus reducing the risks of aspiration) Metoclopramide is also used frequently in the preoperative period by radiologists to aid in radiological examination of the stomach and small intestine.2 The chemical structure of metoclopramide is very
Very Long Baseline Array Measurement of Nine Pulsar Parallaxes

We determined the distances to nine pulsars by parallax measurements using the NRAO Very Long Baseline Array, doubling the number of pulsars with accurate distance measurements. Broadband phase modeling was used to calibrate the varying dispersive effects of the ionosphere and remove the resulting phase errors from the phase-referenced VLBI data. The resulting parallaxes have a typical accuracy of 100 μas or better, yielding distance measurements as accurate as 2%. We also report new proper motion measurements of these pulsars, accurate to 400 μas yr-1 or better.
Study of adsorption of polymers on particulate surfaces by impregnation

Abstract A method of impregnation in horizontal and vertical columns to study the adsorption of polymers on particulate surfaces has been developed. This method makes it possible: (1) to measure the relative surface tension of polymers on particulate surfaces; (2) to calculate the adsorption isotherms of polymers using the Gibbs equation; (3) to calculate the heats of adsorption of polymers by the van't Hoff equation; and (4) to determine the coefficient of molecular diffusion of polymers. The adsorption of water-soluble associative polymer (MW = 51,000( from aqueous solutions onto titanium dioxide, alumina, and quartz particle surfaces has been investigated.
Tillage intensity and fertility level effects on nitrogen and carbon cycling in a vertisol

Abstract Because of erosion problems, an effort has been undertaken to evaluate the effect of tillage intensity on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling on a vertisol. Soil samples at 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm depth were collected from a split plot experiment with five different levels of tillage intensity on Houston Black soil (fine, montmorillonitic, thermic Udic Pellusterts). The experiment was a split plot design with 5 replications. The main plots were chisel tillage, reduced tillage, row tillage, strip tillage, and no tillage. The subplots were soil fertility levels with either high or low fertilizer application rate. Total N, total phosphorus (P), organic C, inorganic N, and C:N ratio were measured on soil samples as well as the potential C mineralization, N mineralization, C turnover, and C:N mineralization ratio during a 30 d incubation. Total P and organic C in soil were increased, with 0.9 and 0.8 kg P ha‐1 and 20.6 and 20.0 kg C ha‐1, for high and low soil fertility, respectively. Fertilizer app...
A New Physics-based Approach for Estimating a Buried Object’s Location, Orientation and Magnetic Polarization from EMI Data

A new physics-based expression is presented for determining a buried object’s location, orientation and magnetic polarizibility. The approach assumes the target exhibits a dipolar response and requires only three global values: a magnetic field vector H, a vector potential A and a scalar magnetic potential ψ, all at a single location in space. Among these values, only the scattered magnetic field, H, is measurable with current electromagnetic induction sensors. Therefore, in order to estimate the scattered magnetic scalar and vector potentials from data, a numerical technique called the normalized surface magnetic source (NSMS) method is employed. Originally, in the NSMS model, the scattered magnetic field outside the object is reproduced mathematically by equivalent magnetic charges distributed on a three-dimensional (3-D) closed surface. Here, a two-dimensional (2-D) implementation of the NSMS that uses elementary magnetic dipoles, instead of magnetic charges distributed on a planar surface placed under...
Cognitive approaches to new venture creation

Cognitive processes play a critical role in the formation of new ventures. Moreover, the effects of managerial cognition are likely to be more direct and immediate in new venture settings than in the context of larger, more established organizations. For these reasons, the theories and methods of managerial and organizational cognition can provide insight into the process of new venture creation. This paper reviews recent studies that take a cognitive approach to new venture creation and categorizes them according to the stage of new venture creation with which they are concerned. Key issues discussed include the formation of entrepreneurial intentions, the sensemaking processes of scanning, interpretation and action, the use of schema and heuristics in decision-making and the phenomenon of entrepreneurial alertness. Several preliminary research conclusions are drawn, and the implications of these findings for the practice of entrepreneurship are considered. Finally, several promising avenues for future research are explored.
Direct observations of defects in implanted and postannealed silicon wafers

We have used transmission electron microscopy to study crystalline defects in Si wafers which were first implanted with Si ions to produce an amorphous surface layer and then annealed to produce epitaxial regrowth. The original high degree of crystalline perfection is not entirely recovered. In the implanted layer, small defect clusters, interstitial loops, and large half‐loops have been observed. The density, distribution, and characteristics of these defects have been determined.
Theory of ion effects on DNA conformation: A high‐salt model

A theoretical model for the binding of alkali metal cations to DNA is proposed. At high ionic strengths a significant proportion of anionic phosphate sites become occupied by a direct site binding of immobilized counterions which distort the phosphate charge distribution. Calculations are presented which can explain the differences in binding among the alkali metals. The results are consistent with the observed order in which the alkali metals induce the transition from B form to C form DNA. The calculations are also consistent with the observed association constants for these cations and with the observed changes in melting temperature as a function of ionic strength. The results lead to the interpretation that all of the alkali metal cations will exert similar effects on DNA structure when the ionic strength is low and the binding is primarily an association of mobile counterions in the neighborhood of the polyanionic DNA. As the counterion concentration increases to the range of 1-2 M and above, this model assumes that a significant fraction of phosphate sites become occupied by an immobilized counterion. This occupancy of some phosphate sites by immobilized counterions at high ionic strengths can account for the specific differences within the alkali metal group in the relative ease with which transconformational reactions in DNA are induced.
Macrophage migration inhibitory factor produced by the tumour stroma but not by tumour cells regulates angiogenesis in the B16-F10 melanoma model.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been proposed as a link between inflammation and tumorigenesis. Despite its potentially broad influence in tumour biology and prevalent expression, the value of MIF as a therapeutic target in cancer remains unclear. We sought to validate MIF in tumour models by achieving a complete inhibition of its expression in tumour cells and in the tumour stroma. We used MIF shRNA-transduced B16-F10 melanoma cells implanted in wild-type and MIF−/− C57Bl6 mice to investigate the effect of loss of MIF on tumour growth. Cytokine detection and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to evaluate tumours ex vivo. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor shRNA inhibited expression of MIF protein by B16-F10 melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, the loss of MIF in this cell line resulted in a decreased response to hypoxia as indicated by reduced expression of VEGF. In vivo the growth of B16-F10 tumours was inhibited by an average of 47% in the MIF−/− mice compared with wild-type but was unaffected by loss of MIF expression by the tumour cells. Immunohistochemistry analysis revealed that microvessel density was decreased in tumours implanted in the MIF−/− mice. Profiling of serum cytokines showed a decrease in pro-angiogenic cytokines in MIF−/− mice. We report that the absence of MIF in the host resulted in slower tumour growth, which was associated with reduced vascularity. While the major contribution of MIF appeared to be in the regulation of angiogenesis, tumour cell-derived MIF played a negligible role in this process.
Improving the specificity of exon prediction using comparative genomics

Computational gene prediction tools routinely generate large volumes of predicted coding exons (putative exons). One common limitation of these tools is the relatively low specificity due to the large amount of non-coding regions. A statistical approach is developed that largely improves the gene prediction specificity. The key idea is to utilize the evolutionary conservation principle relative to the coding exons. By first exploiting the homology between genomes of two related species, a probability model for the evolutionary conservation pattern of codons across different genomes is developed. A probability model for the dependency between adjacent codons/triplets is added to differentiate coding exons and random sequences. Finally, the log odds ratio is developed to classify putative exons into the group of coding exons and the group of non-coding regions. The method was tested on pre-aligned human-mouse sequences where the putative exons are predicted by GENSCAN and TWINSCAN. The proposed method is able to improve the exon specificity by 73% and 32% respectively, while the loss of the sensitivity ≤ 1%. The method also keeps 98% of RefSeq gene structures that are correctly predicted by TWINSCAN when removing 26% of predicted genes that are in non-coding regions. The estimated number of true exons in TWINSCAN's predictions is 157,070. The results and the executable codes can be downloaded from http://www.stat.purdue.edu/~jingwu/codon/ The proposed method demonstrates an application of the evolutionary conservation principle to coding exons. It is a complementary method which can be used as an additional criteria to refine many existing gene predictions.
A Quantitative Analysis of the Performance of Transportation Projects in Developing Countries

Abstract This paper presents the results of a detailed quantitative analysis of performance metrics of a sample consisting of 89 transportation projects sponsored by the World Bank. The sample and a subset consisting of 65 projects were evaluated using the performance metrics of project cost, schedule and scope. The effect of project size (dollar value) and project duration on performance metrics was investigated. Also, the achievement of project goals and potential improvement in planning and estimating over time (the learning effect) was studied. It was found that, in general, in transportation projects sponsored by the World Bank, costs are overestimated and schedules are optimistic. The outcome with respect to cost seems counter‐intuitive because previous work by other researchers had shown a systematic underestimation of project costs. There is significant evidence that there are no efficient controls in place to predict or prevent schedule delays. The study also showed that during the past 15 years,...
1,24,25-Trihydroxyvitamin D3: A circulating metabolite in vitamin D3-treated bovine

Abstract 1,24,25-Trihydroxyvitamin D3 was detected using a modified receptor-binding assay in plasma of cows injected intramuscularly with 375 mg of vitamin D3 once a week for 4 weeks. The metabolite was purified to homogeneity and identified by its comigration with synthetic 1,24,25-trihydroxyvitamin D3 on three different high-pressure liquid chromatography systems, mass spectrometry, and by comigration of sodium metaperiodate cleavage products obtained from isolated and synthetic 1,24,25-trihydroxyvitamin D3. Plasma concentrations of 1,24,25-trihydroxyvitamin D3 and 1,25,26-trihydroxyvitamin D3 were approximately 30 and 20 pg/ml, respectively (uncorrected for recovery), in vitamin D3-treated cows. Neither of these metabolites were detected in plasma of untreated cows.
Critical appraisal of learning curve for single incision laparoscopic right colectomy

Background Single-incision laparoscopic colectomy (SILC) has emerged as a viable minimally invasive surgical approach with benefits and limitations yet to be fully elucidated. Although shown to be safe and feasible, characterization of the learning curve has not been addressed. Our aim was to identify a learning curve for SILC right hemicolectomy and to determine the incidence of operative failure and complication rates during this phase.
Respiratory viral infections drive chemokine expression and exacerbate the asthmatic response.

A number of investigations have linked respiratory vial infections and the intensity and subsequent exacerbation of asthma through host response mechanisms. For example, it is likely that the immune-inflammatory response to respiratory syncytial virus can cause a predisposition toward an intense inflammatory reaction associated with asthma, and adenovirus might cause exacerbation of the immune response associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In each of these situations, the host's immune response plays a critical mechanistic role through the production of certain cytokines and chemokines. Specific aspects of these augmented immune responses are determined by the biology of the virus, the genetic variability of the host, and the cytokine-chemokine phenotype of the involved tissue. For instance, the type 1/type 2 cytokine ratio in the airways during infection with rhinovirus determines how long the viral infection endures. By this same theory, it has been demonstrated that chemokine levels produced during respiratory syncytial virus infection determine host responses to later immune stimuli in the lung, with the potential to augment the asthmatic response. Further research in this area will clarify cytokines, chemokines, or cell targets, which will provide the basis for next-generation therapies.
Workshop on engineering models for advanced batteries vehicle OEM panel session model outputs—industry perspectives

The vehicle level requirements for a battery model have been defined. An introduction providing vehicle manufacturer experience in developing battery models to date and describing the ideal battery model characteristics has been provided. Battery performance and thermal model requirements are defined in terms of minimum and desired outputs. Model verification is discussed and recommended variables offered. Other complementary data needs are also included.
Mobile computed tomography in the trauma/critical care environment: Preliminary clinical experience

This study reviews the initial clinical experience using a portable computed tomographic (CT) scanner in the trauma resuscitation unit (TRU), intensive care units (ICUs), and operating rooms (ORs) of a large trauma center. Data were collected on the first 200 patients scanned within the trauma center (including 92 in the TRU, 92 in the ICUs, and 16 in the ORs) over the first 5 months of operation. Evaluation forms were completed by interpreting radiologists, CT technicians operating the system, and nurses/clinicians involved with patients being scanned. Information sought included subjective image quality, ease of use, software and hardware limitations, accessibility to and monitoring of patients during scanning, mobility, and perceived advantages or limitations compared to fixed CT. Radiation scatter also was measured to determine the safety of the scanner for portable use.
Water and Nitrogen Effects on Winter Wheat in the Southeastern Coastal Plain: II. Physiological Responses

The application of N to winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Thell.) generally increases leaf reduced N concentration (LRN), thereby potentially increasing the rate and duration of leaf photosynthesis during grain fill. For nonirrigated winter wheat grown on the southeastern Coastal Plain of the USA, however, increasing the rate of spring-applied N has been found to result in greater plant water deficits and lower leaf CO 2 exchange rates (CER) during the grain-filling period. This 2-yr study was conducted to determine the effects of spring N rate on the rate and duration of leaf photosynthesis in winter wheat grown with irrigation and to examine the relationship between leaf CER and LRN as affected by spring N rate, soil water treatment, and wheat growth stage. Wheat was grown with different rates of spring-applied N (0, 45, 90, and 135 kg N ha -1 ) under irrigated and nonirrigated conditions. Leaf CER generally increased with increased spring N under irrigated conditions but decreased under nonirrigated conditions. Higher leaf CER with irrigation, as opposed to without irrigation, resulted in greater vegetative dry weights during the early stages of grain fill. Leaf CER was closely associated with LRN during grain fill under irrigated conditions, but greater stomatal closure with increased spring N resulted in deviations from this relationship under nonirrigated conditions. The dates of initial decline in LRN of the flag leaf and leaf area index (LAI) were similar for all treatments and in both years. Only under irrigated conditions did increases in spring N rate delay the complete loss of leaf area and photosynthetic activity during grain fill. Compared with 1992, the rate of decline in LAI, LRN, and CER during grain fill was more rapid in 1993, when air temperatures were warmer. Results indicate that supplemental water is needed on the southeastern Coastal Plain for high rates of spring-applied N to increase the rate and duration of leaf photosynthesis in winter wheat during the grain-filling period.
Troubling talk: a politics and history of indistinction in the Upper Sorbian community

The article focused on the cultural processes that affect speakers of Upper Sorbian, an endangered Slavic community in Eastern Germany. Through an anthropological approach, language choices emerge as a complex negotiation of linguistic identity evidenced in critique of other Sorbs and language use as well as choosing to distance oneself from the community.
Oral combination therapy: repaglinide plus metformin for treatment of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by decreases in insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity. Several classes of oral antidiabetic medications are currently approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. A stepwise treatment approach from monotherapy to combination therapy is traditionally used; however, the frequency of treatment failure with monotherapy has resulted in a move towards earlier treatment with combination therapies that target the two principal defects in glycaemic control. One such combination regimen is repaglinide (a prandial glucose regulator that increases insulin release) plus metformin (an insulin sensitizer that inhibits hepatic glucose output, increases peripheral glucose uptake and utilization and minimizes weight gain). Findings from several clinical trials have shown that combination therapy with repaglinide plus metformin is well tolerated and results in greater reductions of haemoglobin A(1c) and fasting plasma glucose values compared with either monotherapy. Repaglinide may also provide a more suitable alternative to combination therapy with sulphonylureas and metformin because of its reduced propensity for hypoglycaemia. The combination regimen of repaglinide plus metformin should therefore be considered as a valuable option in the management of patients with type 2 diabetes when monotherapy is no longer adequate.
The brain as a statistical inference engine-and you can too*

There are several possible templates for award talks.1 The most common is an intellectual history—how I came to make all these wonderful discoveries. However, I am never completely happy with my work, as it seems a pale shadow of what I think it should have been. Thus I am picking a different model—things we all know but do not say out loud because we have no evidence to support them; and besides, making such bold claims sounds pretentious. Thus I do not expect to say anything too novel here. I hope all my readers already know that the brain exploits statistics, and most of them suspect that we in statistical computational linguistics have something to say about how this works out in the case of language. My goal is therefore not to say anything you do not believe, but to cause you to believe it more passionately.
Effects of observation cost on sequential search behavior

Sixty Ss participated individually in a search problem attempting to find a single target object located in one of several distinguishable regions. The search consisted of sampling observations with replacement from the various regions. Ss were told the prior probability of finding the target in a given region, the conditional miss probability that if the target is in a given region it will not be detected on a single observation there, and the cost per observation for each region. The effect of observation costs was investigated. Procedures devised for comparing actual and optimal search behavior showed that relative to the optimal policy Ss erred in the direction of maximizing detection probabilities rather than in the direction of minimizing the cost per observation, and that this error increased in magnitude the larger the differences among observation costs. A Markov model was tested and rejected. Implications of the study to visual search problems are discussed briefly.
Platelets and cancer: a casual or causal relationship: revisited.

Human platelets arise as subcellular fragments of megakaryocytes in bone marrow. The physiologic demand, presence of disease such as cancer, or drug effects can regulate the production circulating platelets. Platelet biology is essential to hemostasis, vascular integrity, angiogenesis, inflammation, innate immunity, wound healing, and cancer biology. The most critical biological platelet response is serving as “First Responders” during the wounding process. The exposure of extracellular matrix proteins and intracellular components occurs after wounding. Numerous platelet receptors recognize matrix proteins that trigger platelet activation, adhesion, aggregation, and stabilization. Once activated, platelets change shape and degranulate to release growth factors and bioactive lipids into the blood stream. This cyclic process recruits and aggregates platelets along with thrombogenesis. This process facilitates wound closure or can recognize circulating pathologic bodies. Cancer cell entry into the blood stream triggers platelet-mediated recognition and is amplified by cell surface receptors, cellular products, extracellular factors, and immune cells. In some cases, these interactions suppress immune recognition and elimination of cancer cells or promote arrest at the endothelium, or entrapment in the microvasculature, and survival. This supports survival and spread of cancer cells and the establishment of secondary lesions to serve as important targets for prevention and therapy.
Vitamin D3--resistant fibroblasts have immunoassayable 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptors.

Cultured fibroblasts obtained from patients with tissue resistance to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (vitamin D3--dependent rickets, type II) contain normal, low, or undetectable concentrations of this hormone9s receptor protein as measured by a ligand-binding assay. Extracts from these cells were evaluated for receptors by immunoassay with a recently developed monoclonal antibody to the chick receptor. The results show that a protein sedimenting at 3.7S and recognizable by the antibody exists in comparable concentrations in cells from both normal and resistant patients, irrespective of the hormone-binding abnormalities of the cells. This implies that deficiencies in hormone binding associated with inherited tissue resistance to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 probably arise from structural variations in the receptor molecule and not from defective receptor synthesis.
Anisotropic absorption and reduced scattering spectra of chicken breast tissue measured using oblique incidence reflectometry

Oblique incidence reflectometry is a simple and accurate method for measuring the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of turbid media. We used this technique to deduce absorption and reduced scattering spectra form wavelength-resolved measurements of the relative diffuse reflectance profile of white light as a function of source- detector distance. In this study we measured the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of chicken breast tissue in the visible range with the oblique incidence probe oriented at 0 to 90 degrees relative to the muscle fibers. We found that the deduced optical properties varied with the probe orientation. This experiment demonstrated the application of oblique-incidence, fiber-optic reflectometry to measurements on biological tissues and the effect of tissue structural anisotropy on optical properties.
Cue-induced changes in basal local cerebral glucose utilization 13 days after morphine sensitization in the Fischer 344 rat: relevance for drug craving.

Abstract The present experiment tested the hypothesis that some persistent neural adaptation develops during the course of repeated sensitizing doses of morphine administered to rats. A sub-hypothesis was that this imprint would be of greater magnitude in the presence of morphine-conditioned cues. In order to test these hypotheses basal local cerebral metabolic rates for glucose (LCMRglu) were determined 13 days after the last of four 10-mg/kg doses of morphine administered in 36 h to Fischer 344 male rats. LCMRglu was determined using the 2-deoxy- d -[1-14C]glucose method (2-DG). Half of the rats, the conditioned group, were placed in the 2-DG chamber after each injection and half, the nonconditioned group, were placed in a neutral environment. A control group received only saline in lieu of morphine. All metabolic rates were determined in a nondrugged state. The major finding was large increases in metabolic rate throughout the forebrain in the sensitized rats. This was especially so in the conditioned group, 46 out of 93 areas examined had significant increases while in the nonconditioned group it was 25 out of 93. Both the core and shell of the nucleus accumbens showed significant elevations in metabolic rates in the presence of morphine cues but only the shell in the absence of the cues. There were no significant decreases in basal metabolic activity in any of the brain regions evaluated in either experimental group. The present finding suggests that changes in the brains of these morphine-sensitized rats may model the altered brain states responsible for drug craving in human drug addicts.
Synthesis of Clerodane Diterpenes via Lewis Acid Catalyzed Cycloadditions

The Clerodanes and ent-Clerodanes are a large class of diterpenoid natural products which have been found to possess a wide range of biological activity. Some have been shown to have antitumor, antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, or antiulcer activity. Some have been found to be potent insect antifeedants. The major differences between members of the Clerodanes is the placement or absence of oxygen functionality at the various positions of the basic skeleton. A convergent and flexible approach for the synthesis of this class of compounds, which features a Lewis acid catalyzed intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction to construct a tricyclic ring system, will be presented. The tricyclic skeleton, which is unraveled at a later stage to the requisite bicyclic ring system, offers some unique stereochemical and stereoelectronic biases for the control of stereochemistry at crucial asymmetric centers in the final targets. It also allows for the selective introduction or removal of oxygen functionality as needed to achieve a specific goal.
The Scientist's Role In The Management Of Large X-Ray Optics

In this talk, I will discuss some of the history and unique aspects of the optics development for HEAO-B, mention some of the results of the program to illustrate its success, and, finally, give some thoughts for future large scientific programs of this type.
Origin of Quadrature Flux in Magnetic Films

Several investigators have studied flux varying in quadrature with a small ac field applied to a magnetic film in the presence of a perpendicular dc field, i.e., the imaginary part of the susceptibility. This phenomenon has often been interpreted as arising from magnetic switching in scattered regions where the net field crosses the tip of either uniaxial, complex biaxial, or negative anisotropy astroids. The viewpoint taken here, however, is that the quadrature flux originates in local irreversible reorientations of the magnetization ripple. This model is supported by experiments in which quadrature flux was measured as a function of dc field magnitude for three different field configurations chosen so that for a given field value the ripple state was the same in the three configurations. Verschiedene Verfasser untersuchten den Flus, der in Phasenquadratur mit einem kleinen Wechselfeld variiert, d. h. den Imaginarteil der Suszeptibilitat. Dabei wirkt das Wechselfeld auf eine magnetische Schicht in Gegenwart eines senkrecht dazu stehenden Gleichfeldes ein. Dieses Phanomen wurde oft als Folgeerscheinung magnetischer Schaltvorgange in verstreuten Bereichen interpretiert, wobei das Gesamtfeld die Spitze eines uniaxialen, komplexbiaxialen oder negativen Anisotropie-astroids schneidet. Die vorliegende Arbeit nimmt jedoch den Standpunkt ein, das der um 90° phasenverschobene Flus seine Ursache in ortlichen nicht-reversiblen Reorientierungen des Magnetisierungsrippels hat. Dieses Modell wird von Experimenten unterstutzt, in welchen der phasenverschobene Flus in Abhangigkeit vom Gleichfeld gemessen wurde, wobei drei verschiedene Feldanordnungen so gewahlt wurden, das fur einen gegebenen Wert des Feldes der Ripplezustand fur die drei Anordnungen derselbe war.
Commentary: Diagnosis and classification: There must be something left about which to argue – reflections on Rutter (2011)

meeting those of researchers, a fact not frequently acknowledged. While this was a problem in DSM-IV, the problem intensifies with calls for classifications based on neuroscience and genetics, areas not currently relevant for clinicians making treatment decisions about a patient. Perhaps my difference with Professor Rutter on this issue can be reconciled. Thus, DSM-V would benefit by allowing research diagnoses to incorporate information beyond that contained in a clinical diagnosis. For example, a clinical diagnosis might be made at a relatively broad level, based only on the patient’s overall clinical picture, whereas a patient with a particular research diagnosis could exhibit this same overall clinical picture in addition to other features,
First admission young adult patients to a state hospital: relative risk for rapid readmission.

High readmission rates by young adult patients to state hospitals represents a major service utilization problem for the public mental health system. By identifying those patients who have an increase risk for rapid readmission, effective community-based services could be developed to help reduce utilization of costly hospital services. A nonconcurrent prospective study of 210 first admission young adult patients admitted to a state hospital was conducted to ascertain the incidence of readmission within 180 days of discharge from the index admission (rapid readmission), and to establish relative risk for rapid readmission based on demographic, hospital utilization, and diagnostic variables. The cohort was partitioned into two subgroups: patients with no prior hospitalization, (NPH; N=119), and patients with prior hospitalization, (PH; N=91). Group comparisons revealedNPH patients had a lower readmission rate, had shorter hospital lengths of stay, and had a higher proportion on patients with personality or adjustment disorders. The relative risk for rapid readmission in theNPH patient group was greatest for nonwhite female patients (3.30) and for patients who had hospital length of stays between 4–15 days (1.76). In thePH patient group, the relative risk for rapid readmission was greatest for those patients with hospital length of stay <15 days (2.15). In both groups, patients with major mental illness were more likely to get readmitted. An association between hospital occupancy rate, the time of discharge from the index admission and readmission to the hospital, hospital length of stay, sex, race, or diagnostic category was not found.
Cell-Surface labeling and internalization by a fluorescent inhibitor of prostate-specific membrane antigen.

BACKROUND . Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) remains an attractive target for imaging and therapeutic applications for prostate cancer. Recent efforts have been made to conjugate inhibitors of PSMA with imaging agents. Compared to antibodies, small-molecule inhibitors of PSMA possess apparent advantages for in vivo applications. To date, there are no reports on the cellular fate of such constructs once bound the extracellular domain of PSMA. The present study was focused on precisely defining the binding specificity, time-dependent internalization, cellular localization, and retention of inhibitor conjugates targeted to PSMA on LNCaP cells. A novel fluorescent inhibitor was prepared as a model to examine these processes. METHODS. Fluorescence microscopy of LNCaP and PC-3 cell lines was used to monitor the specificity, time-dependent internalization, cellular localization, and retention of a fluorescent PSMA inhibitor. RESULTS. Fluorescent inhibitor 2 was found to be a potent inhibitor (IC50 ¼ 0.35 nM) of purified PSMA. Its high affinity for PSMA on living cells was confirmed by antibody blocking and competitive binding experiments. Specificity for LNCaP cells was demonstrated as no labeling by 2 was observed for negative control PC-3 cells. Internalization of 2 by viable LNCaP cells was detected after 30 min incubation at 378C, followed by accumulation in the perinuclear endosomes. It was noted that internalized fluorescent inhibitor can be retained within endosomes for up to 150 min without loss of signal. CONCLUSIONS. Our results suggest that potent, small-molecule inhibitors of PSMA can be utilized as carriers for targeted delivery for prostate cancer for future imaging and therapeutic applications. Prostate 68: 955–964, 2008. # 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Meta path-based collective classification in heterogeneous information networks

Collective classification approaches exploit the dependencies of a group of linked objects whose class labels are correlated and need to be predicted simultaneously. In this paper, we focus on studying the collective classification problem in heterogeneous networks, which involves multiple types of data objects interconnected by multiple types of links. Intuitively, two objects are correlated if they are linked by many paths in the network. By considering different linkage paths in the network, one can capture the subtlety of different types of dependencies among objects. We introduce the concept of meta-path based dependencies among objects, where a meta path is a path consisting a certain sequence of linke types. We show that the quality of collective classification results strongly depends upon the meta paths used. To accommodate the large network size, a novel solution, called HCC (meta-path based Heterogenous Collective Classification), is developed to effectively assign labels to a group of instances that are interconnected through different meta-paths. The proposed HCC model can capture different types of dependencies among objects with respect to different meta paths. Empirical studies on real-world networks demonstrate that effectiveness of the proposed meta path-based collective classification approach.
Chloride channels in the small intestinal cell line IEC-18

Small intestinal crypt cells play a critical role in modulating Cl- secretion during digestion. The types of Cl- channels mediating Cl- secretion in the small intestine was investigated using the intestinal epithelial cell line, IEC-18, which was derived from rat small intestine crypt cells. In initial radioisotope efflux studies, exposure to forskolin, ionomycin or a decrease in extracellular osmolarity significantly increased 36Cl efflux as compared to control cells. Whole cell patch clamp techniques were subsequently used to examine in more detail the swelling-, Ca2+-, and cAMP-activated Cl- conductance. Decreasing the extracellular osmolarity from 290 to 200 mOsm activated a large outwardly rectifying Cl- current that was voltage-independent and had an anion selectivity of I- > Cl-. Increasing cytosolic Ca2+ by ionomycin activated whole cell Cl- currents, which were also outwardly rectifying but were voltage-dependent. The increase in intracellular Ca2+ levels with ionomycin was confirmed with fura-2 loaded IEC-18 cells. A third type of whole cell Cl- current was observed after increases in intracellular cAMP induced by forskolin. These cAMP-activated Cl- currents have properties consistent with cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) Cl- channels, as the currents were blocked by glibenclamide or NPPB but insensitive to DIDS. In addition, the current-voltage relationship was linear and had an anion selectivity of Cl- > I-. Confocal immunofluorescence studies and Western blots with two different anti-CFTR antibodies confirmed the expression of CFTR. These results suggest that small intestinal crypt cells express multiple types of Cl- channels, which may all contribute to net Cl- secretion.
Holocaust survivors in a primary care setting: fifty years later.

Past studies have not assessed the prevalence of emotional disturbances in Holocaust survivors seeking medical treatment in a family practice environment. The present study examined the prevalence of lifetime (the presence of symptomatology at any time) and current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, general anxiety, and depression in Holocaust survivors seeking medical treatment in a primary care setting. 20 of the 27 Holocaust survivors in our sample received a current diagnosis of PTSD and reported significant symptoms of depression and general anxiety. Although 74% of the survivors were currently diagnosed with PTSD, participants in this study had reported an overall decline in reexperiencing, hyperarousal, and overall PTSD symptoms but exhibited increased avoidance and numbing symptoms throughout the lifespan. These preliminary results suggest that removing avoidance as a defense mechanism during the course of psychotherapy may leave these survivors without an adequate way for coping with ...
Mutation in Osteoactivin Decreases Bone Formation in Vivo and Osteoblast Differentiation in Vitro

We have previously identified osteoactivin (OA), encoded by Gpnmb, as an osteogenic factor that stimulates osteoblast differentiation in vitro. To elucidate the importance of OA in osteogenesis, we characterized the skeletal phenotype of a mouse model, DBA/2J (D2J) with a loss-of-function mutation in Gpnmb. Microtomography of D2J mice showed decreased trabecular mass, compared to that in wild-type mice [DBA/2J-Gpnmb+/SjJ (D2J/Gpnmb+)]. Serum analysis showed decreases in OA and the bone-formation markers alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin in D2J mice. Although D2J mice showed decreased osteoid and mineralization surfaces, their osteoblasts were increased in number, compared to D2J/Gpnmb+ mice. We then examined the ability of D2J osteoblasts to differentiate in culture, where their differentiation and function were decreased, as evidenced by low alkaline phosphatase activity and matrix mineralization. Quantitative RT-PCR analyses confirmed the decreased expression of differentiation markers in D2J osteoblasts. In vitro, D2J osteoblasts proliferated and survived significantly less, compared to D2J/Gpnmb+ osteoblasts. Next, we investigated whether mutant OA protein induces endoplasmic reticulum stress in D2J osteoblasts. Neither endoplasmic reticulum stress markers nor endoplasmic reticulum ultrastructure were altered in D2J osteoblasts. Finally, we assessed underlying mechanisms that might alter proliferation of D2J osteoblasts. Interestingly, TGF-β receptors and Smad-2/3 phosphorylation were up-regulated in D2J osteoblasts, suggesting that OA contributes to TGF-β signaling. These data confirm the anabolic role of OA in postnatal bone formation.
The Chinese Military: Political Demands and Control

Using Deng Xiaoping's military reform in China as an empirical case, this article discusses how the military uses five attributes as its power base from which to make three types of political demands. The top leadership in turn can exert a certain degree of political control, eight tactics of which are discussed. The three sets of variables (power base, political demands, and political control) are seen in a state of interaction and flux. Political control can be effectively applied if the primary authority patterns that make up the political system (party-state) remain intact. The critical variables here are internal and external order, ideology, socialization, leadership, and tradition. Finally, the paper suggests that the importance of national security forces the leadership to make compromises and put the relationships among the three sets of variables into some kind of workable order.
Perceptions of Corruption and the Dynamics of Women's Representation

A growing body of literature focuses on the attitudes produced by women's representation. One area of particular interest is the effect of women's representation on perceptions of corruption in government. Multiple scholars have found that citizens view women in government as more trustworthy and less corrupt. Others have suggested that the link between gender and corruption is spurious or dependent upon regime characteristics. Additionally, many studies of women's effect on corruption were published prior to the widespread adoption of gender quotas, when levels of women's representation were considerably lower. We argue that the relationship between women and perceptions of corruption can be better understood by applying an integrated model of representation, which explores the effects of formal, descriptive, and substantive representation on perceptions of corruption. Using a time-series analysis of 140 countries worldwide from 1998–2011, this study finds that women's descriptive and substantive representation are correlated with lower perceptions of corruption. However, gender quotas are correlated with higher perceptions of corruption among political elites.
Can Critical Realism 'inform' Information Systems?

Being an essentially multi-disciplinary field, Information Systems does not appear to be informed by a single dominant underlying philosophy. Since IT is an integral part of IS, its philosophical roots are associated with logical positivism. While logical positivism has several merits, its proponents have been unable to respond to criticisms leveled by the Humean Skeptics. Logical empiricism took an asymptotic view with the concept of ‘ gradually increasing confirmation’ through ‘ intersubjective certification’ . It was challenged and relativism was touted as the epistemologically superior philosophy. However, relativism could not sustain its prominence in IS because of its inherent reliance on tautological arguments. In the last decade, Scientific Realism seems to have emerged as a viable philosophy. In this paper, we argue that Critical Realism, a variant of Scientific Realism, has considerable potential to become the dominant philosophical tradition in the field of Information Systems.
Nonforward parton distributions

Applications of perturbative QCD to deeply virtual Compton scattering and hard exclusive electroproduction processes require a generalization of usual parton distributions for the case when long-distance information is accumulated in nonforward matrix elements of quark and gluon light-cone operators. They describe two types of nonperturbative functions parameterizing such matrix elements: double distributions F(x,y;t) and nonforward distribution functions F{_}/zeta (X;t), discuss their spectral properties, evolution equations which they satisfy, basic uses and general aspects of factorization for hard exclusive processes.
Teachers' Daily Interactions With Children: An Essential Ingredient in Effective Early Childhood Programs

To ensure that investments in expanding early childhood programs are effective in supporting children's school readiness, early childhood settings must include responsive and cognitively stimulating daily interactions between teachers and children. Few young children are exposed to the types of teacher–child interactions needed to help ensure that they are prepared to start kindergarten. In this article, I review studies identifying teacher–child interactions that promote children's development and documenting how systematic professional development enhances these areas of teachers' practice. I also address the limits to research and the policy implications of this work.