cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Subtilisin Amylosacchariticus: I. PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION

Abstract The diisopropylphosphoryl derivative of subtilisin Amylosacchariticus has an isoelectric point of pH 7.80 and a sedimentation coefficient (s020,w) of 2.71 S. The molecular weight for native and denatured protein, determined by sedimentation equilibrium, is 27,500. The amino acid composition is intermediate between those of subtilisins BPN' and Carlsberg. NH2-and COOH-terminal sequences are similar to those of subtilisin BPN'. The reactivity of subtilisin Amylosacchariticus with the specific inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-l-phenylalanylbromomethane is about an order of magnitude less than that of subtilisins BPN' and Carlsberg.
Kinetics of the reaction O + ClO yields Cl + O2

The bimolecular rate constant for the reaction O + ClO yields Cl + O2 has been measured over the temperature range 236-422 K in a discharge flow system using atomic oxygen resonance fluorescence at 130 nm to monitor the decay of O in an excess of ClO. The results are found to be independent of the method used to produce the ClO radical. At 296 K, the rate constant is given by (3.6 + or - 0.7) x 10 to the -11th cu cm/sec and the temperature dependence expressed in Arrhenius form by k2 = (5.0 + or - 1.0) x 10 to the -11th exp-(96 + or - 20)/T cu cm/sec. The results are compared with earlier values, and the implications for stratospheric chemistry are discussed briefly.
Poverty and household size

The widely held view that larger families tend to be poorer in developing countries has influenced research and policy. The scope for size economies in consumption cautions against this view. We find that the correlation between poverty and size vanishes in Pakistan when the size elasticity of the cost of living is about 0.6. This turns out to be the elasticity implied by a modified version of the food share method of setting scales. By contrast some measures of child nutritional status indicate an elasticity of unity. Consideration of the weight attached to child versus adult welfare may help resolve the non-robustness of demographic profiles of poverty. (EXCERPT)
How to make a metalloprotein.

Copper is an essential transition metal that plays a fundamental role in the biochemistry of all aerobic organisms. Recent work elucidating the structural mechanisms of copper delivery to superoxide dismutase provides insight into the cell biology of copper metabolism and serves as an example of how to understand the principles governing the incorporation of metals into proteins.
From Public Infrastructure to National Economic Growth: Do Systematic Investment Practices Matter?

This paper investigates the path effects of systematic government investment on national growth. We build a theory where government investment practices, along with other institutional variables, affect the quality of a country’s core public infrastructure system. This, in turn, positively affects national productivity. Using the path analysis method, we test our theoretical framework on a sample of data drawn from 25 developing economies during the period from 1990 to 2000. The results suggest that a unit increase in systematic public investment practices indirectly enhances national productivity with an increase of about $10-$15 in a country’s real per capita GDP through the better condition and service capacity of a country’s core public infrastructure.
Learning Link-Based Naïve Bayes Classifiers from Ontology-Extended Distributed Data

We address the problem of learning predictive models from multiple large, distributed, autonomous, and hence almost invariably semantically disparate, relational data sources from a user's point of view. We show under fairly general assumptions, how to exploit data sources annotated with relevant meta data in building predictive models (e.g., classifiers) from a collection of distributed relational data sources, without the need for a centralized data warehouse, while offering strong guarantees of exactness of the learned classifiers relative to their centralized relational learning counterparts. We demonstrate an application of the proposed approach in the case of learning link-based Naive Bayes classifiers and present results of experiments on a text classification task that demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach.
Determinants of Rural Latino Trust in the Federal Government

Trust in government is essential to democratic practice. This article analyzed the factors shaping trust in the federal government using a survey of 260 Mexican immigrants living in rural Illinois and in-depth interviews with 32 participants. To analyze these data, we drew a distinction between support for the regime (system of government that is relatively stable in a political system) and support for authorities (those who temporarily occupy positions of power) to test whether regime or authorities’ considerations shaped respondents’ political trust. The results showed that both considerations influenced trust in the federal government. We also found that a perception of current leaders as being concerned with issues affecting Latinos and an increased optimism about the economic situation were key determinants in explaining trust in the federal government. Further, our in-depth interviews showed that respondents thought about economic issues, immigration, and overall assessments of the Obama administration when determining their level of trust in the federal government.
CEO Tenure and Risk-Taking

This paper conducts a systematic analysis of the effect of CEO tenure on risk-taking. We document an overall positive effect of tenure on risk-taking, which is inconsistent with viewing tenure primarily as an indicator of human capital investment. Though we can not rule out the explanations based on the power and experience effects of tenure, our results are more consistent with interpreting tenure as the career concerns of a manager. Consistent with this interpretation and recent theoretical work, we show that the effect of CEO tenure on risk-taking depends on the information asymmetry about CEO ability.
Prediction of damage threshold fluences for metal films by an ultrashort laser pulse

At laser intensities near the threshold fluence, the electron temperatures in metals heated by an ultrashort pulse can be comparable to the Fermi temperature. As the existing approximations for material properties used in the two-temperature models are limited to electron temperatures that are much lower than the Fermi temperature, the models are suitable only for low fluences. This paper extends the existing estimations for optical and thermal properties to high electron temperatures by the following improvements: (1) using the Fermi-Dirac distribution, the heat capacity of metal free electrons is calculated; (2) the free electron relaxation time and electron coductivity are determined by using a quantum model derived from the Boltzmann transportation equation for dense plasma; and (3) the free electron heating and interband transition are both taken into account using a modified Drude model with quantum adjustments to calculate the reflectivity and the absorption coefficient. The proposed two-temperature model is employed to calculate the heating process of thin metal films until melting occurs, which is assumed to be the initiation of damage. The predicted damage threshold fluences for 200 nm gold film using the proposed model are in good agreement with published experimental data. The damage threshold fluence as a function of pulse duration is also studied.© (2004) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Variation of the obturator foramen and pubic arch of the female bony pelvis

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine dimensions of the obturator foramen and pubic arch of the female pelvis and to assess for variability. Study Design Ninety-six female pelvises were selected from the Cleveland Natural History Museum. The obturator foramen area, pubic arch angle, pubic ramus, pubic symphysis, and anterior urogenital triangle area were measured. Linear regression was used to evaluate independent associations. Results There was considerable variability of the bony architecture. The mean obturator foramen area was 12.2 ± 2.1 cm 2 (range, 7.38-18.22 cm 2 ). After controlling for height, the pubic ramus width, pubic symphysis length, and interobturator foramina distance were significantly greater in European American women compared with African American women. Obturator foramen area increased with increasing height ( P = .0008) but was not associated with race. Conclusion There is considerable variability in the bony architecture of the obturator foramen and pubic arch of the female pelvis. Race and height may account for some of these variabilities.
A Note on the Frequency and Sources of Close Interreligious Ties

As the religious landscape of the United States becomes increasingly diverse, understanding how individuals of different faiths relate to each other and the consequences of those relationships presents a significant issue for research. Research studying such faith-bridging interactions has been limited and primarily focused on interfaith marriage. Using social network data from the 2004 General Social Survey we examine the dynamics underlying the frequency of interfaith ties of all types. We then analyze how interreligious ties differ in strength from intrareligious ties.
Zinc suppression of free radicals induced in cultures of rat hepatocytes by iron, t-butyl hydroperoxide, and 3-methylindole.

The effect of zinc on lipid peroxidation initiated by either ferric-nitrilotriacetate, t-butyl hydroperoxide, or 3-methylindole was studied using primary monolayer cultures of rat liver parenchymal cells. The malondialdehyde content of the cells and culture medium was used to estimate the extent of lipid peroxidation. As the zinc concentration of the culture medium was increased from 1 to 48 microM, peroxidation was diminished. Cellular zinc and metallothionein levels were proportionally increased by supplemental zinc. Zinc supplementation of the medium inhibited NADPH-cytochrome c reductase activity and stimulated glutathione peroxidase activity. The uptake of iron into the hepatocytes was significantly reduced as the level of zinc was raised, suggesting that zinc antagonizes uptake of chelated iron into isolated hepatocytes and in this way blocks iron-induced peroxidation. Furthermore, induction of metallothionein synthesis by zinc may contribute to the reduction in free radicals. Spectra from electron spin resonance studies, using phenylbutylnitrone as a spin-trapping reagent, demonstrated that free radical production was inversely related to the zinc concentration of the culture medium. Spin trap data suggest that metallothionein added to lysed cells in vitro decreases free radical production. Studies using the spin trap, 3,3,5,5-tetramethylpyrroline-N-oxide indicated that cumulatively the predominant radical present in the cultures was amore » phenyl radical with hydroperoxide or methylindole. Collectively, our data demonstrate that zinc inhibits free radical production and lipid peroxidation in cultured hepatocytes. The mode of action of zinc could occur via free radical scavenging by zinc-induced metallothionein and/or by processes related to cytochrome P-450 and glutathione peroxidase.« less
Moisture absorption into ultrathin hydrophilic polymer films on different substrate surfaces

Abstract Moisture absorption into ultrathin poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) films with varying thickness was examined using X-ray reflectivity (XR) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements. Two different surfaces were used for the substrate: a hydrophilic silicon oxide (SiO x ) and a hydrophobic hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) treated silicon oxide surface. The total equilibrium moisture absorption (solubility) was insensitive to the surface treatment in the thickest films (≈150 nm). However, strong reductions in the equilibrium uptake with decreasing PVP film thickness were observed on the HMDS surfaces, while the SiO x surface exhibited thickness independent equilibrium absorption. The decreased absorption with decreasing film thickness is attributed a depletion layer of water near the polymer/HMDS interface, arising from hydrophobic interactions between the surface and water. The diffusivity of water decreased when the film thickness was less than 60 nm, independent of the surface treatment. Changes in the properties of ultrathin polymer films occur even in plasticized films containing nearly 50% water.
Multichannel quantum-defect theory for magnetic Feshbach resonances in heteronuclear group-I systems

We present a multichannel quantum-defect theory for magnetic Feshbach resonances in the interaction of two heteronuclear group-I atoms. The theory provides a unified and a uniform description of resonances in all partial waves and enables the characterization of a large number of resonances in terms of very few parameters. For the sample system of $^{6}\mathrm{Li} ^{40}\mathrm{K}$, we present descriptions of all resonances in $aa$, $ab$, and $ba$ channels, in partial waves $s$ ($l=0$) through $h$ ($l=5$), and in a magnetic field of 0--1000 G. All resonances, including those in nonzero partial waves, are fully characterized using the newly developed parametrization of Gao [Phys. Rev. A 84, 022706 (2011)].
Early results of valve replacement with the Björk-Shiley convexoconcave prosthesis.

The Bjork-Shiley convexoconcave prosthetic valve has design characteristics that may result in a lower incidence of thromboembolic complications than the conventional spherical Bjork-Shiley prosthesis. We evaluated the results of valve replacement with the convexoconcave prosthesis in 248 patients receiving 301 prosthetic valves between March, 1979, and June, 1981. One hundred thirteen patients had aortic valve replacement (AVR), 73 had mitral valve replacement (MVR), and 62 had multiple valve replacement. Two hundred nine (84%) were in New York Heart Association Class III or IV. The median duration of follow-up was 13 months, and follow-up information was available for 246 (99%) of the patients. The actuarial incidence of freedom from thromboembolism at two years was 98% in the AVR group, 97% in the MVR group, and 87% in the group having multiple valve replacement. There were no documented episodes of valve thrombosis or mechanical failure and no fatal thromboembolic complications. The absence of valve thrombosis is in marked contrast to the results reported with the spherical disc valve. Although longer follow-up is necessary, it appears that the convexoconcave design represents a major improvement in the Bjork-Shiley prosthesis.
The Benthic Marine Algae of Delaware, U.S.A.

Field studies carried out between 1962 and 1968 along the Atlantic coast of Delaware, U.S.A., and the southern shores of Delaware Bay, revealed the presence of 74 different taxa of marine algae, 69 of which are benthic. Of these benthic taxa 11 belong to the Cyanophycophyta, 21 to the Chlorophycophyta, 1 to the Xanthophycophyta, 18 to the Phaeophycophyta, and 18 to the Rhodophycophyta. As reported in my Preliminary Checklists (Zaneveld, 1966a, 1967), almost all benthic taxa are new records for the State of Delaware, e.g. 11 belonging to the Cyanophycophyta, 18 to the Chlorophycophyta, 1 to the Xanthophycophyta, 16 to the Phaeophycophyta and 11 to the Rhodophycophyta. The reproductive periodicities of the taxa are tabulated, showing that the maximum reproductive periods for most taxa extend from early May to late September.
Multicomponent Inverse Gas Chromatography: Determination of Solubility and Diffusivity in Ternary Polymer−Solvent Systems

The inverse gas chromatography technique was applied to measure solubility and diffusivity in a ternary polymer−solvent−solvent system. This method requires the comparison of the experimental elution profiles with theoretically predicted ones. A new simplified model was developed to describe ternary systems. In addition, a new experimental apparatus was constructed to monitor the independent composition profiles during a multicomponent experiment. The model was evaluated using experimental data for the system poly(vinyl acetate)−toluene−tetrahydrofuran at 80 and 100 °C. Solubility and diffusivity of the mixed solvents in poly(vinyl acetate) were collected at 80°.
Reactions of irradiated polytetrduoroethylene resin

Powders and compacted preforms of virgin unmelted polytetrafluoroethylene were subjected to ionizing radiation in high vacuum. The specific gravities, melt Visccmities, and mechanical strengths of the irradiated samples after a standard heating cycle in air or at reduced pressures indicate that degradation is more pronounced in the presence of oxygen than in vacuum. The presence of oxygen in the excessively degraded sample was shown by electron spin resonance and pyrolysis experiments. It is suggested that some branched molecules are also formed on heating the irradiated samples resulting in a broadening of the molecular weight distribution. Primary fluorocarbon radicals of the type . disappear rapidly when heated at 75°C. in vacuum while secondary radicals are stable thermally at 200°C. and disappear only slowly at 400°C. Both typea of radicals react rapidly with oxygen and tetrafluoroethylene at 0°C. The reactions which occur in irradiated polytetrafluoroethylene in various atmospheres and at several temperatures are reviewed in light of the information developed during this research.
Self-trapping of light in an organic photorefractive glass

We report the first observation, to our knowledge, of self-trapping of light as well as optically induced focusing-to-defocusing switching in an organic photorefractive glass, owing to the orientationally enhanced photorefractive nonlinearity of the material.
A REVIEW OF PERMANENT INTERSTITIAL IMPLANT RADIOTHERAPY USING RADON‐222 AND IODINE‐125*

It is important that veterinarians who perform radiation therapy possess a minimum basic knowledge of interstitial implant radiotherapy and of radionuclides used as interstitial implants. The advantages and disadvantages of interstitial implants as compared with tele-therapy, surgery, and chemotherapy, are presented. Two radionuclides, radon-222 and iodine-125, are discussed, and their physical parameters, cost, safety, and radiotherapeutic efficacy in human patients are compared. Three methods of dosimetry are briefly discussed: the Patterson-Parker system, the Quimby system, and the dimension averaging technique. Some types of implant needles and associated implant equipment are described. It is concluded that permanent interstitial implants deserve consideration as a modality for treatment of appropriate spontaneous animal neoplasms.
Theory and research in strategic management: Swings of a pendulum:

The development of the field of strategic management within the last two decades has been dramatic. While its roots have been in a more applied area, often referred to as business policy, the current field of strategic management is strongly theory based, with substantial empirical research, and is eclectic in nature. This review of the development of the field and its current position examines the field’s early development and the primary theoretical and methodological bases through its history. Early developments include Chandler’s (1962) Strategy and Structure and Ansoff’s (1965) Corporate Strategy. These early works took on a contingency perspective (fit between strategy and structure) and a resource-based framework emphasizing internal strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps, one of the more significant contributions to the development of strategic management came from industrial organization (IO) economics, specifically the work of Michael Porter. The structure-conduct-performance framework and the notion...
The endovascular explosion : An interview with Dr. Edward B. Diethrich

Dr. Edward B. Diethrich, a pioneer in endovascular surgery, discusses the evolution, maturation, and future of endovascular surgery from a personal perspective.
Light pulse atom interferometry at short interrogation times

The use of cold atoms in any sensor operating in a dynamic environment requires that the measurement cycle be conducted before the atom cloud escapes the interaction region. Under multiple-g accelerations it is desirable to complete measurements in millisecond time scales, particularly when laser beams are used to interrogate the atoms. In this paper, we demonstrate high-contrast atom interferometry in a vapor cell using stimulated Raman transitions at millisecond interrogation times. Laser-cooled cesium atoms are interrogated with a sequence of three Raman pulses and the interferometer phase is read out in the same region in which the atoms are trapped. Our system achieved over 70% contrast with a Doppler insensitive interferometer and over 30% contrast with a Doppler sensitive interferometer, in an environment normally considered adverse to high-contrast atom interferometry (e.g., no retroreflector stabilization and no magnetic shielding). Demonstration of an inertially sensitive atom interferometer in this environment supports the feasibility of a high-bandwidth inertial sensor using light pulse atom interferometry. Finally, we show that Raman pulse population transfer efficiency in our system is primarily limited by nonuniformity of the Raman laser intensity across the atom cloud.
Myocardial oxygenation in dogs during reactive hyperemia.

The mechanisms of myocardial oxygenation during reactive hyperemia were studied in the beating heart using continuous near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. In open chest dogs, NIR spectroscopy was used to monitor brief occlusions of the left anterior descending artery. These occlusions produced a precipitous drop in tissue oxygen stores (tHbO2+MbO2), tissue blood volume, and the oxidation level of mitochondrial cytochrome a,a 3 . Reperfusion produced a rapid increase in the NIR signals to supranormal levels, followed by gradual return to baseline. When the duration of occlusion was increased from 20 to 120 s, an essentially linear increase was produced in the overshoot areas defined by the NIR signals. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) separated reactive hyperemia into two phases according to the tissue level of deoxyhemoglobin and deoxymyoglobin (tHb+Mb): (1) an early phase during which the tHb+Mb level was supranormal, reflecting enhanced O2 extraction; and (2) a late phase during which the tHb+Mb level was below baseline, reflecting decreased O2 extraction and increased tissue O2 availability. During reactive hyperemia, when O2 availability was maximal by NIR spectroscopy, O2 consumption was elevated but submaximal, indicating that MVO2 was not limited by O2 availability. Cytochrome a,a 3 oxidation state also was restored fully. Thus, myocardial oxygenation is highly regulated during reactive hyperemia. Cellular O2 supply and mitochondrial oxidation state are restored early during reactive hyperemia by increased O2 delivery, increases in tissue blood volume and enhanced O2 extraction. © 1998 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. [S1083-3668(98)00502-4]
Numerical Investigation on the Effect of Vortex Generator on Axial Compressor Performance

The performance of the compressor blade is considerably influenced by secondary flow effects, like the cross flow on the end wall as well as corner flow separation between the wall and the blade. The present work is focused on the studying the effects of Vortex Generator (VG) on NASA Rotor 37 test case using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). VG helps in controlling the inception of the stall by generating vortices and energizes the low momentum boundary layer flow which enhances the rotor performance. Three design configuration namely, Counter-rotating, Co-rotating and Plow configuration VG are selected based on the improved aerodynamic performance discussed in reference [1]. These VG are located at 90% span and 42% chord on suction side surface of the blade. Among the three configurations, the first configuration has greater impact on the end wall cross flow and flow deflection which resulted in enhanced numerical stall margin of 5.4% from baseline. The reasons for this numerical stall margin improvement are discussed in detail.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Image generation for perception testing using computer FLIR simulation

As the price of testing infrared imaging systems in the field rises and the price of fast desk top computers falls, imaging system simulation becomes an attractive alternative to field testing. C2NVEO's model development program uses human observers in perception tests to gain insight to the effects of various FLIR designs on the person's ability to do a task. The person must view a variety of thermal targets through a variety of FLIRs. To meet the perception test's need for many target/FLIR situations a FLIR simulation computer program is being developed in parallel to the model development effort. The FLIR simulation is a spatial domain math based image manipulator which uses high quality radiometric images and FLIR design parameters as inputs. The program degrades the input image according to the FLIR specifications to produce the output image. This report describes the FLIR simulation computer program at its current level of development, and presents some of the results.
Multi-spectral imaging with infrared sensitive organic light emitting diode

Commercially available near-infrared (IR) imagers are fabricated by integrating expensive epitaxial grown III-V compound semiconductor sensors with Si-based readout integrated circuits (ROIC) by indium bump bonding which significantly increases the fabrication costs of these image sensors. Furthermore, these typical III-V compound semiconductors are not sensitive to the visible region and thus cannot be used for multi-spectral (visible to near-IR) sensing. Here, a low cost infrared (IR) imaging camera is demonstrated with a commercially available digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera and an IR sensitive organic light emitting diode (IR-OLED). With an IR-OLED, IR images at a wavelength of 1.2 µm are directly converted to visible images which are then recorded in a Si-CMOS DSLR camera. This multi-spectral imaging system is capable of capturing images at wavelengths in the near-infrared as well as visible regions.
Corrigendum to “Ability of magnetic resonance elastography to assess taut bands” [Clin. Biomech. 23(5) (2008) 623–629]

Fig. 4. (a) Typical MRE stiffness image of upper trapezius of a patient with myofascial pain superimposed to the MR image of the same subject, showing a significantly stiffer taut band region in the upper trapezius. The red line indicates the location of myofascial taut band in that subject marked by palpatory examination. (I) Spine of scapula, (II) taut band region, (III) myofascial taut band identified by the palpation examination and (IV) cervical spine. (b) Typical MRE stiffness image of upper trapezius of a healthy human subject superimposed to the MR image of the same subject, showing uniformly distributed shear stiffness. (I) Spine of scapula, (II) upper trapezius and (III) cervical spine.
The minimal rank correlation, subject to order restrictions, with application to the weighted linear choice model

The weighted linear choice model is one of the most popular models in the social sciences. In this model the utility of a choice object is represented as a weighted sum of attribute-level desirabilities, where the weights are attribute importances. In many empirical contexts the choice objects are such that individuals are highly correlated in terms of their desirability ordering of levels within attribute (e.g., price levels, durability levels, etc.) but may differ appreciably in terms of their evaluations of each attribute's importance.
The domestic sources and power dynamics of regulatory networks: evidence from the financial stability forum

Regulatory networks are key elements of the global economy, but little is known about their variation. Why do some states prefer the creation of state-centered networks, while others advocate technocratic networks? This article addresses this question by examining the creation of the Financial Stability Forum (FSF) in 1999. It advances an argument about how domestic regulatory structures and state power explain the variation in regulatory networks that empower certain actors over others in shaping global financial regulation. This article finds that while the USA favored a state-centered FSF, driven by finance ministries, European states preferred a technocratic forum, driven by international bodies. This is because the USA can secure control of state-centered networks given its bargaining weight, while European states tried to constrain US power through technocratic structures, especially under conditions of domestic regulatory fragmentation. The final outcome was a state-centered FSF dictated by the USA. By analyzing primary archival material and interviews with key policymakers, this study sheds light on the state preferences and bargaining capabilities of G7 states. This article also generates portable and testable implications for the creation of other regulatory networks.
VEPOL&#8212;A vehicular planimetric dead-reckoning computer

Optimum utilization of patrolling vehicles requires that the central controller be continuously informed about their location. To meet this need, a purely mechanical analog computer was designed, built, and tested. The results obtained show that systematic errors introduced by the system far outweigh random errors and that this concept is feasible as a location interpolator between fixed known reference sites. Guidelines for the next generation system design were obtained.
THE INFLUENCE OF ENDOTOXIN ADMINISTRATION ON THE NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF MICE

Albino mice lose weight within 24 hours following administration of bacterial endotoxin. The initial weight loss is proportional to the dose of endotoxin injected only when this dose is very small. The loss during the 1st day reaches a maximum with 10 to 30 µg of endotoxin; larger doses increase the duration of the overall effect. The rate at which mice regain weight after administration of endotoxin is markedly influenced by the composition of the diet. Recovery was rapid and complete within a few days when the animals were fed commercial pellets or a semisynthetic diet containing casein. In contrast, recovery was slow and incomplete when wheat gluten was used instead of casein in the diet. The deleterious effect of the gluten diet was less marked in older than in younger animals, probably because the latter have less exacting nutritional requirements. It was postulated that the failure of endotoxin-treated mice to regain weight when fed the gluten diet was due to the fact that this protein is low in certain amino acids. In fact, rapid and complete recovery from the weight loss uniformly occurred when the gluten diet was supplemented with proper amounts of lysine and threonine. The composition of the diet did not influence the extent of the initial loss of weight caused by endotoxin, nor did it prevent the animals from developing tolerance to this substance.
The Human Antibody Response to the Surface of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Background Vaccine-induced human antibodies to surface components of Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumonia are correlated with protection. Monoclonal antibodies to surface components of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are also protective in animal models. We have characterized human antibodies that bind to the surface of live M. tuberculosis. Methods Plasma from humans with latent tuberculosis (TB) infection (n = 23), active TB disease (n = 40), and uninfected controls (n = 9) were assayed by ELISA for reactivity to the live M. tuberculosis surface and to inactivated M. tuberculosis fractions (whole cell lysate, lipoarabinomannan, cell wall, and secreted proteins). Results When compared to uninfected controls, patients with active TB disease had higher antibody titers to the surface of live M. tuberculosis (Δ = 0.72 log10), whole cell lysate (Δ = 0.82 log10), and secreted proteins (Δ = 0.62 log10), though there was substantial overlap between the two groups. Individuals with active disease had higher relative IgG avidity (Δ = 1.4 to 2.6) to all inactivated fractions. Surprisingly, the relative IgG avidity to the live M. tuberculosis surface was lower in the active disease group than in uninfected controls (Δ = –1.53, p = 0.004). Patients with active disease had higher IgG than IgM titers for all inactivated fractions (ratios, 2.8 to 10.1), but equal IgG and IgM titers to the live M. tuberculosis surface (ratio, 1.1). Higher antibody titers to the M. tuberculosis surface were observed in active disease patients who were BCG-vaccinated (Δ = 0.55 log10, p = 0.008), foreign-born (Δ = 0.61 log10, p = 0.004), or HIV-seronegative (Δ = 0.60 log10, p = 0.04). Higher relative IgG avidity scores to the M. tuberculosis surface were also observed in active disease patients who were BCG-vaccinated (Δ = 1.12, p<0.001) and foreign-born (Δ = 0.87, p = 0.01). Conclusions/Significance Humans with active TB disease produce antibodies to the surface of M. tuberculosis with low avidity and with a low IgG/IgM ratio. Highly-avid IgG antibodies to the M. tuberculosis surface may be an appropriate target for future TB vaccines.
Advances in wireless local area networks

This tutorial provides a concise discussion on current and emerging wireless LAN technologies, emphasizing key concepts and underlying principles rather than factual descriptions. In addition, many carefully prepared illustrations are used throughout the tutorial to enhance the textual explanations. By distilling details down to the basic issues needed for intuitive understanding, both serious and novice tutorial participants are able to gain valuable insights into the exciting field of high-speed wireless communications and mobile computing.
Rapid induction of in vivo fibrinolysis with D-gluconyl-L-tyrosine.

RECENTLY I reported1 lysis of thrombi in the veins and arteries of animals with sodium gluconate and a dialysable constituent of fibrin extract or whole blood. The ultraviolet absorption spectrum of fibrin extract displayed a maximum at 275 mµ and a minimum at 247 mµ. These values happen to coincide closely with those recorded for tyrosine. This finding suggested that L-tyrosine might be successfully substituted for fibrin extract and, if this was so, that a peptide formed from the amino-acid and gluconic acid would also be fibrinolytic.
Semiparametric Bayes’ Proportional Odds Models for Current Status Data with Underreporting

Current status data are a type of interval-censored event time data in which all the individuals are either left or right censored. For example, our motivation is drawn from a cross-sectional study, which measured whether or not fibroid onset had occurred by the age of an ultrasound exam for each woman. We propose a semiparametric Bayesian proportional odds model in which the baseline event time distribution is estimated nonparametrically by using adaptive monotone splines in a logistic regression model and the potential risk factors are included in the parametric part of the mean structure. The proposed approach has the advantage of being straightforward to implement using a simple and efficient Gibbs sampler, whereas alternative semiparametric Bayes' event time models encounter problems for current status data. The model is generalized to allow systematic underreporting in a subset of the data, and the methods are applied to an epidemiologic study of uterine fibroids.
Development of a micromechanical finite element model from computed tomography images for shear modulus simulation of asphalt mixtures

Abstract The main objective of this study was to develop 2D and 3D micromechanical finite element (FE) models to predict the shear modulus of two asphalt mixture types, PG 64-28 PM (dense-graded polymer modified mixture) and RHMA-G (gap-graded rubberized mixture). The internal microstructure of the asphalt mixtures were determined by X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging. X-ray CT images were processed to create 2D and 3D meshed asphalt mixture FE model structures. Meshed model structures were exported to the FE modeling software ABAQUS. Elastic and viscoelastic assumptions were used for modeling aggregate and mastic subdomains, respectively. Shear modulus predictions for 2D and 3D models were compared to the measured values to determine the effectiveness of each model type for the simulation of the shear frequency sweep at constant height (FSCH) test. It was concluded that the 3D micromechanical FE model is capable of predicting shear modulus at relatively high test temperatures with high accuracy across a range of loading frequencies. On the other hand, 2D numerical models always under predicted the shear modulus values at all simulation temperatures and loading frequencies because the reduced microstructure for the 2D models decreased the accuracy of numerical predictions. It is expected that developed 3D models will serve as a valuable tool to understand certain problems in the current design methods of asphalt concrete pavements.
Higher-Order Asymptotic Approximation: Laplace, Saddlepoint, and Related Methods

(2000). Higher-Order Asymptotic Approximation: Laplace, Saddlepoint, and Related Methods. Journal of the American Statistical Association: Vol. 95, No. 452, pp. 1358-1364.
The fourth‐dimention concept in the finite element analysis of transient heat transfer problems

This study presents the finite element analysis for the transient heat transfer problems by introducing the Fourth-dimension concept. Time is treated as an additional dimension in the solution domain thereby Increasing the number of dimensions by one. For instance, a three-dimensional transient problem can be considered as a four-dimensional problem in the x, y, z, t domain and a two-dimensional transient problem can be considered as a three-dimensional steady-state problem in the x, y, t domain, respectively. The variational principle of the finite element method and the techniques existing for steady-state problems can be directly utilized. Numerical calculations were performed for heat conduction problems, laminar-turbulent convective heat transfer problems, and radiative heat transfer problems.
The dipole moment of membrane proteins: potassium channel protein and β-subunit

Abstract The mechanism of ion channel opening is one of the most fascinating problems in membrane biology. Based on phenomenological studies, early researchers suggested that the elementary process of ion channel opening may be the intramembrane charge movement or the orientation of dipolar proteins in the channel. In spite of the far reaching significance of these hypotheses, it has not been possible to formulate a comprehensive molecular theory for the mechanism of channel opening. This is because of the lack of the detailed knowledge on the structure of channel proteins. In recent years, however, the research on the structure of channel proteins made marked advances and, at present, we are beginning to have sufficient information on the structure of some of the channel proteins, e.g. potassium-channel protein and β-subunits. With these new information, we are now ready to have another look at the old hypothesis, in particular, the dipole moment of channel proteins being the voltage sensor for the opening and closing of ion channels. In this paper, the dipole moments of potassium channel protein and β-subunit, are calculated using X-ray diffraction data. A large dipole moment was found for β-subunits while the dipole moment of K-channel protein was found to be considerably smaller than that of β-subunits. These calculations were conducted as a preliminary study of the comprehensive research on the dipolar structure of channel proteins in excitable membranes, above all, sodium channel proteins.
Analogical problem solving in an expert system

An expert system designed to investigate the application of artificial intelligence to the area of computer-based testing is presented. This system is a prototype that will be used to collect the data necessary to determine the feasibility of intelligent computer tests. The type of test to be used is an analogy test on which each question will consist of a sequence of three geometrical shapes. The examinee is asked to select and assemble objects to construct the fourth element of the sequence such that the last two are related in the same way as the first two, A:B::C:D. >
ADULTS' PERCEPTIONS OF FAVORITE CHILDHOOD PLAY EXPERIENCES: A REPLICATION STUDY

attendmg a privare New Jersey university and spanning a wide range of ages, responded to five questions. (The participants in Henninger's study were 93% female.) These questions requested them to recall and draw what they remembered as their favorite play experience in early childhood (between ages 3 to 8). The five questions asked if the activity took place indoors or outdoors, what play materials were used, whom they played with, what they did while they played, and any additional information on the play activity. The play activity was categorized by Henniger into adapted, commercial, or combined items. Adapted play materials were defined as "any natural or man-made material nor specifically designed for children's play" (Henniger, 1994). A combined item was defined as an item which had both adapted and commercial aspects. Play types were categorized into solitary or group activity, and functional, construction, dramatic, or games with rules. Present results were similar to Henniger's, with a few discrepancies. Table 1 shows adapted play materials were reported at about the same rate as commercial play materials, although in Henniger's srudy adapted play materials were reported more frequently than commercial ones. Combined play materials were less frequent in both studies. The similarities and differences benveen the two studies in terms of cognitive and social development are described in Table 1 as well. The social level of the favorite play experience in the two studies was almost identical as group play of two or more people was reported more frequently than solitary play. Dramatic play was again reported far more often than the other types of play, with construction reported least and Functional (sensorimotor) play and frequency of games fahng in between. Table 1 indicates that the results of the two studies were quite sirmlar as playing with a friend or sibling was reported most often, followed by no playmate, then with a best friend, a per, and rarely, an adult. The rank order of locations shows outdoor play was remembered more frequently than indoor play, and a few participants reported the favorite activity as occurring both places. In summary, the find~ngs of the Henniger (1994) study were replicated. Noteworthy in both studies is the very low frequency of favorite childhood play experiences with a parent or other adult. Henniger concluded that adults tend ro restrict play or do not participate in play so that play experiences with an adult are not recalled as especially enjoyable Perh:~ps parents could benefit from courses on enhancing parent-chlld relations through play. The discrepancy between the two studies in terms of type of play materds used could be
Analysis of transient and hysteresis behavior of cross-flow heat exchangers under variable fluid mass flow rate for data center cooling applications

Abstract Effective thermal management of data centers is an important aspect of reducing the energy required for the reliable operation of data processing and communications equipment. Liquid and hybrid (air/liquid) cooling approaches are becoming more widely used in today's large and complex data center facilities. Examples of these approaches include rear door heat exchangers, in-row and overhead coolers and direct liquid cooled servers. Heat exchangers are primary components of liquid and hybrid cooling systems, and the effectiveness of a heat exchanger strongly influences the thermal performance of a cooling system. Characterizing and modeling the dynamic behavior of heat exchangers is important for the design of cooling systems, especially for control strategies to improve energy efficiency. In this study, a dynamic thermal model is solved numerically in order to predict the transient response of an unmixed–unmixed crossflow heat exchanger, of the type that is widely used in data center cooling equipment. The transient response to step and ramp changes in the mass flow rate of both the hot and cold fluid is investigated. Five model parameters are varied over specific ranges to characterize the transient performance. The parameter range investigated is based on available heat exchanger data. The thermal response to the magnitude, time period and initial and final conditions of the transient input functions is studied in detail. Also, the hysteresis associated with the fluid mass flow rate variation is investigated. The modeling results and performance data are used to analyze specific dynamic performance of heat exchangers used in practical data center cooling applications.
Evidence of Splice Signal Migration from Exon to Intron during Intron Evolution

A comparison of the nucleotide sequences around the splice junctions that flank old (shared by two or more major lineages of eukaryotes) and new (lineage-specific) introns in eukaryotic genes reveals substantial differences in the distribution of information between introns and exons. Old introns have a lower information content in the exon regions adjacent to the splice sites than new introns but have a corresponding higher information content in the intron itself. This suggests that introns insert into nonrandom (proto-splice) sites but, during the evolution of an intron after insertion, the splice signal shifts from the flanking exon regions to the ends of the intron itself. Accumulation of information inside the intron during evolution suggests that new introns largely emerge de novo rather than through propagation and migration of old introns.
Evaluation of diversity among common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from two centers of domestication using 'omics' technologies

Genetic diversity among wild accessions and cultivars of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) has been characterized using plant morphology, seed protein allozymes, random amplified polymorphic DNA, restriction fragment length polymorphisms, DNA sequence analysis, chloroplast DNA, and microsatellite markers. Yet, little is known about whether these traits, which distinguish among genetically distinct types of common bean, can be evaluated using omics technologies. Three 'omics' approaches: transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics were used to qualitatively evaluate the diversity of common bean from two Centers of Domestication (COD). All three approaches were able to classify common bean according to their COD using unsupervised analyses; these findings are consistent with the hypothesis that differences exist in gene transcription, protein expression, and synthesis and metabolism of small molecules among common bean cultivars representative of different COD. Metabolomic analyses of multiple cultivars within two common bean gene pools revealed cultivar differences in small molecules that were of sufficient magnitude to allow identification of unique cultivar fingerprints. Given the high-throughput and low cost of each of these 'omics' platforms, significant opportunities exist for their use in the rapid identification of traits of agronomic and nutritional importance as well as to characterize genetic diversity.