cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the Role of the Phospholipid Cardiolipin in Activating Respiratory Complex Activity

Cardiolipin is an anionic phospholipid with a unique dimeric structure containing four fatty acids and two phosphate diesters. Within eukaryotic cells, cardiolipin resides predominantly in the energy-transducing mitochondrial inner membrane, where it mediates the assembly of respiratory chain supercomplexes, establishment of cristae morphology, and maintenance of membrane potential. Following its de novo synthesis in the inner membrane, nascent cardiolipin undergoes remodeling to produce a mature form of the lipid with largely unsaturated acyl chains. Abrogation of this remodeling cycle by dysfunction in the transacylase enzyme tafazzin underpins the heritable mitochondrial disorder Barth syndrome. Using an epistasis panel of yeast knockouts in the cardiolipin remodeling pathway, we have shown that remodeled and unremodeled cardiolpin support measurable features of oxidative phosphorylation to a similar extent, despite having marked differences in their acyl chain compositions. This has led us to analyze how physiochemical features other than acyl chain identity - namely the headgroup structure or the absence of a lipid tail - might explain the importance of cardiolipin remodeling. Using respiratory complex IV (cytochrome c oxidase) reconstituted into soluble nanoscale bilayers (nanodiscs) of defined lipid composition, we demonstrate the requirement of cardiolipin in activating respiratory complex redox activity. Moreover, performing fluorescence-based and electrokinetic measurements with model membrane systems, we have analyzed the interaction between divalent cations and cardiolipin-containing bilayers, as well as the proton dissociation behavior of cardiolipin variants. Using modeling that combines Gouy-Chapman-Stern formalism with Langmuir adsorption isotherms, our data indicate that cardiolipin variants bind divalent cations with similar affinities, but differ greatly with respect to cation-dependent alterations in headgroup packing in the bilayer interface. Moreover, our zeta potential measurements challenge the prevailing model that a bicyclic, resonance-stabilized headgroup structure maintains disparate pKa values of the two phosphate groups.
Bone mineral density in feline mucopolysaccharidosis VI measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to determine the in vivo bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) of lumbar vertebrae in six cats affected with the inherited lysosomal storage disease mucopolysacchari dosis VI (MPS VI). DXA was also per- formed on MPS cats that had a bone marrow transplant (BMT) and total body irradiation (TBI) (MPS + BMT; n = 7), normal cats that had a bone marrow transplant, and TBI (control + BMT; n = 8) and normal cats (control; n = 14). Following euthanasia, one of the lumbar vertebrae that had been scanned (L5) was harvested and bone volume (BV/ TV%) was determined by histomorphometry . The in vivo BMD and BMD measurements were compared with the BV/ TV%. There was a greater BMD and BMC in the MPS + BMT cats compared with the MPS cats but the difference was not statistically significant. However, there was a greater BV/TV% in the MPS + BMT cats compared with the MPS cats and the difference was significant (P = 0.0152). Correlation between the noninvasive in vivo DXA measure- ments of BMD and BMC and the BV/TV% was significant (r 2 = 0.767, P < 0.0001; r 2 = 0.504, P < 0.0001). Noninva- sive in vivo DXA was a rapid and precise method for mea- suring the lumbar BMD and BMC in cats and it correlated well with histomorphometri c determination of bone mass. Further, the response of inherited storage diseases such as MPS VI to therapy, such as BMT, could be monitored in a longitudinal fashion using DXA.
Feature size control in IC manufacturing

Until recently, the ever-increasing demand for higher device density in integrated-circuit (IC) designs has been satisfied mainly through device and circuit design ingenuity, increased chip size, and dimensional reduction. To keep pace with dimensional reduction, control of dimensional variations has assumed a more significant role. New IC designs are very dense and performance-oriented, requiring 2 -µm lithography ground rules with less than ±0.2-µm variations in circuit-feature dimensions at 3σ. Such small variations are dificult to detect and control with the present-day routine in-line-inspection optical tools. In this article, we present a description of the primary causes of dimensional variations in a typical manufacturing environment and proposals for their control.
Absorption and translocation of foliar applied triazone‐n as compared to other nitrogen sources in tomato

Abstract Absorption and translocation of foliar applied 15N labeled S‐tetrahydrotriazone (triazone), as compared to other N forms, was evaluated in tomato plants. Triazone‐N was taken up into leaf tissue in quantities similar to urea, ammonium, and nitrate‐N when applied at a N concentration of 0.35% w/v. Although >40% of the 15N label was exported from the treated leaf after 7 days, nearly 50% of the translocated triazone 15N label accumulated in non‐treated leaf tissue as compared to only 10% or less for the other N sources. The largest percentage of the translocated urea‐, ammonium‐, and nitrate‐15N label accumulated within developing fruit tissue. Multiple (3) foliar applications of triazone and urea at concentrations of 0.94% or higher and 1.0% N (w/v), respectively, enhanced both leaf and fruit tissue N concentrations. No growth responses to foliar applied N were observed.
Bismuth in the Atlantic and North Pacific: a natural analogue to plutonium and lead?

Abstract Bismuth has been analysed on samples from a vertical section from California to VERTEX IV, north of Hawaii, from a profile in the western Sargasso Sea and from an extensive suite of surface stations in the North and South Atlantic. Taken together with data from samples of Bermuda rain and from the Mississippi, Amazon and the Orinoco and its tributaries, a general outline of the processes controlling the Bi distribution in the ocean can be worked out. The dominant source in the open ocean is aeolian with the fluvial inputs being very small. Most of the aeolian input is probably derived from volcanoes; an anthropogenic flux may be important in the northwest Atlantic. Bismuth is scavenged in the mixed layer and regenerated at shallow depth to give a distribution in the northwest Pacific similar to that of 239,240 Pu and anthropogenic Pb. Below 2 km the values are extremely low, in the range 20–50 fM, lower than the coexisting levels for 232 Th. The residence time of the element in the water column is sufficiently short that there are large concentration decreases between the Deep Waters of the Atlantic and Pacific. In the latter ocean, the element appears to reflect essentially one-dimensional processes.
Stationary point variational Bayesian attribute-distributed sparse learning with ℓ 1 sparsity constraints

The paper proposes a new variational Bayesian algorithm for l 1 -penalized multivariate regression with attribute-distributed data. The algorithm is based on the variational Bayesian version of the SAGE algorithm that realizes a training of individual agents in a distributed fashion and sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) with hierarchical sparsity prior modeling of the agent weights. The SBL introduces constraints on the weights of individual agents, thus reducing the effects of overfitting and removing/suppressing poorly performing agents in the ensemble estimator. The l 1 constraint is introduced using a product of a Gaussian and an exponential probability density function with the resulting marginalized prior being a Laplace pdf. Such a hierarchical formulation of the prior allows for a computation of the stationary points of the variational update expressions for prior parameters, as well as deriving conditions that ensure convergence to these stationary points. Using synthetic data it is demonstrated that the proposed algorithm performs very well in terms of the achieved MSE, and outperforms other algorithms in the ability to sparsify non-informative agents, while at the same time allowing distributed implementation and flexible agent update protocols.
Mental representations of attachment in day care providers

Mental representations of attachment of 31 day-care providers were assessed using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), and compared with established observational measures of their behavior with the children under their care. Contrary to expectation, there was no significant association between the caregivers’ mental representations of attachment and their observed behavior. Teacher-report ratings of aggressive behavior were obtained for 135 children who had been under the care of these providers. Ten of the 13 children who scored in the clinical range for aggressive behavior were known to have been under the care of a provider with a secure mental representation of attachment for an extended period of time (average 14 months), but the average age of first exposure to such a provider in this study was 16 months. For center-based day-care providers, standardized observational assessments of caregiving behavior appear to be unrelated to mental representations of attachment. Children who, during the second year of life, were cared for by providers with secure mental representations of attachment were not necessarily protected from abnormally aggressive behavioral outcome.
Benefits of oat β-glucan and sucrose feedings on infection and macrophage antiviral resistance following exercise stress

Oat β-glucan can counteract the exercise-induced increased risk for upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in mice, which is at least partly mediated by its effects on lung macrophages. Substanti...
Role of Standing-Wave Mode Structure in Microlaser Emission

We have developed the first working microlaser, a laser oscillator in which coherent light is generated by means of the interaction of a single, excited two-level atom with a single mode of the radiation field. i In this experiment, inverted two-level atoms in an atomic beam traversing an ultrahigh Q optical resonator interact with the cavity mode one by one, and emit photons into the resonator. Because of the long cavity storage time, a large number of photons can build up. In this device the photon generation process follows the Jaynes-Cummings model, and the emission process is significantly different from that of conventional lasers. Photon build up is initiated by vacuum Rabi oscillations, not by spontaneous emission as in conventional lasers. Furthermore, amplification of the field is accomplished by the quantized Rabi oscillation process, and under appropriate conditions highly nonclassical photon distributions can be generated, such as photon-number trapped states.’ The microlaser is the optical analog of the micromaser,3 which operates in the microwave regime. However, operation in the optical range provides new experimental opportunities associated with the large increases in photon energy and momentum. The increase in photon energy allows measurement of the microlaser mean photon number and emission spectrum 4 via direct photon detection, whereas only atoms can be probed in the micromaser. The increased photon momentum should make it possible to study the entanglement of the quantized Rabi oscillations with the mechanical degrees of freedom of the atom, as exchange of a single optical photon with the cavity field can significantly deflect the atomic trajectory.5 In addition, the absence of blackbody radiation at optical frequencies opens the possibility of studying the features of quantum collapse and revival,6 which are entirely due to the superposition of discrete photon-number Fock states in the cavity field. Also promising is the possibility of generating and studying photon-number trapped states.
Retroviral Intasomes: Progress and Questions

In this issue of Structure, Gupta and colleagues apply a combination of biophysical approaches to study the solution properties of prototype foamy virus (PFV) integrase alone and in complex with viral DNA ends (intasome). The results complement and extend previous structural studies of PFV intasomes by X-ray crystallography and highlight the synergy of solution and crystallographic approaches to the study of nucleoprotein complexes.
Excellent Midterm Outcome of Extracardiac Conduit Total Cavopulmonary Connection: Results of 126 Cases

Background Extracardiac conduit total cavopulmonary connection has shown good early results; however, its long-term outcome has yet to be reported. Methods Of 282 patients who underwent extracardiac conduit total cavopulmonary connection since 1994, 126 patients who have been followed up for more than 5 years were included in this retrospective study. Actuarial survival rate, incidence of late complications, hemodynamic variables, and results of exercise tolerance test were reviewed. Results Follow-up time was 96.4 ± 23.0 months. There was 1 operative death and 6 late deaths. Actuarial survival rate was 95.2% and 93.6% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Seven patients had late complications including new-onset supraventricular arrhythmia in 3, protein-losing enteropathy in 2, thromboembolism in 1, and bleeding complication in 1. Seven patients underwent reoperation not related to the conduit. Freedom from Fontan-related events was 88.8% at 5 years and 84.3% at 10 years. Late cardiac catheterization in 119 survivors showed central venous pressure of 9.9 ± 2.9 mm Hg, cardiac index of 3.6 ± 0.8 L · min -1 · m -2 and arterial oxygen saturation of 94.5 ± 2.3%. No patient showed conduit stenosis. Plasma concentration of atrial and brain natriuretic peptide (pg/mL) were 28.9 ± 20.0 and 25.8 ± 44.5. Exercise test performed in 101 patients showed endurance time of 75.7 ± 12.9% of normal value, peak heart rate of 92.3 ± 14.4% of normal, and peak oxygen consumption of 90.0 ± 20.0% of normal. The latest echocardiogram showed ejection fraction of 60.4 ± 11.7%. Three patients had pacemaker rhythm, 1 had junctional rhythm, and 115 patients had sinus rhythm. Conclusions Midterm outcome of extracardiac conduit total cavopulmonary connection was satisfactory with low incidence of late mortality and morbidity, and excellent hemodynamic state.
Bacterial population structure and dynamics during the development of almond drupes.

AIMS: To describe the bacterial populations and their dynamics during the development of almond drupes. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined 16S rRNA gene libraries derived from the bacterial populations on almond drupes at three stages of development: (i) when the drupes were full sized, but before embryo development, (ii) when the drupe hulls first began to split and (iii) when the drupes were fully mature, but before harvesting. Our data revealed that the immature drupes were colonized by relatively few types of bacteria, belonging mostly to common phyllosphere-associated bacteria within the genera Pseudomonas, Pantoea, Methylobacterium and Sphingomonas. However, after the hulls first began to split, the level of bacterial diversity increased and continued to do so until the drupes were fully mature. At the last sampling period, we observed several sequences belonging to bacteria that are not usually associated with the phyllosphere, including some identical to Salmonella enterica. CONCLUSIONS: The bacterial populations on almond drupes before hull split were composed of relatively few types, most of which were commonly associated with the phyllosphere. However, after hull split, the level of microbial diversity increased, which was mostly due to increased levels of bacteria that are not normally associated with the phyllosphere, including Salm. enterica. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This is the first report of the bacterial populations associated with almond drupes and their dynamics during development. Of specific significance is the observation that Salm. enterica was present on the drupes just prior to harvesting, which may represent a critical control point.
Pathological enlargement of midbrain Virchow–Robin spaces: a rare cause of obstructive hydrocephalus

Midbrain multiloculated cystic formations can rarely origin by enlargement of Virchow-Robin spaces surrounding mesencephalo-thalamic artery and branches of the collicular and accessory collicular arteries. They can determine several pictures of midbrain syndrome and obstructive hydrocephalus. The authors describe a 38 year-old man affected by a Benedikt's syndrome related to a midbrain multicystic formation. Clinical course, differential diagnosis, and therapeutic choice are here also briefly discussed.
Laser Excited Raman and Fluorescence Spectra of Some Important Pesticides

Abstract The detection of residual pesticide levels in air and soils by remotely sensing their Raman Spectra is the objective of a recently initiated research program in the department. A necessary preliminary step in the endeavor has been to obtain data on the spectral distribution of scattered laser light from pure samples, under laboratory conditions.
Towards a high quality and web-scalable table search engine

For over a decade, a large number of studies have explored efficient mechanisms for finding relevant information from structured sources such as relational, semi-structured, and graph databases. While successful in its own right, keyword search over structured data has yet to gain wide spread adoption on the Web, and it is not because of the lack of structured data on the Web. In fact, the Web offers orders of magnitude more structured data than any offline data source: 14 billions tables can be gathered just by considering page content between the table tags. The main reason is that keyword search over structured data on the Web presents a unique set of challenges that are quite different from its non-Web counterparts, as well as different from searching over documents (where the search engines have excelled). In this talk, I will discuss those challenges and our approaches in addressing them at Google's WebTables project. In particular, I will present the table search engine, our initial effort toward building a high quality and scalable structured data search engine, along with our other efforts on managing structured data on the Web.
Account credibility and public image: Excuses, justifications, denials, and sexual harassment

Two studies are presented which both examine and challenge theories of account giving and public image following an accusation of sexual harassment in the workplace. A total of 1291 (709 college students in Study 1, and 482 working adults in Study 2) participants rated an account given by a male co‐worker accused of sexual harassment. When the accused accepted responsibility for his actions he was generally rated more credible, more likeable, more dedicated, and more competent compared to when he relied on excuses or denials. The public images of both the accuser and the accused were tarnished when the account included a denial and attacked the credibility of the accuser. Female respondents rated specific behaviors as more sexually harassing than did males, and females were generally more critical of accounts. In addition, excuses led to more warnings, punishments, and advice for the accused, while denials prompted respondents to study the matter further or refer the entire incident to a higher‐up. While ...
Assay of ligand receptors on membranes of epithelial cells cultured in three dimensional matrices

Three-dimensional matrix culture procedures are gaining favor for analysis of epithelial cell function. However, it is difficult to determine the kinetics of ligand binding to cells cultured within a matrix. We have developed a procedure that allows analysis of ligand binding to mouse mammary epithelial cells cultured in collagen gels using membrane vesicles. Cells are first recovered from collagen gels by digestion with collagenase and subsequently washed with sucrose solution. The cells in suspension are then disrupted and membranes are isolated by two sequential centrifugations. These cell membranes are used for determination of receptor binding kinetics and the nuclear pellet is used to estimate the DNA content. This method circumvents the disadvantages of the inaccessibility of receptor sites on cells cultured inside the matrix. The procedures are adaptable to various cell types and matrix materials.
Performance of the L3 plastic scintillating fibre calibration system

Abstract The L3 plastic scintillating fibre system is used to calibrate the central tracker by providing an external measurement of the track position in the bending plane. We describe the performance of the system during the LEP runs of 1989–1995 on the Z and the results of the calibration using the PSF system.
Immunohistochemical examination of the INK4 and Cip inhibitors in the rat neonatal cerebellum: cellular localization and the impact of protein calorie malnutrition.

Abstract Expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CKIs) has been linked to the inhibition of cellular proliferation and the induction of differentiation. Based on structure function analysis, two distinct families of CDKIs, the INK4 and the Cip/Kip family have been identified. The INK4 family member p16 Ink4 , and the Cip/Kip protein p27 Kip1 have been implicated in normal development of the CNS and cerebellum. Recent studies have suggested a functional inter-dependence between the CKI and the abundance of cyclin D1 in orchestrating growth factor-induced cellular proliferation. The neonatal rat cerebellum undergoes proliferative growth and differentiation, localized to distinct topographical regions and cell types. The cell type and the temporal profile of CKI expression during postnatal cerebellar development had not been described. The current studies determined the specific cerebellar cell types in which the CKIs were expressed during post natal development by co-staining for cell-type specific markers. p16 Ink4a and p27 Kip1 immunostaining was identified in both neurons and glial cells, increasing progressively between postnatal days 6 to 13 into adulthood. By contrast, neuronal and glial cell p21 Cip1 staining was prominent at days 6–11 and decreased thereafter. Cyclin D1 was expressed in the proliferating external granular cells, with occassional staining in the molecular, and internal granular layers. Dual immunostaining demonstrated cyclin D1 within cells expressing CKI (p16 Ink4a , p21 Cip1 ,p27 Kip1 ). Cerebellar cellular growth arrest, induced by protein–calorie malnutrition, inhibited cyclin D1 protein levels without affecting CKI immunostaining suggesting CKI do not mediate the developmental arrest. These results demonstrate that the CKIs are induced by differentiation cues in specific cell types with distinct kinetics in the developing cerebellum in vivo.
Base excision repair dysfunction in a subgroup of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome.

In myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) increased chromosomal breaks point toward defects in DNA repair machinery including base excision repair (BER) pathway involved in handling of oxidative DNA damage. We investigated whether defects in this pathway can be found in MDS. Elevated levels of 8-oxoguanine (8-OG) were found in a significant proportion of MDS patients, indicating increased oxidative DNA damage or defective handling of oxidative load. In a distinct subgroup of patients, increased 8-OG content was associated with increased hOGG1 mRNA expression and activity. In some patients, increased numbers of abasic sites (AP sites) correlated with low levels of POLβ. To further investigate the nature of this defect, we examined genetic lesions potentially explaining accumulation of 8-OG and AP sites. We genotyped a large cohort of MDS patients and found a correlation between increased oxidative damage and the presence of the hOGG1-Cys326 allele suggesting inadequate compensatory feedback. Overall, this hOGG1 variant was more frequent in MDS, particularly in advanced forms, as compared to controls. In summary, we demonstrated that BER dysfunction in some MDS patients may be responsible for the increased 8-OG incorporation and explains one aspect of the propensity to chromosomal breaks in MDS but other mechanisms may also be involved.
Ion-Assisted Deposition of Protective Overlayers for Magneto-Optic Alloys

Rare-Earth Transition-Metal alloys such as Tb-Fe-Co are being studied and used as magneto-optic data storage materials. These materials are susceptible to oxidation by either oxygen or water vapor, particularly the rare earth component. Pitting corrosion is also a problem when protective overlayers have pinholes or a porous microstructure. Both degradation mechanisms are significant for application of this material to optical data storage. We have used ion assisted deposition (IAD) to produce protective overlayers of refractory oxides, such as A12O3 and ZrO2. These layers were deposited both with and without IAD onto iron films and exposed to environments with controlled temperature and humidity. A scanning micro-reflectometer capable of detecting micrometer-sized pinholes was used to monitor the degradation of the iron layer with exposure time.
Mapping mental calculation systems with electrocorticography.

Objective We investigated intracranially-recorded gamma activity during calculation tasks to better understand the cortical dynamics of calculation.
Binding of factor VIII to platelets in the presence of ristocetin.

Ristocetin agglutinates platelets in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) containing factor VIII-related von Willebrand factor (WF). When the clumps were separated from the supernatant and resuspended in buffer, the platelets dispersed if the buffer was free of ristocetin and the PRP had been treated with aspirin or EDTA to prevent the platelet release reaction. Binding to platelets was determined by measuring WF (ristocetin cofactor assay), VIIIR-antigen (AG, by radioimmunoassay), and coagulant activity (C) in the initial plasma, the supernatant remaining after removing the clumps formed by ristocetin, and the eluate produced after resuspending the clumped platelets in buffer. No activity was bound to platelets in the absence of ristocetin. After agglutinating platelets in PRP with ristocetin, WF, AG and C activities in the supernatants were about 65% of the initial plasma values, and in the eluates about 9%. Formalin-fixed washed platelets resuspended in 1 in 3 plasma, and platelets in PRP diluted 1 in 3 also agglutinated when shaken with ristocetin. There was no difference between results with fixed and unfixed platelets. In one series of experiments, the supernatants had about 60% of the initial WF and AG activities; since these activities were the same, they may measure the same substance. In a later series, WF and C were compared; in shaken samples the supernatants had 39% of the initial WF activity and 56% of the initial C activity, and in unshaken samples the supernatants had 3% WF and 29% C. The significantly lower values for C binding suggest that this activity is located on a different molecule from WF-AG and that the molecules are more readily separated in diluted than in undiluted plasma. Activity in the eluates was inversely proportional to that in the supernatants although the initial activity was never completely recovered. WF and C binding increased with platelet number and ristocetin concentration. Platelets exposed to ADP before fixation showed less agglutination than control fixed platelets and bound less WF. Fixed platelets incubated for 15 min with 30 μg trypsin/ml and washed, or platelets from a patient with the Bernard-Soulier syndrome failed to agglutinate and bound virtually no WF, AG or C. We conclude that WF, AG and C reversibly bind to fixed or unfixed platelets in the presence of ristocetin, that binding is similar in undiluted plasma but greater for WF and AG than C in plasma diluted 1 in 3, and that ADP and trypsin alter binding, probably by affecting a platelet receptor.
Regiospecific preparation of thermodynamic silyl enol ethers using bromomagnesium dialkylamides

Abstract Theromodynamic silyl enol ethers are regiospecifically generated in high yield from cyclic ketones, bromomagnesium diisopropylamide (BMDA) and trimethysilyl chloride.
Level of education and category fluency task among Spanish speaking elders: number of words, clustering, and switching strategies.

It has been well documented that education influences the individual's performance on category fluency tasks but it is still unclear how this effect may differ across the different types of category tasks (i.e., animals, fruits, vegetables and clothing). This study aims (1) to analyze the effect of the level of education on four different types of category fluency tasks among elder Hispanic Americans and (2) to provide normative information on a population with different education levels that was previously screened for neurological and psychiatric conditions. In addition this study examines the semantic strategies used by these individuals to complete the fluency tasks. The sample included 105 healthy Hispanic individuals (age 55-98; 29 males and 76 females) divided into three education groups ( 11 years of education). Results showed that after controlling for age and gender, education has a main effect and is a strong predictor of performance in verbal fluency for the categories animals and clothing with increasing educational attainment being associated with higher category fluency scores and with more switches between categories. These findings suggest that the category fruit is less influenced by level of education than the other three semantic categories and may be a more appropriate test across different educational groups. Results from this study provide a reference for clinicians assessing verbal fluency in Spanish speaking populations.
Analysis of data from clinical studies of localized juvenile periodontitis.

Abstract Data from 27 subjects with localized juvenile periodontitis were used to compute estimates of the intraclass correlation coefficient for initial periodontal pocket depth measurements and total subgingival Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans counts, and for changes from pre- to post-treatment in periodontal pocket depth, probing attachment level and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans counts. The estimates for the clinical parameters were considerably higher than those found in a similar study of adult periodontitis. On the average, the estimates for the intraclass correlation coefficients for Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans counts did not differ markedly from the corresponding estimates for the clinical parameters. Although the results of this study indicate that the major component of variability in parameters commonly used in studies of periodontal disease can be attributed to site-specific factors, sites within subjects cannot be considered statistically independent. For the analysis of data arising from studies of periodontal disease, it is recommended that statistical techniques, like the nested mixed effects analysis of variance model be employed, which account for this dependence. These techniques will allow meaningful biological questions concerning site-specific phenomenon to be answered. However, changes in clinical and microbiological parameters, when therapeutic measures are employed on localized juvenile periodontitis patients, are often dramatic enough to allow informal data presentation.
Influence of resources on pig aggression and dominance.

Relationships between presence of feed and water and aggressive behaviour and correlations between dominance and use of these resources were investigated in 64 five to eight week old pigs (Sus scrofa ). Pens of four randomly-selected pigs were established. Social dominance order was obtained largely within the first four hours but aggressive behaviour reached zero 19.4 hours after regrouping four pigs. Whether feed or water were present, pigs fought at similar levels. Pigs who were more aggressive did spend more time drinking water when resources were limited. Pigs that headed the aggressive dominance order did not gain preferred access to resources when they were in limited supply nor when they were abundant.
How communication can improve the performance of multi-agent systems

We analyze a general model of multi-agent communication in which all agents learn to communicate simultaneously to a message board. We show that the communicating multi-agent system is equivalent to a Mealy finite state machine whose states are determined by the agents' usage of the learned language. Increasing the language size increases the number of possible states in the Mealy machine, and can improve the performance of the multi-agent system. We introduce the term {\em semantic density} to describe the average number of meanings assigned to each word of a language. Using semantic density, a simple rule is presented that provides a pessimistic estimate of the minimum language size that should be used for any multi-agent problem in which the agents communicate simultaneously. Simulations on a version of the predator-prey pursuit problem, a simplified version of problems seen in warfare scenarios, validate these predictions. The communicating predators evolved using a genetic algorithm perform significantly better than all previous work on similar preys.
The effect of plasticization on craze microstructure

The structure of crazes in plasticized polystyrene has been studied by means of small-angle x-ray scattering and optical interference microscopy. Addition of plasticizer causes a rapid increase in the mean fibril diameter D and a slow decrease in the craze fibril volume fraction vf. The crazing stress σc was also measured and it was found that the product Dσc is independent of plasticizer concentration. These results are shown to be consistent with the entanglement model for controlling vf and the meniscus instability model of craze thickness growth.
Sediment budget approach to understanding historical stages of the Ottawa River in the context of land-use change, northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan, USA

Abstract Many rivers in mid-continent North America are incised, cutting laterally into anthropogenic terraces, and having fluvial pavements. Treating these as “natural” rivers biases river restoration efforts. This study uses a sediment budget approach to evaluate anthropogenic change, based on stratigraphy (66 cores and 3 trenches), facies analysis (22 lithofacies), and geochronology (4 14 C dates, 6 OSL dates, and one date-stamped bottle). Five river stages can be discerned: (1) prior to ca. 5000 YBP, the river formed meandering point-bar sequences ≥1.5 m thick; (2) between ca. 5000 and 200 YBP, the river transported organic-rich sediment (“blackwater streams”) and was bordered by peat-forming riparian wetlands; (3) between ca. 200 YBP and the early-1960s the river transported mineral-rich sediment (“brownwater streams”), due to agricultural land clearance, which backfilled the previous riparian wetlands and produced an series of thin channel fills; (4) urbanization, starting in the early-1950s, resulted in sediment supply greatly exceeding sediment conveyance capacity, leading to 1.7 m vertical aggradation creating the fill-terrace morphology evident today; and (5) reduction in sediment inputs, starting in the 1980s due to no-till agriculture and revegetation of housing subdivision tracts, has produced bank erosion, tree fall, logjams, and degraded substrate with fluvial pavements. Stage 4 is interpreted as a time-specific (1950s–1980s) sediment pulse related to urbanization of the lower drainage basin, while the partly overlapping stage 5 is interpreted as fluvial reworking of intrabasinal storage (legacy sediment) under conditions of lower sediment input but higher water inputs (increasingly urbanized stormwater drainage networks). Regarding river restoration, the modern river is a recent and highly manipulated system that may not be sustainable.
Ethylene and auxin-ethylene interaction in adventitious root formation in mung bean (Vigna radiata) cuttings

The role of ethylene in adventitious root formation and its involvement in auxin-induced rooting were investigated in cuttings ofVigna radiata (L.). Treatment with 30 μM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) for 24 h slightly inhibited rooting, whereas the same concentration of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) significantly stimulated it. Ethylene derived from 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) increased the number of adventitious roots but inhibited their emergence and elongation. Endogenous levels of ethylene, ACC, and malonyl-ACC (MACC) were initially higher in cuttings treated with IAA. This trend was quickly reversed, and cuttings, particularly hypocotyls, treated with IBA produced higher levels of ethylene and had more ACC and MACC during most of the rooting process. Aminoethoxyvinylglycine significantly inhibited rooting, but its inhibitory effect could not be reversed by ACC. The data suggest that the stimulating effect of IBA on rooting is closely associated with its induction of ACC and ethylene biosynthesis.
Meeting Our Customers’ Expectations: A Follow-Up Customer Satisfaction Survey After 10 Years of Free Document Delivery and Interlibrary Loan Services at Texas A&M University Libraries

A customer satisfaction survey was conducted at Texas A&M University Libraries to determine how we can continue to deliver the best document delivery/interlibrary loan service possible for our customers. The results confirm our excellence in delivering this popular “Get it for me” service. The findings also enable us to make some changes in our process to further improve the service.
The binding of n-butyl isocyanide to human hemoglobin.

Abstract The binding of n-butyl isocyanide to hemoglobin has been investigated by 19F-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The 19F-nmr spectrum of hemoglobin trifluoroacetonylated at cysteine β93 exhibits chemical shift changes on binding of ligands to the β chains. Comparison of these changes to the fractional change in the visible spectrum, shows that in the presence of diphosphoglyceric acid initial ligands bind preferentially to α chains. In the absence of DPG, ligation of β chains increases linearly with overall fractional ligation, indicating that binding to α and β chains is random under these conditions.
Early responses associated with chronic pathology in murine schistosomiasis

Inbred male CBA/J mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni develop either hypersplenomegaly syndrome (HSS) or moderate splenomegaly syndrome (MSS) by 20 weeks of infection. Pathologically and immunologically, MSS and HSS closely parallel the intestinal and hepatosplenic clinical forms of schistosomiasis in humans, respectively. By 6 weeks after infection, mice that eventually will become MSS develop T cell-stimulatory, cross-reactive idiotypes (CRI) while HSS mice never produce CRI. Because presence of CRI is useful to predict degree of chronic pathology, we used this measure to investigate what other early immunological events occurred in animals destined to develop severe morbidity. At 8 weeks of infection, there was a strong inverse correlation between CRI and splenomegaly, egg counts, and liver hydroxyproline. Similarly, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)- and ionomycin-stimulated intracellular cytokine expression of IL-4, IL-5, and GM-CSF in splenic CD4+ T cells was inversely correlated with serum CRI and directly correlated with spleen size. In contrast, spleen cell intracellular TNF-? and peritoneal cell production of nitric oxide demonstrated positive correlations with CRI and inverse correlations with measures of morbidity. Surprisingly, IL-10 and IFN-? were not correlated with CRI levels. These studies link chronic pathology to certain immunological responses during the acute phase of schistosomiasis. (Resume d'auteur)
Peripheral nerve block with phenol to treat spasticity in spinal cord injured patients

In this study an attempt was made to treat spinal cord injured patients with severe spasticity by peripheral nerve blocks. Thirty-six patients (5 female, 31 male) ranging in age from 20 to 71 years (mean: 29 +/- 8.2) were treated by phenol injections. A specially designed electrostimulation needle was used for the injections. The results showed that peripheral nerve blocks with phenol solution could be a remedy on a temporary basis, but are not as effective as has been described previously.
Optimizing energy of HTTP requests in Android applications

Energy is important for mobile apps. Among all operations of mobile apps, making HTTP requests is one of the most energy consuming. However, there is not sufficient work in optimizing the energy consumption of HTTP requests in mobile apps. In our previous study, we found that making small HTTP requests was not energy efficient. Yet, we did not study how to optimize the energy of HTTP requests. In this paper, we make a preliminary study to bundle sequential HTTP requests with a proxy server. With our technique, we had a 50% energy saving for HTTP requests in two market Android apps. This result indicates that our technique is promising and we will build on the result in our future work.
Mitotic chromosome structure and condensation

Mitotic chromosome structure has been the cell biology equivalent of a 'riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma'. Observations that genetic knockout or knockdown of condensin subunits or topoisomerase II cause only minimal perturbation in overall chromosome condensation, together with analysis of early stages of chromosome condensation and effects produced by histone H1 depletion, suggest a need to reconsider textbook models of mitotic chromosome condensation and organization.
Corrugated Pipe as a Beam Dechirper

We have studied the use of a metallic pipe with small corrugations for the purpose of passively dechirping, through its wakefield, a short, intense electron bunch. The corrugated pipe is attractive for this purpose because its wake: (i) has near maximal possible amplitude for a given aperture and (ii) has a relatively large oscillation wave length, even when the aperture is small. We showed how the corrugated structure can satisfy dechirping requirements encountered in the NGLS project at LBNL. We found that a linear chirp of -40 MeV/mm can be induced by an NGLS-like beam, by having it pass through a corrugated, metallic pipe of radius 3 mm, length 8.2 m, and corrugation parameters full depth 450 {mu}m and period 1000 {mu}m. This structure is about 15 times as effective in the role of dechirper as an S-band accelerator structure used passively.
THE SEARCH FOR OTHER PLANETARY SYSTEMS : PROGRESS TO DATE AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

Abstract Most of the truly fundamental questions in science involve the concept of “origins’ in one way or another. Progress on experimental, observational and theoretical grounds over the past few decades, have led to the development of a paradigm for the origin of the solar system. The significance of this paradigm is that it links inextricably the formation of stars and the existence of planetary systems; it makes specific, and therefore, testable predictions as to the general features of planetary systems. An inescapable consequence of this paradigm is that planetary systems should be found in association with many, perhaps most, stars. At the time of this writing, however, there is as yet no confirmed observational evidence for the existence of another planetary system. This does not mean that the paradigm is faulty, nor does it imply an absence of progress. Indeed, the opposite is the case, and prospects for the future are excellent. NASA is progressing with a program, starting with an aggressive ground-based effort, to be followed with an astrometric system in low-Earth orbit. Visions beyond that include observatories on the Moon.
Modified Single-Sling Myocutaneous Island Pedicle Flap: Series of 61 Reconstructions

BACKGROUND Bilevel undermining above and below the transverse nasalis muscle in the construction of a myocutaneous island pedicle flap produces a bilateral or unilateral muscular sling with exceptional vascular supply for reconstruction of defects on the distal nose. We present further modification of the single-sling myocutaneous island pedicle flap that expands its application to a wide variety of nasal defects and further defines its usefulness in nasal reconstruction. METHODS A series of 61 consecutive myocutaneous island pedicle flap reconstructions performed after Mohs surgery between March 2005 and July 2006 are presented. Flap modifications are presented, and advantages and limitations are discussed. RESULTS Flap modifications introduce additional reach and rotational mobility to the flap that permit extension of the flap to defects on the nasal tip and distal ala. CONCLUSION Modifications of the bilevel approach to the single-sling nasalis myocutaneous island pedicle flap further define its practicality in nasal reconstruction and expand its application to a variety of nasal defects.
Chromatographic measurement of interactions between unlike proteins

Abstract A chromatographic method is used to measure ovalbumin-lysozyme and BSA-lysozyme interactions in aqueous salt solutions as a function of solution conditions (pH, ionic strength, salt type). In this method, one protein is immobilized on the support surface, and the other, dissolved in a buffer/electrolyte solution, flows over that surface. The retention time provides a measure of immobile/mobile protein–protein interactions. Trends in ovalbumin-lysozyme interactions suggest that they are primarily electrostatic. The identity of the electrolyte has a strong influence on the magnitude of the interaction. Assuming a potential of mean force that contains a hard sphere, electrostatic, and square-well potential, experimental results are used to fit the square-well depth. For BSA-lysozyme interactions, the square-well depth depends on which protein is immobilized on the solid phase.
Indoor localization using ultrasonic time difference of arrival

Indoor environments like those found in mining and firefighting operations are extremely dynamic and Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH), requiring Incident Commanders and supervisors to constantly be aware of the location of their personnel. This paper presents a graduate student project to develop, in the span of one semester, a prototype for indoor localization using readily-available ultrasonic sensors and Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) techniques to showcase the feasibility and accuracy of such a system. TDOA employs measurements of difference in time between signals arriving at receiver nodes, with the absolute position of the nodes being known. A time difference of arrival between two receiver nodes defines a hyperbola on which the transmitter must be located, and three or more TDOA measurements provide a location fix where the hyperbolas intersect. A system was implemented using one transmitter circuit with six ultrasonic transducers spaced in such a manner as to create omnidirectional coverage, and four receiver circuits converting the presence of an ultrasonic broadcast to a high output. The four receiver outputs were then fed into a microcontroller that time-stamped the signal and solved the issue of needing a common clock. The resulting data, even when using simplified equations, yielded position location accuracy within a foot in both X and Y directions. Some issues were encountered in and around the center lines of the test area. Overall, this prototype proved the feasibility of implementing a simple localization system that provides relatively accurate location results.