cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overlap graph clustering via successive removal

We study the following question: given a graph that represents interactions in a real system, can we group vertices with similar interests together? In many applications, we are often in a setting where vertices may potentially belong to multiple communities. In this paper, we propose an efficient algorithm for overlapping community detection which can successively recover all the communities. We provide theoretical guarantees on the performance of the algorithm by leveraging convex relaxation and exploiting the fact that in many networks there are often vertices that only belong to one community.
Covalent immunoglobulin assembly in vitro: reactivity of light chain covalent dimers (L2) and blocked light chain monomers

Covalent light chain dimers (L2) and cysteine-blocked L chain monomers readily react with partially reduced heavy (H) chains. A rapid disappearance of these blocked L chain species is followed by the appearance of covalent intermediates-HL, H2, and H2L-leading to fully assembled H2L2. The mechanism of initial disulfide bond formation between heavy and light chains is disulfide interchange.
Interaction of α2-macroglobulin with trypsin, chymotrypsin, plasmin, and papain☆

Abstract The interaction α2-macroglobulin with four proteinases has been investigated by binding assays and by gel electrophoresis. At pH 7.65 the binding ratios of the proteinase-α2-macroglobulin complexes were found to be 2:1 (trypsin and papain), 1.4:1 (chymotrypsin), and 1:1 (plasmin). The progressive decrease in the stoichiometry of the three seryl proteinase complexes was paralleled by a concomitant decrease in the proteinase-dependent specific cleavage of the α2-macroglobulin peptide chains. Rate studies have shown that the relative rates of reaction of the proteinases with α2-macroglobulin also varied greatly: papain > trypsin > chymotrypsin > plasmin. The data suggest that the ability of a proteinase to saturate the second proteinase binding site is a reflection of its ability to bind to α2-macroglobulin and cleave the second pair of scissile α2-macroglobulin peptide bonds before the α2-macroglobulin has undergone the conformational change initiated by the formation of the 1:1 proteinase α2-macro-globulin complex.
Analysis of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-induced gene expression profile in vivo using pathway-specific cDNA arrays

In the current study, we used pathway-specific cDNA arrays to detect the transcriptional signature induced by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in vivo by studying simultaneously the expression profiles of 83 genes involved in apoptosis, cytokine production and angiogenesis. To this end, C57BL/6 mice were injected i.p. with 50 μg/kg body weight of TCDD and 1 or 3 days later, the thymus was analyzed for gene expression profiles. In the thymus, 23 out of 37 apoptotic genes screened were up-regulated by TCDD by a factor of two or more when compared to the vehicle-treated controls. In contrast, in the spleen, 20 out of 22 and in the liver, 16 out of 37 apoptotic genes were up-regulated. In the thymus, several genes encoding caspases, and members of the TNF family, including Fas ligand, were induced. Also, in the thymus, eight out of 23, and in the spleen, six out of 23 cytokine genes were up-regulated. In the liver and to a lesser extent in the thymus, certain angiogenesis genes were induced while others were repressed. When mice were injected with 0.1, 1, 10 or 50 μg/kg body weight of TCDD and the thymus was analyzed for apoptotic genes 1 day later, a dose-dependent response was not seen with most apoptotic genes. However, certain apoptotic genes were induced in the thymus even at low doses of 0.1 μg/kg body weight of TCDD. These data demonstrate that TCDD alters the expression of a large array of genes involved in apoptosis, cytokine production and angiogenesis. Thus, pathway-specific cDNA arrays may help in the identification of specific gene expression profiles induced by xenobiotics and to delineate the molecular mechanisms of toxicity.
Toward a model of representation changes

Abstract This paper presents the first steps in the development of a computer model of the process of changing representations in problem solving. The task of discovering representations that yield efficient solution strategies for problems is viewed as heuristic search in the space of representations. Two dimensions of this representation space are information structure and information quantity. Changes of representation are characterized as isomorphisms and homomorphisms, corresponding to changes of information structure and information quantity, respectively. A language for expressing representations is given. Also, a language for describing representation transformations and an interpreter for applying the transformations to representations has been developed. In addition, transformations can be automatically inverted and composed to generate new transformations. Among the example problems used to illustrate and support this model are tic-tac-toe, integer arithmetic, the Tower of Hanoi problem, the arrow puzzle, the five puzzle, the mutilated checkerboard problem, and floor plan design. The system has also been used to generate some new NP-complete problems.
Crystalline phases of electrically conductive poly(p‐phenylene vinylene)

Poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) undergoes a first-order crystal-crystal phase transition when chemically doped with AsF5, SbF5, or H2SO4 or electrochemically oxidized with ClO-4 as the counterion. These structures have been observed using wide-angle x-ray diffraction. Doping with these agents does not disrupt the original orientation of the PPV crystallites. The crystalline phases obtained with all dopants employed here are similar in character, indicating a closely related family of electrically conductive structures having orthorhombic symmetry. An electrically conductive phase consisting of layers of polymer chains separated by a layer of the chemical dopant is proposed.
Sphalerons, small fluctuations, and baryon-number violation in electroweak theory.

We study the formalism of the sphaleron approximation to baryon-number violation in the standard model at temperatures near 1 TeV. We investigate small fluctuations of the sphaleron, the competition of large-scale sphalerons with thermal fluctuations, and the damping of the transition rate in the plasma. We find a suppression of the rate due to Landau damping and due to factors arising from zero modes. Our approximations are valid in the regime 2${M}_{W}$(T)\ensuremath{\ll}T\ensuremath{\ll}2${M}_{W}$(T)/${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{W}$ for models where \ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\sim}${g}^{2}$. We find that the rate of baryon-number violation is still significantly larger than the expansion rate of the Universe.
Noise Power Spectrum, MTF, And DQE Of Photoelectronic Radiographic Systems

This paper describes measurements of the modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectrum (NPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) for an x-ray image intensifier based radiography system. The experimental results are compared with the prediction of a theoretical model.
Metal veins in the Kernouvé (H6 S1) chondrite: Evidence for pre- or syn-metamorphic shear deformation

Abstract Kernouve is an H6 chondrite that experienced a very small degree of late stage shock loading (S1). However, Kernouve contains Fe–Ni metal vein-like structures, whose formation have been attributed to an early impact event. To establish the formation conditions of metal veins in Kernouve, we examined the three dimensional (3D) arrangement of metal vein-like structures and typical metal grains in two samples of Kernouve with X-ray microtomography (μCT) at resolutions of ∼11 μm/voxel. We additionally investigated the 3D structure of the porosity present in Kernouve using μCT at two different resolutions (∼3 and ∼11 μm/voxel). These data and optical microscopy support the hypothesis that Kernouve has experienced little post-metamorphic shock. However, the moderate 5.8 vol.% porosity of Kernouve is in the form of intergranular voids rather than cracks, which indicates any cracking that may have existed in the relatively brittle silicate grains was annealed. We estimate that 70–80% of the primordial porosity in Kernouve was removed by impact-related compaction. Moreover, we found no collective orientation of metal grains, so high metamorphic temperatures following compaction erased any common orientation of metal grains due to compaction. We propose that the metal vein structures can be explained as a pre- or syn-metamorphic shock-induced process, which we infer was primarily shear deformation, with some uniaxial compaction also occurring. The coarse metal veins probably formed by accumulation of ductile metal grains along shear zones, a process that would have been facilitated by having an already warm H chondrite parent body when shock occurred (i.e., syn-metamorphic shock). The complexity of shape, including numerous tendrils expanding from the primary structure, of the veins in Kernouve is likely due to the coalescence of metal by metamorphic growth after the shear event. The metal veins in Kernouve thus appear to record evidence for early, shock-induced metal mobilization and the maximum shock pressure experienced by Kernouve may have been ⩽21 GPa. Our study suggests that collision-induced segregation of metal occurred at an early stage in low-gravity planetesimals, consistent with the idea that this process could have been important for the differentiation of such objects.
Effects of recrystallization and Nb additions on texture and mechanical anisotropy of Zircaloy

Abstract The effect of recrystallization on the crystallographic textures and anisotropic mechanical properties of Zircaloy-4 sheets was investigated. In addition, the influence of niobium additions on these properties was studied using three different alloys. The mechanical anisotropy parameters were determined by mechanical testing of gridded tensile samples. The textures were characterized by X-ray pole figure measurements and crystallite orientation distribution functions (CODFs). The CODFs were combined with a crystal plasticity model to predict the anisotropy parameters based on the dominance individually of basal, prism and pyramidal slip systems. Good agreement was noted between the experimental results and model predictions based on prism slip for the recrystallized materials, while the results on cold-worked sheets differed from model predictions for all the three slip systems.
Modeling plan coordination in multiagent decision processes

In multiagent planning, it is often convenient to view a problem as two subproblems: agent local planning and coordination. Thus, we can classify agent activities into two categories: agent local problem solving activities and coordination activities, with each category of activities addressing the corresponding subproblem. However, recent mathematical models, such as decentralized Markov decision processes (DEC-MDP) and partially observable Markov decision processes (DEC-POMDP), view the problem as a single decision process and do not make the distinctions between agent local planning and coordination. In this paper, we present a synergistic representation that brings these two views together, and show that these two views are equivalent. Under this representation, traditional plan coordination mechanisms can be conveniently modeled and interpreted as approximation methods for solving the decision processes.
Convergent synthesis of α-ketoamide inhibitors of Pin1

A convergent synthesis of alpha-ketoamide inhibitors of Pin1 is described. An alpha-hydroxyorthothioester derivative of Ser was reacted directly with an amine synthon. The reaction was catalyzed by HgO and HgCl(2) to form alpha-hydroxyamide. Thus, hydrolysis and coupling were combined in one step with 80% yield. Two diastereomers of a phospho-Ser-Pro alpha-ketoamide analogue were synthesized. The IC(50) values of 100 and 200 microM were surprisingly weak for Pin1 peptidyl prolyl isomerase.
Thermoregulation in rats: Opposing effects of thyrotropin releasing hormone and its metabolite histidyl-proline diketopiperazine

Abstract Intraventricular administration of histidyl-proline diketopiperazine to rats produces a dose-dependent hypothermia at 4° or 24°, but not at 31°. At 4°, administration of thyrotropin releasing hormone elicits a dose-dependent hypothermia up to 0.1 μmole/kg which is not evoked at higher doses. At 24°, thyrotropin releasing hormone administration results in no change in core temperature, whereas it induces hyperthermia at 31°. At 4°, thyrotropin releasing hormone antagonizes and thyrotropin releasing hormone antiserum potentiates the hypothermic effect of histidyl-proline diketopiperazine, suggesting opposing actions of thyrotropin releasing hormone and histidyl-proline diketopiperazine on thermoregulation.
On inductive ignition

Abstract Analysis indicates that the shock wave that separates from a spark kernel is a strong detonation for times up to 1 μs . Through coupling of the 1 / 5 -power law recently discovered by V.S. Arpaci et al. (Combust. Flame 135 (2003) 315–322) with thermal model, the temperature of the kernel is shown to decay in time as t − 8 / 5 .
Isomeric States in Light Even Pb Isotopes

Searches for isomers in the \ensuremath{\mu}sec range for isotopes $^{194\ensuremath{-}200}\mathrm{Pb}$ revealed a new lifetime of ${T}_{\frac{1}{2}}=10$ \ensuremath{\mu}sec for the 1541-keV state in $^{194}\mathrm{Pb}$ and confirmed the ${T}_{\frac{1}{2}}=0.5$-\ensuremath{\mu}sec and ${T}_{\frac{1}{2}}=4$-\ensuremath{\mu}sec half-lives for the ${9}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ states in $^{200}\mathrm{Pb}$ and $^{198}\mathrm{Pb}$, respectively. No lifetime in the \ensuremath{\mu}sec range was found in $^{196}\mathrm{Pb}$ indicating that the 688.9-keV transition is not of $E3$ character as proposed before by Chojnacki et al. Lifetimes of ${T}_{\frac{1}{2}}=134\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20$ nsec and ${T}_{\frac{1}{2}}=61\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}14$ nsec for the ${5}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and ${9}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ states in $^{196}\mathrm{Pb}$ were derived from a $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}t$ coincidence experiment. A possible distortion of the time spectra obtained in in-beam experiments is discussed. Experimental $B(E2)$ and $B(E3)$ values are compared with single-particle estimates for some possible two-neutron configurations of the states involved.
Evaluation of premeiotic activity in the developing rabbit testis using a modified squash technique

Germ cells in the developing rabbit testis were studied using a modified squash technique. Preleptotene figures present in the postnatal testis were examined and compared with corresponding stages in ovarian germ cells. The findings indicated differences in the pattern of preleptotene changes in the developing ovary and testis.
Resting Thyroid and Leptin Hormone Changes in Women Following Intense, Prolonged Exercise Training

This study examined whether free (f) triidothyronine (T3), f thyroxine (T4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and leptin concentrations at rest changed in response to 20 weeks of exercise-training. Two groups of women were recruited for participation in the study, collegiate athletes ( n=17) and sedentary controls (n=4). Exercise training consisted of daily athletic activity such as rowing, running, and weight lifting. Subjects were initially grouped into rowers and controls. However, earlier suggested criteria were further used to categorize hormone changes (percentages) in the subjects into (+) responders (increases), (-) responders (decreases), or non-responders (no changes). The fT3 results of the rowers revealed two distinct categories of responses, (-) responder (all decreases; n=10) and non-responder (no change; n=7) rowers. In the responders fT3 concentration decreased (P 0.05). Similar changes (P 0.05) hormone changes over the 20 weeks. The hormone changes observed in the (-) responder rowers were not significantly (P>0.05) correlated with changes in body composition or hydration status during the study. The mechanism for the hormone changes in the (-) responder rowers is unclear. We speculate the decrease in concentrations of TSH and fT3 could be attributable to a lower hypothalamic-pituitary signaling action, and this is related to the decreased leptin concentrations, and could represent a possible means of energy conservation in these exercising women.
Trophic controls on stage transformations of a toxic ambush-predator dinoflagellate.

. The toxic dinoflagellate, Pfiesteria piscicida, was recently implicated as the causative agent for about 50% of the major fish kills occurring over a three-year period in the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine System of the southeastern USA. Transformations between life-history stages of this dinoflagellate are controlled by the availability of fresh fish secretions or fish tissues, and secondarily influenced by the availability of alternate prey including bacteria, algae, microfauna, and mammalian tissues. Toxic zoospores of P. piscicida subdue fish by excreting lethal neurotoxins that narcotize the prey, disrupt its osmoregulatory system, and attack its nervous system. While prey are dying, the zoospores feed upon bits of fish tissue and complete the sexual phase of the dinoflagellate life cycle. Other stages in the complex life cycle of P. piscidia include cryptic forms of filose, rhizopodial, and lobose amoebae that can form within minutes from toxic zoospores, gametes, or planozygotes. These cryptic amoebae feed upon fish carcasses and other prey and, thus far, have proven less vulnerable to microbial predators than flagellated life-history stages. Lobose amoebae that develop from toxic zoospores and planozygotes during colder periods have also shown ambush behavior toward live fish. In the presence of abundant flagellated algal prey, amoeboid stages produce nontoxic zoospores that can become toxic and form gametes when they detect what is presumed to be a threshold level of a stimulatory substance(s) derived from live fish. The diverse amoeboid stages of this fish “ambush-predator” and at least one other Pfiesteria-like species are ubiquitous and abundant in brackish waters along the western Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, indicating a need to re-evaluate the role of dinoflagellates in the microbial food webs of turbid nutrient-enriched estuaries.
Coupling of Fast and Slow Modes in the Reaction Pathway of the Minimal Hammerhead Ribozyme Cleavage

By employing classical molecular dynamics, correlation analysis of coupling between slow and fast dynamical modes, and free energy (umbrella) sampling using classical as well as mixed quantum mechanics molecular mechanics force fields, we uncover a possible pathway for phosphoryl transfer in the self-cleaving reaction of the minimal hammerhead ribozyme. The significance of this pathway is that it initiates from the minimal hammerhead crystal structure and describes the reaction landscape as a conformational rearrangement followed by a covalent transformation. The delineated mechanism is catalyzed by two metal (Mg(2+)) ions, proceeds via an in-line-attack by CYT 17 O2' on the scissile phosphorous (ADE 1.1 P), and is therefore consistent with the experimentally observed inversion configuration. According to the delineated mechanism, the coupling between slow modes involving the hammerhead backbone with fast modes in the cleavage site appears to be crucial for setting up the in-line nucleophilic attack.
Representing and learning Boolean functions of multivalued features

An analysis and empirical measurement of threshold linear functions of multivalued features is presented. The number of thresholded linear functions, maximum weight size, training speed, and the number of nodes necessary to represent arbitrary Boolean functions are all shown to increase polynomially with the number of distinct values the input features can assume and exponentially with the number of features. Two network training algorithms, focusing and back propagation, are described. Empirically, they are capable of learning arbitrary Boolean functions of multivalued features in a two-level net. Focusing is proved to converge to a correct classification and permits some time-space complexity analysis. Training time for this algorithm is polynomial in the number of values of a feature can assume, and exponential in the number of features. Back propagation is not necessarily convergent, but for randomly generated Boolean functions, the empirical behavior of the implementation is similar to that of the focusing algorithm. >
The Tennessee Mouse Genome Consortium: Identification of ocular mutants

The Tennessee Mouse Genome Consortium (TMGC) is in its fifth year of a ethylnitrosourea (ENU)-based mutagenesis screen to detect recessive mutations that affect the eye and brain. Each pedigree is tested by various phenotyping domains including the eye, neurohistology, behavior, aging, ethanol, drug, social behavior, auditory, and epilepsy domains. The utilization of a highly efficient breeding protocol and coordination of various universities across Tennessee makes it possible for mice with ENU-induced mutations to be evaluated by nine distinct phenotyping domains within this large-scale project known as the TMGC. Our goal is to create mutant lines that model human diseases and disease syndromes and to make the mutant mice available to the scientific research community. Within the eye domain, mice are screened for anterior and posterior segment abnormalities using slit-lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, fundus photography, eye weight, histology, and immunohistochemistry. As of January 2005, we have screened 958 pedigrees and 4800 mice, excluding those used in mapping studies. We have thus far identified seven pedigrees with primary ocular abnormalities. Six of the mutant pedigrees have retinal or subretinal aberrations, while the remaining pedigree presents with an abnormal eye size. Continued characterization of these mutant mice should in most cases lead to the identification of the mutated gene, as well as provide insight into the function of each gene. Mice from each of these pedigrees of mutant mice are available for distribution to researchers for independent study.
Enhanced Rooting of Kinnikinnick Cuttings using Mycorrhizal Fungi in Rooting Substrate

Hardwood cuttings of kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ‘Massachusetts’) were inoculated with three different types of inoculum of mycorrhizal fungi to determine whether addition of mycorrhizal inoculum into the rooting substrate during cutting propagation increases rooting or root growth, or alters the time for rooting. Cuttings, treated or untreated with rooting hormone prior to sticking into the rooting substrate, were inoculated with either inoculum of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), hyphal inoculum of an arbutoid mycorrhizal fungus (E), or inoculum consisting of colonized root fragments of kinnikinnick (R). Cuttings were placed under mist in a greenhouse with no bottom heat and harvested 35, 56, and 84 days after sticking. Using AMF inoculum in the rooting substrate did not enhance rooting of cuttings, while adding the R or E inoculum to the rooting substrate increased root initiation compared to non-inoculated cuttings. Cuttings inoculated with either the R or E inoculum had greater root initiation than non-inoculated cuttings 56 and 84 days after sticking. When treated with rooting hormone, cuttings inoculated with the E or R inoculum had longer roots and a greater root biomass than non-inoculated
Acute nicotine administration effects on fractional anisotropy of cerebral white matter and associated attention performance.

Introduction. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are present in the cerebral white matter (WM). We hypothesized that WM response to nicotine can be detected by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI); and that such responses may be associated with nicotine-led cognitive enhancement in sustained attention. Methods A randomized, nicotine-placebo patch, crossover, double-blind clinical trial in two non-overlapping cohorts of smokers was used to test the hypothesis. The discovery cohort consisted of 39 subjects (N=20/19 controls/schizophrenic patients, age=36.8±10.1years) and the replication cohorts consisted of 38 healthy smokers (31.7±10.5years). WM integrity was measured by fractional anisotropy (FA) values for the whole brain and nine preselected WM tracts using tract-based-spatial-statistics. Results. Nicotine significantly enhanced FA values for the genu of corpus callosum compared with placebo (FAgenu) (p=0.01) in smokers with low recent smoking exposure as measured by low average cotinine level. This finding was replicated in the second cohort (p=0.02). FAgenu values explained 22% of variance in performance of a sustained attention task during the nicotine session (p=0.006). However, this effect was limited to schizophrenia patients (r= 0.62 and 0.09; p=0.003 and 0.7 for patients and controls, respectively). Conclusion. Acute pharmacological influence of nicotine patch on WM integrity appeared present, but was dependent on nicotine intake from recent smoking. Change in the WM integrity in the genu of corpus callosum was assocatied with a significant proportion of variability of nicotine-led changes in sustained attention/working memory of the smokers. Further studies will be necessary to understand biophysical underpinning of the nicotine-related changes in FA.
Quantifying the Effect of Fast Charger Deployments on Electric Vehicle Utility and Travel Patterns via Advanced Simulation

The disparate characteristics between conventional (CVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in terms of driving range, refill/recharge time, and availability of refuel/recharge infrastructure inherently limit the relative utility of BEVs when benchmarked against traditional driver travel patterns. However, given a high penetration of high-power public charging combined with driver tolerance for rerouting travel to facilitate charging on long-distance trips, the difference in utility between CVs and BEVs could be marginalized. We quantify the relationships between BEV utility, the deployment of fast chargers, and driver tolerance for rerouting travel and extending travel durations by simulating BEVs operated over real-world travel patterns using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Battery Lifetime Analysis and Simulation Tool for Vehicles (BLAST-V). With support from the U.S. Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Office, BLAST-V has been developed to include algorithms for estimating the available range of BEVs prior to the start of trips, for rerouting baseline travel to utilize public charging infrastructure when necessary, and for making driver travel decisions for those trips in the presence of available public charging infrastructure, all while conducting advanced vehicle simulations that account for battery electrical, thermal, and degradation response. Results from BLAST-V simulations on vehicle utility, frequency of inserted stops,more » duration of charging events, and additional time and distance necessary for rerouting travel are presented to illustrate how BEV utility and travel patterns can be affected by various fast charge deployments.« less
On the logic of contrast.

The Principle of Contrast, that different words have different meanings, holds for adult language use. But at what age do children assume Contrast ? Do they rely on it from the start, or do they assume that new words may have the same meaning (the Null Hypothesis) until they discover otherwise ? Both the Null Hypothesis and Contrast have certain consequences. The Null Hypothesis places a heavy burden on languagelearners, whereas children could discover Contrast as part of their experience of rational behaviour. Examples that have been claimed to go counter to Contrast fall into two groups. Those in the first do not in fact violate Contrast at all. Those in the second rely on sameness of extension instead of sameness of meaning, and so are indeterminate as counter evidence. Usage consistent with Contrast, on the other hand, is pervasive in children's speech from an early age.
A new gate image encoder; algorithm, design and implementation

A new image compression algorithm desirable for low gate FPGA implementation, is developed. The algorithm closely follows the JPEG standard, except for two deviations. The first deviation is the replacement of DCT with the Walsh-Hadamard transformation, and the second one is in the quantization technique. In both cases the coefficient multiplication/division is entirely eliminated.
Enzymes of triacylglycerol synthesis and their regulation

Since the pathways of glycerolipid biosynthesis were elucidated in the 1950's, considerable knowledge has been gained about the enzymes that catalyze the lipid biosynthetic reactions and the factors that regulate triacylglycerol biosynthesis. In the last few decades, in part due to advances in technology and the wide availability of nucleotide and amino acid sequences, we have made enormous strides in our understanding of these enzymes at the molecular level. In many cases, sequence information obtained from lipid biosynthetic enzymes of prokaryotes and yeast has provided the means to search the genomic and expressed sequence tag databases for mammalian homologs and most of the genes have now been identified. Surprisingly, multiple isoforms appear to catalyze the same chemical reactions, suggesting that each isoform may play a distinct functional role in the pathway of triacylglycerol and phospholipid biosynthesis. This review focuses on the de novo biosynthesis of triacylglycerol in eukaryotic cells, the isoenzymes that are involved, their subcellular locations, how they are regulated, and their putative individual roles in glycerolipid biosynthesis.
Down Regulation of Macrophage Activation in Brugia pahangi-Infected Jirds (Meriones unguiculatus)

The macrophage is a major component of the inflammatory response induced by lymphatic tissue-dwelling filariae. Intraperitoneal (i.p.) infections with Brugia pahangi in Mongolian gerbils, or jirds (Meriones unguiculatus), induce a peritoneal inflammatory response characterized by accumulation of numerous macrophages and fewer eosinophils. This inflammatory response is associated with the release of microfilariae by female worms. The aim of this study was to investigate the activation state of the peritoneal macrophages during the course of i.p. infections with either male or female worms. Activation was determined by a toxoplasmacidal assay and assays which measured the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like activity and nitric oxide (NO) production. The development of these assays with jirds was initially conducted in parallel with the mouse system, which served as a positive control. Jird macrophages became activated to kill Toxoplasma gondii by in vivo immunization with Mycobacterium bovis BCG in a pattern similar to that of mouse macrophages. However, unlike the mouse system, supernatants from purified protein derivative- or concanavalin A-stimulated jird splenocytes plus lipopolysaccharide failed to activate jird macrophages in vitro or induce NO production. These results indicate that factors involved in jird macrophage activation may differ from those demonstrated in the mouse system and other systems. i.p. infections of 15 days in duration with either male or female worms induced macrophage activation as measured by Toxoplasma killing and TNF production. These responses decreased as the infection progressed to the chronic period on a time course that parallels the down regulation of experimental B. pahangi granulomas. There was no evidence of NO production by activated jird macrophages. These data indicate that macrophage function is down modulated during filarial infection and suggest that mechanisms involved in macrophage deactivation are related to those that induce down modulation of the systemic granulomatous inflammatory response in the jird. This response is not dependent on the microfilarial stage of the parasite and is also independent of mechanisms which induce peritoneal accumulations of macrophages.
Responses of soil microbial processes and community structure to tillage events and implications for soil quality

The short-term responses of soil microbial processes and community structure to perturbation constitute one aspect of soil quality. Such responses are often associated with an increase in the emissions of greenhouse gases (i.e., CO2, NO, or N2O) and the accumulation and potential loss of nitrate by leaching. Here we describe our recent work on responses of soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics, microbial biomass, and microbial community structure to a tillage event in intensively managed vegetable crop systems in California. Our results indicate that CO2 emission is high for the first day after tillage, but respiration declines or remains constant, suggesting that physical processes are responsible for the high flux from the soil surface. Net mineralization and nitrate accumulation increase for several days after tillage, and this can be accompanied by higher denitrification rates. Tillage causes immediate changes in microbial community structure, based on phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, but little concomitant change in total microbial biomass. Tillage events contribute to decreased soil quality by increasing emissions of greenhouse gases, and increasing the potential for nitrate leaching to groundwater, and these negative aspects must be weighed against the benefits of tillage for increasing the health and productivity of some crops. D 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Disease in Adult Cystic Fibrosis Patients

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of mycobacterial disease in an adult cystic fibrosis (CF) population and to determine if there were any patients at higher risk for this disease within the group. Sixty-four patients (28 women, 36 men), ranging in age from 17 to 50 years were screened. One-step purified protein derivative skin testing with controls was performed and sputum was taken for examination. Eight of 64 had positive sputum culture for nontuberculous Mycobacterium. The CF patients with positive mycobacterial sputum cultures tended to be older and to have lower clinical scores than those who did not have Mycobacterium organisms in sputum. Guidelines to determine whether mycobacterial disease or colonization is present should be pursued for the CF population.
Treatment of Experimental Herpesvirus Infections with Phosphonoformate and Some Comparisons with Phosphonoacetate

Abstract Phosphonoformate (PF) at a concentration of 5 to 10 μg/ml inhibited the growth of type 1 strains of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in tissue culture, whereas 20 to 30 μg/ml was required for inhibition of type 2 strains and about 50 μg/ml was required for murine cytomegalovirus. In mice inoculated intraperitoneally or intracerebrally with HSV or intraperitoneally with murine cytomegalovirus, treatment with 250 to 400 mg of PF per kg twice daily for 5 days had only minimal effectiveness. When mice were inoculated intravaginally (i.vg.) with HSV type 2 and treated i.vg. with 10% PF beginning 3 h after viral inoculation, treatment was effective in completely inhibiting viral replication in the genital tract. If i.vg. therapy was initiated 24 h after infection, when the mice had a mean virus titer of 105 plaque-forming units in vaginal secretions, a significant reduction in the mean virus titer was observed on days 3, 5, and 7 after infection as compared with control animals. In guinea pigs treated i.vg. with 10% PF beginning 6 h after i.vg. inoculation with HSV type 2 there was also complete inhibition of viral replication in the genital tract, and no extenal lesions developed. When therapy was initiated 24 h after infection there was a 4 to 5-log decrease in viral titers on days 3, 5, and 7 of the infection and a slight delay in the development of external lesions.
Vocational Psychology and Assessment With Immigrants in the United States: Future Directions for Training, Research, and Practice:

Immigrants are vital members of U.S. society and are essential contributors to the U.S. labor force. Today, immigrants comprise a significant portion of the U.S. population, however, career assessm...
Mass production of competent larvae of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea)

We evaluated the mass production of competent larvae of the sea urchin Lytechinus variegatus cultured at three initial densities (0.25, 0.5, and 1 larvae per ml) and fed Chaetoceros muelleri. Survival, length, dry weight of larvae, and larval stage index (LSI) were estimated in each treatment as a function of the density. Density decreased during the experiment due to mortality, but the percentage was similar in all three treatments (68.5, 66.7, and 76.0%). The experiment was stopped at 13 days after fertilization, when most of the larvae were competent and had settled. There were no significant differences in survival (exceeded 65% in all treatments), length and larval stage index among treatments. However, larvae weight in the two low density treatments (1.1 ± 0.11 mg and 1.2 ± 0.05 mg, respectively) was greater than the high density treatment (0.59 ± 0.376 mg). This study demonstrates that competent larvae of Lytechinus variegatus can be produced with less than 25% mortality in 13 days when cultures are started at densities of 0.25- 1 larvae/ml. Culturing at higher densities (0.5-1 larvae/ml) had no apparent disadvantages and would reduce the cost of production.
Simplified phosphorus kinetic modeling: predicting changes in predialysis serum phosphorus concentration after altering the hemodialysis prescription

Background. The KDIGO work group recommends increasing dialytic phosphorus removal in Stage 5D chronic kidney disease patients with persistent hyperphosphatemia; however, optimal prescriptions to enhance phosphorus removal by hemodialysis (HD) therapies have not yet been established. This study evaluated whether phosphorus kinetic modeling based on a pseudo one-compartment model could provide practical clinical guidance for predicting changes in predialysis serum phosphorus concentration after altering the HD prescription. Methods. Patient-specific phosphorus kinetic parameters determined from thrice weekly HD treatments on 774 patients in the HEMO Study were used to predict changes in predialysis serum phosphorus concentration after altering the HD prescription from thrice weekly to short daily and long nocturnal HD therapies. The effect of changes in the oral phosphorus binder prescription on predicted changes in the predialysis serum phosphorus concentration was also illustrated using the concept of equivalent phosphorus binder dose. Results. Decreases in predialysis serum phosphorus concentration from thrice weekly HD to short daily and long nocturnal HD prescriptions demonstrated strong associations with the predialysis serum phosphorus concentration during thrice weekly HD that were relatively independent of patient-specific phosphorus kinetic parameters. Thus, the percent decrease in predialysis serum phosphorus concentration was approximately the same among patients for a given alteration in the HD prescription. Both increased weekly treatment time and frequency resulted in a reduction in the predialysis serum phosphorus concentration; however, the effect of treatment time was more influential. Simultaneous reduction in the effective phosphorus binder dose blunted the decrease in the predialysis serum phosphorus concentration. Conclusions. This study demonstrated that a simplified form of phosphorus kinetic modeling based on a pseudo onecompartment model can provide practical clinical guidance for predicting changes in predialysis serum phosphorus concentration after altering the HD prescription. Prospective validation of this approach in future studies is warranted.
Assessing the economic value and optimal structure of large-scale electricity storage

Large-scale electricity storage can enable arbitrage between periods when electricity is abundant, and cheap, and periods when it is scarce. In principle, this could enable greater use of baseload generation, and encourage investments in intermittent capacity such as wind and solar. If storage is to penetrate the system, the marginal value of storage capacity must be high enough to enable investments in storage. To have a significant impact on investments in intermittent technologies, it must be large enough to affect the prices on the system. This research develops a theoretical framework to evaluate the marginal values of the components of a storage system, and to characterize the impact of storage on the price patterns in the system. The theoretical approach is applied to an example system to illustrate the changes in marginal values as storage penetrates the system, and the impact on system prices.
Self-dual codes over the integers modulo 4

Abstract Michael Klemm has recently studied the conditions satisfied by the complete weight enumerator of a self-dual code over Z 4, the ring of integers modulo 4. In the present paper we deduce analogues theorems for the “symmetrized” weight enumerator (which ignores the difference between +1 and −1 coordinates) and the Hamming weight enumerator. We give a number of examples of self-dual codes, including codes which realize the basic weight enumerators occurring in all these theorems, and the complete list of self-dual codes of length n ⩽ 9. We also classify those self-orthogonal codes that are generated by words of type ±14On−4.
Accuracy of self-reported drug use among offenders: findings from the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring-II Program

The study examined data from the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring-II (ADAM-II) program from 2007 until 2010 at 10 U.S. metropolitan jails to determine factors influencing the accuracy of self-reported drug use. The overall kappa coefficient for self-report data and urinalysis results of any type of drug use in the past 72 hr was.52, indicating a moderate level of agreement. Greater accuracy in self-reported drug use was found among arrestees who tested positive for methamphetamine and marijuana, although these results differed by age and race/ethnicity. African Americans provided less accurate self-reports of drug use than Caucasians, and younger arrestees less accurately self-reported all types of drug use except for marijuana. Persons with no prior arrests had higher accuracy of self-reported drug use than those with a history of frequent arrests, and prior involvement in substance abuse treatment was associated with more accurate self-reporting of drug use. FINDINGS indicate moderate accuracy of self-reported drug use among new arrestees, with the accuracy influenced by demographic factors, arrest history, and substance abuse treatment history. Keywords: Juvenile justice Language: en
Colluder Detection for Minimum Collusion Attacks

We investigate the problem of colluder identification for digital fingerprinting systems under the minimum collusion attack. Formulating the colluder detection as a binary hypothesis testing problem, we derive the log-likelihood ratio test. Utilizing the approximate distribution of the extreme order statistics, we obtain a low-complexity detector with an intuitively appealing form. Simulations show that the proposed detectors achieve significant performance improvements over the existing correlation-based detectors.
Studying Regions by Studying Firms

This paper presents a method for inferring regional economic structure and prospects from key informant interviews. It describes assumptions which must be made and steps to be taken in moving from individuals to establishment, firm, and industry aggregations. A technique is offered for mapping core relationships among firms and other regional and external actors, and for aggregating firm-centered maps into industrial and regional maps. The mapping technique can be expanded to incorporate historicity and dynamic change.
Stability Coefficients for Sidehill Benches

Tables of stability coefficients are presented for determining approximately the factor of safety of sidehill benches as well as embankments on a horizontal ground surface. The soil in the bench or embankment may have a cohesion and an angle of internal friction quite different from those in the natural ground. The procedure is based on the normal method for effective stress analysis and is unique in that a large number of factors are considered but only a limited number of tables is needed. Examples are given to illustrate the application of these tables for the stability analysis of sidehill benches. The factors of safety determined from the stability coefficients are compared with those from the ICES-LEASE computer program, based on both the simplified Bishop and the normal methods, and found to be in good agreement.
Deformation of metallic glasses: Recent developments in theory, simulations, and experiments

Abstract We review recent research into elastic and plastic deformation of metallic glasses, with an emphasis on making connections between developments in theory and simulation (largely from the physics community) and experimental results (largely from the metallurgy community). Topics covered include strain measurement via scattering techniques, non-affine atomic displacements during elastic deformation, shear transformations, constitutive equations, shear bands, and strain hardening. Where possible we connect the observed behavior and properties to the structure of the glass on the atomic- and nano-scales.
Release of hypothalamic cholecystokinin in cats: effects of nutrient and volume loading

Systemic cholecystokinin (CCK) suppresses food intake in various species and has therefore been proposed to act as a satiety factor. Because CCK is also present in the hypothalamus and furthermore meets neurotransmitter criteria, the hypothesis was tested whether CCK participates in the transmission of satiety messages at the lateral hypothalamic (LH) level. The results of this study demonstrate that in halothane-anesthetized cats, neurons located in the LH will indeed release CCK-like material after a carbohydrate-protein meal in a time-dependent fashion. This release, as water loads demonstrate, is most likely due to volumetric distension rather than to the nutrient content. The releasable CCK does not originate from peripheral sources, since intravenously infused CCK octapeptide (CCK-8) does not appear in the perfusate. The release occurs only in discrete neurons and is not universal to CCK-releasing systems within the LH, and also, CCK-releasing systems are not present at all locations. The molecular form of CCK in feline hypothalamus is the COOH-terminal octapeptide (CCK-8) as shown by high-performance liquid chromatography. No gastrin-17 is present. CCK-8 is also the predominant form found in meal-induced as well as in KCl-induced CCK released from hypothalamic neurons. These results suggest a correlated role for hypothalamic CCK in the termination of food intake.
Effect of homologous spinal cord in Freund's adjuvant on cockerel comb, testicular and body growth.

Discussion and summaryInjection of homologous spinal cord in Freund's adjuvant into 7-day-old cockerels retards body growth with disproportionate retardation of comb and testicular growth. Preliminary microscopic examination of combs revealed decreased mucoid matrix of the intermediate layer of the dermis in experimental animals, suggesting a hormonal mechanism (1). Freund and co-workers (2) reported production of aspermatogenesis in guinea pigs by injection of homologous testicular tissue and adjuvant. In studying the effects of other tissues, these investigators found mild testicular damage and aspermatogenesis after injecting homologous CNS tissue and adjuvant into guinea pigs. The effects of these injections on secondary sex characteristics were not studied. They believed that, although CNS and testes shared a common antigen, the testicular injury was secondary to physio-pathologic changes associated with meningo-encephalitis (loss of body weight and other symptoms). In our chickens the incidence of e...