cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interaction of T4 AsiA with its Target Sites in the RNA Polymerase σ70 Subunit Leads to Distinct and Opposite Effects on Transcription

Bacteriophage T4 AsiA is a homodimeric protein that orchestrates a switch from the host and early viral transcription to middle viral transcription by binding to the sigma(70) subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase holoenzyme (Esigma(70)) and preventing promoter complex formation on most E.coli and early T4 promoters. In addition, Esigma(70)AsiA, but not Esigma(70), is a substrate of transcription activation by T4-encoded DNA-binding protein MotA, a co-activator of transcription from middle viral promoters. The molecular determinants of sigma(70)-AsiA interaction necessary for transcription inhibition reside in the sigma(70) conserved region 4.2, which recognizes the -35 promoter consensus element. The molecular determinants of sigma(70)-AsiA interaction necessary for MotA-dependent transcription activation have not been identified. Here, we show that in the absence of sigma(70) region 4.2, AsiA interacts with sigma(70) conserved region 4.1 and activates transcription in a MotA-independent manner. Further, we show that the AsiA dimer must dissociate to interact with either region 4.2 or region 4.1 of sigma(70). We propose that MotA may co-activate transcription by restricting AsiA binding to sigma(70) region 4.1.
Triple collisions in the isosceles three body problem with small mass ratio

We use a slightly modified version of McGehee's transformation to study the triple collisions of the isosceles three body problem in a way that allows us to let the mass ratio go to zero. We study the limiting case and show that the collision manifold changes topologically, which affects the behaviour of near collision orbits. We also obtain new information about the flow on the collision manifold when the mass ratio is small.
Fracture surface interference in shear—I. A model based on experimental surface characterizations

Abstract A closed form model for estimating the reduction in Mode II stress intensity factor (SIF) and the induced Mode I SIF resulting from the mismatch of fracture surface asperities during shearing of the fracture surfaces is presented. At a given effective Mode II SIF, discretizations of actual Mode I fracture surfaces are displaced in shear according to the classical √ r shear displacement law including crack tip plasticity. The crack faces are then “opened” enough to prevent interpenetration of the shifted surfaces resulting in a single point contact. The induced Mode I SIF is then calculated from the solution for a flat crack, opened by a concentrated normal force assuming a classical √ r opening displacement law. The resistance Mode II SIF is found from the corresponding problem with a concentrated tangential force which is proportional to the normal force, and is positive or negative, depending on whether the sliding is uphill or downhill, respectively. The proportionality factor is determined through Coulomb's law of sliding friction applied to the inclined asperity surface at the contact point. The applied Mode II SIF is simply the sum of the effective and the resistance Mode II SIF's. The model predicts large initial resistance to the applied Mode II SIF and an induced Mode I SIF of the same order as the effective Mode II SIF. The secondary structure of the K IIeff vs K IIapp curves is directly related to the periodicity of the fracture surface profile. It is suggested that the model should be modified to account for asperity wear and subsequent modification of the fracture surface profile.
Female traditional principals and co-principals: Experiences of role conflict and job satisfaction

This paper presents a secondary analysis of survey data focusing on role conflict and job satisfaction of 102 female principals. Data were collected from 51 female traditional principals and 51 female co-principals. By examining the traditional and co-principal leadership models as experienced by female principals, this paper addresses the impact of the type of leadership model (traditional principalship or co-principalship) has on women principals with regard to role conflict and job satisfaction. The co-principals experienced lower levels of role conflict and higher levels of job satisfaction than did the female traditional principals.
Actor‐Observer Differences in Conversational Memory

The effects of participant and observer perspectives on the quantity and quality of information recalled from conversations were examined. The observers were exposed to the conversation through videotape, audiotape, or transcript. No differences were found between participants and observers on measures of recall quantity. However, analysis of the composition of recall protocols indicated that participants reported more thematic and evaluative statements while observers produced more errors and elaborations. Observers of videotaped conversations also reported more descriptions and made more references to motives. Instruction set was also found to influence subjects’ recollections.
Memory for routines

Previous studies of memory for routine events (e.g., catching a plane) have pointed out two ways such events might be organized. Schank and Abelson's script theory has emphasized the temporal sequence of events, while story grammars have focused on events' hierarchical structure or centrality. The present experiments compare predictions from these two theories. In Experiment 1, subjects agreed in their rankings of both sequence and centrality. Experiments 2 and 3 demonstrated that centrality, but not sequence, influenced time to decide whether an episode belongs to a routine. In Experiment 4, sequence alone affected decisions about which of two episodes occurred earlier; however, the sequence effect was opposite that predicted by script theory. These findings suggest that sequence and centrality information may be computed as needed, rather than precompiled.
Coastal Dune Restoration: A Strategy for Alleviating Dieout of Ammophila breviligulata

Dieout of Ammophila breviligulata ― death of the major dune-stabilising plants ― has been observed along the north and mid-Atlantic coast of the United States for the past decade and a half. Pathogenic nematodes have been identified as the probable causal agents; they can bring about a complete dieout of sand dune vegetation, with Ammophila breviligulata being the first species to die. Typically, such an area would remain barren for up to five years before plants could be successfully introduced. Applications of fertiliser and dolomitic limestone were tested in the field as a possible management strategy to alleviate the vulnerability of a denuded dune to erosion by making it possible to plant such a site earlier than usual. These applications were also tested in an area of weakened and dying plants to determine if the vegetation could be saved before complete dieout occurred. By creating soil conditions conducive to vigorous plant growth, it was hypothesised that the plants could better withstand the stress of nematode attack. The addition of N-P-K macronutrient fertiliser resulted in increased growth and spread of plants introduced into a site where the grass had been dead for only one to two years. Results indicate that application of fertiliser would be necessary only every other year at most. Micronutrient application, at the concentration used in this study, had little or a somewhat detrimental effect. The addition of dolomitic limestone increased the survival of newly introduced plants. It was also found that the application of macronutrients to a site of moribund vegetation could not only rescue the plants in that site, but could also increase their growth, vigor, and spread, thereby preventing further loss of plant cover essential to dune stabilisation
Release of Potential Instability: Part I. A Sequential Plume Model within a Hydrostatic Primitive Equation Model

Abstract The release of potential instability by large-scale lifting and the subsequent interaction of cumulus convection and the hydrostatic mesoscale flow in a most complex scale-interaction process. This process is an essential part of tropical weather but it is also important in extratropical cyclones through the formation of mesoscale rainbands that contribute much of the precipitation. The purpose of this paper is to qualitatively and quantitatively clarify the potential instability release process within a framework that will permit calculation of convective/mesoscale interactions. The approach is to use an extension of the Lagrangian form of the one-dimensional cumulus model to provide values of convective-scale changes to a hydrostatic primitive equation model. This cumulus sub-routine locates the base of the convection, computes the cumulus plume that will build, accounts for the environmental subsidence, and mixes the subsided environment with the cumulus plume after rainout. These plumes build...
Interactive influence and optimization of reaction parameters in the hydrolysis of olive and coconut triacylglycerols by C. cylindracea and R. javanicus lipases in reverse micellar media

The four reaction parameters—pH, reaction temperature, molar ratio (R) of water to surfactant, and Aerosol-OT concentration—have significant linear, quadratic., and interactive effects on the initial rate and the degree of hydrolysis for lipase-mediated hydrolysis of triacylglycerols (TAG) in Aerosol-OT/iso-octane reverse micellar media. Reaction temperature and pH had the most significant influence on the rate and the degree of hydrolysis, whereas Aerosol-OT concentration had the least influence on those parameters. The initial rate was most influenced by the interactive effect of pH with all other variables, whereas the degree of hydrolysis was the most influenced by the interactive effect of reaction temperature with other variables. Lowerlevel variable combinations were favorable over higher-level variable combinations to TAG hydrolysis in reverse micellar media. Regression models, developed for the initial rate and the degree of hydrolysis as a function of reaction variables, accounted for up to 96% of the variation in the two responses. The optimum reaction condition ranges were determined based on maximization of both the rate and the degree of hydrolysis. The differences in the physicochemical characteristics of substrates had no significant effect on the optimum condition ranges. However, the noticeable differences were observed for these ranges between the systems withRhizopus javanicus andCandida cylindracea lipases. Lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of TAG in Aerosol-OT/iso-octane reverse micellar media was optimum at about 22‡C, 140 mM Aerosol-OT concentration, pH 6.8, andR value of 14.
Teleconvection: remotely driven thermal convection in rotating stratified spherical layers.

We report the discovery of a convective phenomenon found to occur in a rotating spherical system in which an inner convectively unstable fluid layer is bounded by a corotating outer convectively stable fluid layer. Although convection is thermally driven in the unstable interior, the resulting convective motions concentrate primarily in the stable outer region. This phenomenon, which we term teleconvection, suggests that fluid motions observed at the “surface” of a planet (such as Jupiter9s alternating zonal winds) may be driven by an energy source located deep inside the planet.
Prevalence of RET/PTC rearrangements in Hashimoto's thyroiditis and papillary thyroid carcinomas.

The relationship between Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and follicular cell-derived thy roid cancer remains unclear. Recently, 2 studies reported a 95% prevalence of RET/PTC rearrangements in histologically benign tissue affected by HT, suggesting that multiple occult tumors exist in HT patients with high frequency. We tested the prevalence of RET/PTC rearrangements in 26 HT, in 6 papillary carcinomas arising in the background of HT, and in 27 papillary carcinomas not associated with HT. We detected no RET/PTC rearrangements in HT or papillary carcinomas arising in the background of HT, in contrast to a 33% prevalence among papillary carcinomas not associated with HT. However, the expression of wild-type RET was found in more than half of papillary carcinomas. These results suggest that, if the association be tween HT and thyroid cancer exists, its molecular basis is different from RETIPTC rearrangement. Int J Surg Pathol 10(1):15-22, 2002
Electrical stimulation facilitates rat facial nerve recovery from a crush injury

ObjectiveTo study the effect of electrical stimulation on accelerating facial nerve functional recovery from a crush injury in the rat model.Study DesignExperimental.MethodThe main trunk of the right facial nerve was crushed just distal to the stylomastoid foramen, causing right-sided facial paralysis in 17 Sprague-Dawley rats. An electrode apparatus was implanted in all rats. Nine rats underwent electrical stimulation and eight were sham stimulated until complete facial nerve recovery. Facial nerve function was assessed daily by grading eyeblink reflex, vibrissae orientation, and vibrissae movement.ResultsAn electrical stimulation model of the rat facial nerve following axotomy was established. The semi-eyeblink returned significantly earlier (3.71 + 0.97 vs 9.57 + 1.86 days post axotomy) in stimulated rats (P = 0.008). Stimulated rats also recovered all functions earlier, and showed less variability in recovery time.ConclusionElectrical stimulation initiates and accelerates facial nerve recovery in the ...
An Atom Probe Study of Boron Segregation to Line and Planar Defects in Ni3Ai

Atom probe analyses of rapidly solidified, boron-doped Ni-24 at. % Al subjected to various heat treatments have shown boron segregation to a wide range of linear and planar defects. These include dislocations, superlattice intrinsic stacking faults, antiphase boundaries, twin boundaries, low-angle boundaries (dislocation cell walls), and high-angle grain boundaries. Boron coverage of these features was found to vary along a particular linear or planar defect and from boundary to boundary.
Skin Color Correction for Tissue Spectroscopy: Demonstration of a Novel Approach with Tissue-Mimicking Phantoms

The application of partial least squares (PLS) regression to visible-near-infrared (VIS-NIR) spectroscopy for modeling important blood and tissue parameters is generally complicated by the variation in skin pigmentation (melanin) across the human population. An orthogonal correction method for removing the influence of skin pigmentation has been demonstrated in diffuse reflectance spectra from two-layer tissue-mimicking phantoms. The absorption properties of the phantoms were defined by lyophilized human hemoglobin (bottom layer) and synthetic melanin (top layer). Tissue-like scattering was simulated in both layers with intralipid. The approach uses principal components analysis (PCA) loading vectors from a separate set of phantom spectra that encode the unwanted melanin variation to remove the effect of melanin from the test phantoms. The preprocessing of phantom spectra using this orthogonal correction method resulted in PLS models with reduced complexity and enhanced prediction performance. Preliminary results from a separate study that evaluates the feasibility of defining skin color variation in an experiment with a single human subject are also presented.
Sputum smear conversion during directly observed treatment for tuberculosis

Abstract Setting: Treatment program for tuberculosis in a refugee camp in Thailand. Objectives: To determine the cumulative frequency of conversion of sputum smears examined by direct microscopy by month of treatment and to identify factors predicting failure to convert. Methods: Analysis of conversion based on three sputum smear examinations (performed monthly) in a cohort of patients with sputum smear-positive tuberculosis treated with a directly observed daily regimen containing rifampicin throughout. Nested case-control study of patients failing to convert definitively within four months compared to controls who did convert. Results: Sputum conversion after the 2-month intensive phase was 75.0%, with a range from 61.7% to 90.9% in patients with initially strongly- and weakly-positive smears, respectively. The strongest predictor identified for no definitive conversion within four months of treatment was a positive sputum smear result at the end of the 2-month intensive phase (adjusted relative odds 4.2, 95% confidence interval 1.5–11.4). Of those patients who did not convert, positive smears were an isolated phenomenon in 15, repeatedly in four who definitely converted with a prolongation of treatment, and persistently positive in two requiring a re-treatment regimen. Conclusions: Definitive sputum smear conversion is judged to be slower if a strict program of sputum smear examination is undertaken than under routine program conditions, but positive results late in the course are commonly an isolated phenomenon and possibly of little significance. Sputum smear results at two months strongly predict bacteriologic results beyond three months of treatment, and thus identify cases who might benefit from a prolongation of the intensive phase.
Modeling Hydrodynamic Behaviors in Detonation

A multistage reaction model developed for general use from initiation through detonation of heterogeneous high explosives is used to specifically simulate the interface vclocimetry and plate push experiments of a triamino-trinitrobenzene-based explosive in detonation. A simplification of the unified model leads to a rate relation that ineludes only two dominant stages: a fast one that represents the major portion of reaction dictated by propagation and decomposition, and a slow one that reflects probably the formation of large carbon molecules. The apparent more energetic behavior of the equation of state near the detonation front is actually due to the slow reaction process.
Biological activity in the repopulating rat spermatocyte after the withdrawal of gossypol treatment: III. The activity for the transcription of messenger RNA

Abstract Mature male rats were treated with gossypol for 8 weeks after which the treatment was stopped to allow the arrested spermatogonia to revive. The arrested spermatogonia in the testes were allowed to develop for 15, 30, and 45 days. The amount of histone H 2b , H 4 and actin messenger RNA (mRNA) in the repopulated pachytene spermatocyte (RPS) and the control pachytene spermatocyte (CPS) was detected by the dot-blot hybridization technique. Histone H 2b mRNA in total testicular RNA is higher than that detected in CPS and RPS. The amount of histone H 2b mRNA in 5 μg to 10 μg of poly (A) + RNA isolated from CPS is 235% higher than that detected in the RPS. The H 2b mRNA content in the resting spermatocytes (15, 30, and 45 days after the withdrawal of gossypol treatment) was inhibited by 68, 72, and 45%, respectively. Histone H 2b mRNA transcription in the resting spermatocyte of these 3 time periods was inhibited by 26, 40, and 0%, respectively. Fifteen days after the withdrawal of gossypol treatment, the amount of actin mRNA in RPS was inhibited by 47%. The inhibitory effect of gossypol was rapidly recovered within 30 days after the withdrawal of the drug treatment. It was concluded that after the withdrawal of gossypol treatment, the production of H 2b , H 4 , and actin mRNA in RPS was inhibited. However, the inhibitory effect on the mRNAs' production is reversible. The recovery rate for the mRNAs follows the following order: Actin mRNA > H 4 mRNA > H 2b mRNA .
A Generalization of the Fuglede-Putnam Theorem to Unbounded Operators

Let be unbounded normal operators in a Hilbert space and let be a closed operator whose domain contains the domain of , and the domain contains the domain of . It is shown that if , then .
Feeding Revolution: The Black Panther Party and the Politics of Food

This chapter examines the role of food in the symbolic politics and practical agenda of the Black Panther Party (BPP), founded in the late 1960s in Oakland, California. Situating hunger and the politics of food at the center of drives for racial justice, it argues that the BPP’s anti-hunger efforts and food-centered campaigns were driven by an implicit understanding of the power of food in battles over racialized definitions of personhood, a forum for both enforcing and resisting hegemonic authority. From this vantage, the Panthers and their allies in the East Bay community utilized the Party’s popular food programs, specifically its Free Breakfast for School Children Program, as staging grounds to prepare for a revolutionary overthrow of the socio-economic order. In addition to strengthening the physical bodies of African Americans to ensure their “survival pending revolution,” the food programs served a deeper organizing function by encouraging community members to come together to meet an immediate, practical need and, in doing so, to visualize themselves as part of a larger movement for change. The Panthers’ subsequent demands for consumer rights and calls for conscientious consumption (both as purchasers and eaters of food) highlighted the role of food politics in perpetuating racial injustice while demonstrating the capacity for food-related protest to challenge structures of hunger and patterns of widespread malnourishment.
The Grit beneath the Glitter: Tales from the Real Las Vegas.

The Grit beneath the Glitter: Tales from the Real Las Vegas. Hal K. Rothman and Mike Davis,eds. Berkeley: University of California Press,2002. 388 pp., index.
Physiology of “Atypical” Atrioventricular Junctional Reentrant Tachycardia Occurring Following Radiofrequency Catheter Modification of the Atrioventricular Node

The physiology of atypical atrioventricular junctional reentrant tachycardia (AVJRT) occurring following catheter modification of the AV node is poorly defined. Six patients undergoing radiofrequency current catheter modification of the AV node had inducible atypical AVJRT before or after AV nodal modification. Typical AVJRT was differentiated from atypical AVJRT by a ventriculoatrial (VA) time < 60 msec in the His-bundle electrogram recording. Five of six patients had typical AVJRT and two had atypical AVJRT prior to AV nodal modification. Following anterior approach AV nodal modification, previously undetected atypical AVJRT was induced in four patients. Earliest retrograde atrial activation in the posterior septum was documented in all patients with atypical AVJRT prior to modification and in three of four patients with atypical AVJRT following modification. The AH intervals during tachycardia were 320 +/- 52 msec in typical AVJRT, 88 +/- 33 msec in the premodification atypical AVJRTs, and 172 +/- 12 msec in the postmodification atypical AVJRTs (P = 0.0001). The AH/HA ratios were 4.1 +/- 0.9 in typical AVJRT, 0.5 +/- 0.2 in the premodification atypical AVJRTs, and 0.9 +/- 0.2 in the postmodification atypical AVJRTs (P = 0.0001). Two patients with postmodification atypical AVJRT underwent further posterior approach AV node modification that resulted in VA block. One patient with postmodification atypical AVJRT had further anterior approach AV nodal modification that resulted in heart block. The retrograde limb of the atypical AVJRT seen following anterior approach AV nodal modification is a posterior, slow pathway.
The analytic structure of image flows: deformation and segmentation

Abstract Time-varying imagery is often described in terms of image flow fields (i.e., image motion), which correspond to the perceptive projection of feature motions in three dimensions (3D). In the case of multiple moving objects with smooth surfaces, the image flow possesses an analytic structure that reflects these 3D properties. This paper describes the analytic structure of image flow fields in the image space-time domain, and its use for segmentation and 3D motion computation. First we discuss thelocal flow structure as embodied in the concept ofneighborhood deformation. The local image deformation is effectively represented by a set of 12 basis deformations, each of which is responsible for an independent deformation. This local representation provides us with sufficient information for the recovery of 3D object structure and motion, in the case of relative rigid body motions. We next discuss theglobal flow structure embodied in the partitioning of the entire image plane intoanalytic regions separated byboundaries of analyticity, such that each small neighborhood within the analytic region is described in terms of deformation bases. This analysis reveals an effective mechanism for detecting the analytic boundaries of flow fields, thereby segmenting the image into meaningful regions. The notion ofconsistency which is often used in the image segmentation is made explicit by the mathematical notion ofanalyticity derived from the projection relation of 3D object motion. The concept of flow analyticity is then extended to the temporal domain, suggesting a more robust algorithm for recovering image flow from multiple frames. Finally, we argue that the process of flow segmentation can be understood in the framework of grouping process. The general concept ofcoherence orgrouping through local support (such as the second-order flows in our case) is discussed.
Effect of Aspirin and Warfarin Therapy in Stroke Patients with Valvular Strands

Background— Valvular strands are associated with ischemic stroke. The recurrent rate of adverse events in stroke patients with valvular strands has not been defined and, importantly, there are no randomized studies to evaluate efficacy of antithrombotic therapies in these patients. Methods— Patent Foramen Ovale in Cryptogenic Stroke Study (PICSS) enrolled 630 stroke patients, of whom 312 (49.5%) were randomized to warfarin and 318 (50.5%) were randomized to aspirin; 265 patients experienced cryptogenic stroke and 365 experienced stroke with known subtypes. Endpoints were recurrent ischemic stroke or death from any cause. All transesophageal echocardiography studies were blindly, centrally analyzed and all endpoints were blindly adjudicated. Results— Overall, of 619 studies analyzed, valvular strands were present in 39.4% of the patients (244/619), 5.8% (36/619) on the aortic valve and 27.8% (172/619) on the mitral valve, and 5.8% (36/619) on both valves. In an intention-to-treat analysis, there was no sig...
Male-female interactions in Drosophila melanogaster: model with one-locus and three-alleles

We develop a fertility model of fitness that is general in that it does not assume that the fitnesses of the mating combinations are symmetrical or that they are additive or multilicative (i. e., that they can be inferred from fitnesses of the two genotypes involved in a mating). %he model considers one locus with three alleles. An experimental test with Drosophila rnelanogaster confirms that the fitnesses of the mating types depart from both additivity (or multiplicativity) and symmetry although this last property is of no consequence for the development of analytical models). urnerical simulations yield the same, or very nearly the same, equilibrium freuencies as the analytical model, independently of whether or not Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium Trequencies are assumed at the beginning of each selection cycle.
Joint Appointments and the Professoriate: Two Houses but no Home?

Interdisciplinary work within higher education has increased significantly over past decades (Amey 2004; Creamer and Lattuca 2005). However, the professional implications of interdisciplinary research and instruction for the faculty members who engage in such academic work remain unclear. This study of science educators who hold appointments in two academic departments begins to address this empirical gap. The outcomes provide insight into the factors that influence the professional lives of these faculty members. The knowledge gained from the study will provide mentors, colleagues, and administrators insight into the challenges facing academics undertaking this work. Further, this research seeks to inform policy makers in regard to how tenure and promotion is determined for jointly appointed faculty in science education and other interdisciplinary fields.
A comparison of energy substrates and reproductive patterns of two anurans. Acris crepitans and Bufo woodhousei.

Abstract 1. 1. The seasonal pattern of carcass, liver and ovary lipid and liver non-lipid mass was examined in the cricket frog, Acris crepitons, and Woodhouse's toad, Bufo woodhousei. Reproductive patterns were also studied. 2. 2. The over-winter reduction of body lipid and liver non-lipid material was attributed to metabolism in Acris crepitons. 3. 3. Male, but not female, Bufo woodhousei exhibited seasonal variation in lipid stores that was attributable to metabolism. Females, but not males, showed seasonal variation in liver non-lipid mass and quantified liver glycogen. 4. 4. Females of both species mobilized body lipid during the period of ovarian development; however, an inverse relationship between fatbody mass and ovary mass was evident for Acris, only. 5. 5. Female Acris crepitons depleted all ovarian follicles prior to brumation; however, Bufo woodhousei retained enlarged follicles throughout the year. 6. 6. Variation in metabolic substrate use between species was related to the differences in reproductive patterns exhibited by the two anurans. These variations in reproductive strategy represent adaptations that enhance the survivability of different species in dissimilar habitats.
Ocular Convergence Deficits in Schizophrenia

Individuals with schizophrenia have been reported to exhibit a higher prevalence of convergence insufficiency (CI) than the “normal” adult population. The purpose of this study was to determine if individuals with schizophrenia exhibit clinical signs of CI and to determine if the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS) is an effective instrument for identifying CI in this population. Twenty participants with schizophrenia (SZ) and 20 healthy controls (HC) completed the study. The prevalence of CI (15%) in the SZ group was slightly higher than reported norms, but the difference was not significant. The SZ group had significantly higher scores on the CISS than the HC group, but the CISS scores did not correlate with clinical measures of CI in individuals with SZ. The only exception was that SZ patients had a significantly reduced fusional reserve as determined by Sheard’s criteria. Further study is needed to determine why individuals with schizophrenia reported symptoms associated with CI even though clinical measures did not support this diagnosis.
Targeting MDM2 by the small molecule RITA: towards the development of new multi-target drugs against cancer

Background The use of low-molecular-weight, non-peptidic molecules that disrupt the interaction between the p53 tumor suppressor and its negative regulator MDM2 has provided a promising alternative for the treatment of different types of cancer. Among these compounds, RITA (reactivation of p53 and induction of tumor cell apoptosis) has been shown to be effective in the selective induction of apoptosis, and this effect is due to its binding to the p53 tumor suppressor. Since biological systems are highly dynamic and MDM2 may bind to different regions of p53, new alternatives should be explored. On this basis, the computational "blind docking" approach was employed in this study to see whether RITA would bind to MDM2.
3-D Shape Reconstruction of Retinal Fundus

We present a method for 3-D shape reconstruction of retinal fundus from fluorescein images. Our method extracts the location of vessels bifurcation as a reliable feature for estimating the epipolar geometry using a plane-and-parallax approach. The proposed solution robustly estimates the fundamental matrix for nearly planar surfaces, such as the retinal fundus. We propose the use of mutual information criteria for accurate estimation of the disparity maps, where the matched Y-features are used for automatically estimating the bounds of the disparities range space. Our experimental results validate the proposed method on sets of difficult fluorescein image pairs.
Alterations in cell membrane activity in depression.

Findings from a series of related experiments led to a working hypothesis suggesting that there may be an abnormality in aspects of cell membrane properties that normally regulate the movement of electrolytes across the plasma membrane in a subgroup of depressed patients. These patients appear to be responsive to lithium, and there is evidence that the postulated abnormality may be genetically determined. The authors outline the potential usefulness of the erythrocyte as a model for studying electrolyte transport in neurons.
A multi-class pattern recognition system for practical finger spelling translation

The paper presents a portable system and method for recognizing the 26 hand shapes of the American Sign Language alphabet, using a novel glove-like device. Two additional signs, 'space', and 'enter' are added to the alphabet to allow the user to form words or phrases and send them to a speech synthesizer. Since the hand shape for a letter varies from one signer to another, this is a 28-class pattern recognition system. A three-level hierarchical classifier divides the problem into "dispatchers" and "recognizers." After reducing pattern dimension from ten to three, the projection of class distributions onto horizontal planes makes it possible to apply simple linear discrimination in 2D, and Bayes' Rule in those cases where classes had features with overlapped distributions. Twenty-one out of 26 letters were recognized with 100% accuracy; the worst case, letter U, achieved 78%.
Hepatitis B and D Protocols–Volume II: Immunology, Model Systems, and Clinical Studies. Robert K. Hamatake and Johnson Y.N. Lau, editors. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press, 2004, 596 pp., $135.00, hardcover. ISBN 1-58829-108-1.

The second of these volumes comprises 36 chapters arranged in three sections covering the topics virus-specific immunologic and other host responses, in vitro and in vivo models, and antiviral testing and clinical studies. Only five of the chapters are devoted to hepatitis D. In contrast to the first volume, this book is likely to be of more interest to clinicians and those interested in the topic of HBV and viral hepatitis in general. The reason for the difference in potential target audience lies in both the format and the topics covered. In this second volume, many more of the chapters have extensive discussions of the basis for use of the experimental system, in addition to having detailed descriptions of the methods used. The first two sections discuss models of HBV, both from basic immunology and clinical relevance. There are …
An efficient wireless transmission method for m-commerce

Mobile commerce (m-commerce) is a new type of e-commerce that conducts business transactions via mobile devices. Due to its inherent characteristics such as ubiquity, personalisation, flexibility and dissemination, m-commerce promises businesses unprecedented market potential, great productivity and high profitability. Yet, the move to create a wireless version of the internet means a new set of problems. One of the problems is slow transmission speed. The purpose of this paper is to propose a wireless data multiplexing method for improving the transmission efficiency. The simulation results show the new method, which reduces the vacant blocks and addressing overheads, outperforms the current methods.
Women's Political Representation and Welfare State Spending in 12 Capitalist Democracies

One of the sharpest criticisms of welfare state research is insufficient attention to factors relating to gender relations and inequalities. Recent scholarship has begun to address welfare state effects on gender-related outcomes, but the evaluation of theories of welfare development with respect to gender factors is somewhat less developed, leaving open a number of important questions regarding gender as a mechanism behind welfare state development. Using established theoretical perspectives as a baseline model, this study evaluates the effects of women's political power on welfare state effort within 12 capitalist democracies. Cross-sectional time-series analyses of OECD data provide evidence for the impact of women's political representation on levels of social expenditure. Further, women's political representation mediates a portion of the effects of women in the labor force. We discuss implications for extending welfare state theory and for refining the role of gender-related mechanisms in welfare state development.
Charting changes in commitment Trajectories of on-again/off-again relationships

The present study examined how turning points reported by individuals in on-again/off-again (on–off) relationships reflected relationship trajectories. Participants (N = 581) completed an online Retrospective Interview Technique asking them to report on up to 10 turning points. Participants indicated their commitment level at each turning point. Based on the variations in commitment across turning points, five trajectories emerged. Trajectory groups were compared regarding relational stability factors. Results suggest that on–off partners with a steady-low commitment trajectory reported less stability than individuals with steady-high commitment. Additionally, partners in the fluctuating trajectory, which would seemingly represent less stability, reported moderate perceptions of their relationships, faring better than the low-steady commitment group. Overall, findings add to an understanding of how to best characterize on–off relationships.
High‐Performance Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries with a Self‐Supported, 3D Li2S‐Doped Graphene Aerogel Cathodes

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are being considered as the next-generation high-energy-storage system due to their high theoretical energy density. However, the use of a lithium-metal anode poses serious safety concerns due to lithium dendrite formation, which causes short-circuiting, and possible explosions of the cell. One feasible way to address this issue is to pair a fully lithiated lithium sulfide (Li2S) cathode with lithium metal-free anodes. However, bulk Li2S particles face the challenges of having a large activation barrier during the initial charge, low active-material utilization, poor electrical conductivity, and fast capacity fade, preventing their practical utility. Here, the development of a self-supported, high capacity, long-life cathode material is presented for Li-S batteries by coating Li2S onto doped graphene aerogels via a simple liquid infiltration–evaporation coating method. The resultant cathodes are able to lower the initial charge voltage barrier and attain a high specific capacity, good rate capability, and excellent cycling stability. The improved performance can be attributed to the (i) cross-linked, porous graphene network enabling fast electron/ion transfer, (ii) coated Li2S on graphene with high utilization and a reduced energy barrier, and (iii) doped heteroatoms with a strong binding affinity toward Li2S/lithium polysulfides with reduced polysulfide dissolution based on first-principles calculations.
A New Set of Eyes and a New Pair of Legs: A Robust Learning Environment for Advanced High School Robotics

Tekkotsu is an open source application development framework for intelligent mobile robots. Originally designed for undergraduate computer science majors, recent refinements to the framework have led us to explore its use with high school students. We developed a pilot course curriculum to introduce high level robotics to students with little or no programming experience in a way that provides improved feedback and error detection on multiple levels. The use of visualization tools and pair programming techniques scaffolds the learning process and provides a systematic way to introduce robotics as a fun and worthwhile endeavor to novices, and helps instructors efficiently address students’ concerns in a real-time manner.
Precision Tests of Laser-Tunneling Ionization Models

The energy and number distributions of photoelectrons observed outside the ionizing field can give insight into the ionization process in a strong laser field. The physics of this process can be considered to occur in a two-step process known as the “simpleman’s model.”1 First, the electron escapes the atom by tunneling, and second, it interacts with the external field. If the time it takes the electron to tunnel out of the atom is much shorter than the laser period, then ionization occurs in the adiabatic limit (the ionization potential Ip is greater than the photon energy ω), and static field calculations of the ionization rate are valid.1 In the experiments described below, the Keldysh adiabaticity parameter γ = (I p /2U p )1/2 ≪ 1,2 where Ip is the ionization potential of the atom and Up = F 2/2ω2 is the ponderomotive energy, indicating that ionization occurs in the tunneling regime. (Here the electric field F is proportional to the square root of the laser intensity.) Once liberated, the electron will gain a drift momentum which is determined by the phase of the laser field at the time of ionization. If the polarization is linear, then the drift momentum will be zero unless the external electric field is not at its peak value. The drift momentum will be nonzero and directed perpendicular to the polarization vector if the laser is elliptically polarized. If the laser is circularly polarized, the drift due to initial conditions will give the electron a directed kinetic energy of about 2Up when ponderomotive effects are included. We have used a 2-ps, 1-μm laser with intensities up to 1 × 1018 W/cm2 and two electron spectrometers to test the static tunneling models.
Laser ignition and burning velocity measurements in natural gas/air mixtures

The laminar burning velocities of methane/air have been obtained using UCF’s high-pressure combustion bomb facility and laser ignition for initial temperature of 25 and 120 C, initial pressure of 1 and 3 bar, and equivalence ratio range 0.7-1.4.
Europe’s Migration Crisis: An American Perspective

The European Union’s 28 member nations received over 1.2 million asylum seekers in 2015, including 1.1 million in Germany [1] and over 150,000 in Sweden. The US, by comparison, has been receiving 75,000 asylum applications a year. One reason for the upsurge in asylum applicants is that German Chancellor Angela Merkel in August 2015 announced that Syrians could apply for asylum in Germany even if they passed through safe countries en route. The challenges of integrating asylum seekers are becoming clearer, prompting talk of reducing the influx, reforming EU institutions, and integrating migrants. [1] Some 1.1 million foreigners were registered in Germany’s EASY system in 2015, but only 476,500 were able to complete asylum applications because of backlogs in asylum offices.
High radiation designs for magnets in DT fusion reactors

A novel magnet design strategy allows normal conductor resistive coils to operate in intense radiation zones of a DT fusion reactor. Solid insulation is replaced by a combination of highly resistive solid metal and flowing liquid or gaseous coolant behaving as a lossy insulator. Unwanted effects include increased heat dissipation and additional stray magnetic fields, but these can be managed to acceptable levels through optimization.
Genotyping and Axenic Growth of Coxiella burnetii Isolates Found in the United States Environment

Coxiella burnetii is a gram-negative bacterium that is the etiologic agent of the zoonotic disease Q fever. Common reservoirs of C. burnetii include sheep, goats, and cattle. These animals shed C. burnetii into the environment, and humans are infected by inhalation of aerosols. A survey of 1622 environmental samples taken across the United States in 2006-2008 found that 23.8% of the samples contained C. burnetii DNA. To identify the strains circulating in the U.S. environment, DNA from these environmental samples was genotyped using an SNP-based approach to derive sequence types (ST) that are also compatible with multispacer sequence typing methods. Three different sequence types were observed in 31 samples taken from 19 locations. ST8 was associated with goats and ST20 with dairy cattle. ST16/26 was detected in locations with exposure to various animals and also in locations with no direct animal contact. Viable isolates were obtained for all three sequence types, but only the ST20 and ST16/26 isolates grew in acidified citrate cysteine medium (ACCM)-2 axenic media. Examination of a variety of isolates with different sequence types showed that ST8 and closely related isolates did not grow in ACCM-2. These results suggest that a limited number of C. burnetii sequence types are circulating in the U.S. environment and these strains have close associations with specific reservoir species. Growth in ACCM-2 may not be suitable for isolation of many C. burnetii strains.
Recessive Familial Spastic Paraplegia with Retinal Degeneration

A family is described in which spastic paraplegia and retinal degeneration were observed in 5 out of 11 sibs in one generation. All affected members of this family had the onset of bilateral ocular symptoms during the fourth to fifth decade. Visual impairment was slowly progressive and ranged from 20/25 to 20/100. There was a macular and perimacular speckling with small, irregular, discrete spots and central pigment proliferation, at the level of the pigment epithelium. Fluorescein angiography revealed patches of proliferating retinal pigment epithelium blocking transmission of fluorescein, surrounded by a larger area of disruption of the retinal pigment epithelium giving a “window-effect” choroidal pattern. The right macula showed a nonspecific, nonfluorescent, reticular pattern. The most likely explanation of the ocular findings was a retinal degeneration involving the retinal pigment epithelium and/or the chorio-capillaries. Extensive laboratory work was negative.
Prenatal Effects of Alcohol Abuse in Humans and Laboratory Animals

Alcohol is a teratogenic drug. When ingested during pregnancy, it readily crosses the placenta, enters the fetal circulatory system, and can be associated with a range of adverse offspring effects which span the continuum from death to subtle growth and central nervous system effects, depending on the dose, the total amount of the drug, the pattern of drug use, and the period of cell differentiation at exposure. Although the mechanisms have not been clearly delineated and other risk factors may be involved, alcohol appears to be a necessary and sufficient agent for the effects.
HIV-1 Env and Glutamate Induction of NO, IL1, and TNF

Several studies which have focused on central nervous system (CNS) AIDS have implicated HIV-1 envelope (env) proteins in glutamate- and calcium-induced damage of neurons, most likely through nitric oxide (NO) induction (1). We have proposed that white matter damage, both to oligodendrocytes and myelin, could be mediated by NO, IL1 and TNFa in CNS AIDS (2) and multiple sclerosis (MS) (3). Since axonal damage and Wallerian degeneration are also seen in MS (4), glutamate might be elevated in the CNS of MS patients, aggravating the pathological condition created by the inflammatory immune component. Previously, we have demonstrated that substance P (SP) induction of cytokines in glial cells was calcium ([Ca++]i)-dependent (5) and that glutamate induced an increase in [Ca++]i in glial cells (6). We have also previously shown that HIV-1 env proteins induce IL1, TNFa, and NO in rat and human glial cultures (7,8). In this study, we demonstrate that glutamate directly induces IL1, TNFα, and NO production in rat and human glial cell cultures. Furthermore, we show that HIV-1 env protein induction of these proinflammatory agents is glutamate-dependent. Additionally, gpl60 and gp41 treatment of glia leads to an increased efflux and/or decreased uptake of aspartate/glutamate. We conclude that HIV-1 may alter the function of the glutamate transporter leading to an accumulation of extracellular glutamate and triggering of cytokine and NO production through the quisqualate receptor.