cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A brief mindfulness-based intervention (bMBI) to reduce teacher stress and burnout

Abstract Teacher stress and burnout contribute to attrition and stress-related health concerns. Despite some positive effects, previous mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) have failed to incorporate key elements of methodological rigor and have included large dosages despite research suggesting that such dosages are iatrogenic. The current study demonstrates the efficacy of a brief MBI (bMBI; four sessions, six total hours) to reduce self-reported stress, burnout, and depression, and suggests the bMBI can protect against deleterious impacts to physiological functioning. The study informs the design and implementation of future MBIs, including strategies for reducing intervention dosages, in order to improve effectiveness and maximize cost-effectiveness.
Interrelationships Among Dimensions of Flow and Reactance

Flow is a motivational state occurring when one’s skill level is balanced with the challenge of a task, leading to optimal performance and profound enjoyment. Its connection with optimal performance has drawn interest in fields focused on performance—such as sports, education, and work—and its connection with enjoyment has drawn interest in fields focused on subjective well-being, such as leisure and mental health. Facilitation of flow can involve both personality traits that promote it and those that hinder it, such as reactance . Reactance occurs when one perceives either a threat to a freedom or its actual loss, leading to behaviors directed toward restoring that lost/threatened freedom. Reactance is negatively correlated with personality traits such as openness and positively correlated with neuroticism and anxiety, whereas flow is positively correlated with openness and negatively related with neuroticism and anxiety. After comparing several structural equation models using a sample of 369 postsecondary students, a first-order confirmatory factor analysis model was retained. Results indicated negative correlations between most flow factors and two of four reactance factors (resentment of authority and tolerance of conflict), and positive correlations with the remaining two (resistance to influence and preservation of freedom). Thus the strength and direction of the association between flow and reactance depend on the factors involved. These findings reflect a complex relationship between flow and reactance and provide insight into how optimal performance and subjective well-being can be better facilitated.
Dairy farmer perceptions of antibiotic transport and usage in animal agriculture dataset.

Abstract These data were from semi-structured interviews with dairy farmers. The content of the interviews focused on antibiotic transport and usage on dairy farms. Twenty-seven interviews were conducted in Central New York in 2019. Interviews were recorded and subsequently transcribed for qualitative thematic analysis. Qualitative coding analysis was preformed using ATLAS.ti and content filtered to ensure farmer anonymity. The dataset includes direct quotations from dairy farmers paired with farm and farmer characteristics. Quotations are subdivided thematically into the themes of disease prevention, antibiotic usage, non-antibiotic treatments, antibiotic transport, and environmental residue presence impacts, as structured in Georgakakos et al. [1] . Farm characteristics include management practice, farm size, and farm generation. Farm size was determined by number of lactating cows: small (0-50), medium-small (51-100), medium (101-500), medium-large (501-1000), and large (>1000). Farmer characteristics were farmer age categorized by birth year: Baby Boomer (1946-1964), Gen X (1965-1980), and Millennial (1981-1996). This dataset is particularly promising for longitudinal studies, incorporation of human behaviour into contaminant load models, or for recoding and analysis for themes other than those discussed by Georgakakos et al. [1] .
2000s: EP and Pacing

As the new millennium opened, multimodality imaging techniques were united with the electrophysiological catheter techniques developed a generation before. These included traditional fluoroscopy, intracardiac ultrasound, and 4D electroanatomic or noncontact mapping. Detailed studies of cardiac anatomy allowed electrophysiology to transition into “electro-anatomic physiology.” Routine percutaneous access of the intact epicardial space was introduced.
Triclosan and prescription antibiotic exposures and enterolactone production in adults.

Abstract Background The gut microbiome plays an important role in the development of disease. The composition of the microbiome is influenced by factors such as mode of delivery at birth, diet and antibiotic use, yet the influence of environmental chemical exposures is largely unknown. The antimicrobial compound triclosan, found in many personal care products and widely detected in human urine, is an environmental exposure for which systemic microbiotic effects may be of particular interest. To investigate the relationship between triclosan and gut microflora, we assessed the association between triclosan and enterolactone, an intestinal metabolite that is produced via bacterial transformation of dietary lignans (seeds, nuts) and has known susceptibility to oral antibiotics. Methods We examined urinary triclosan and enterolactone for 2005-2008 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey subjects, aged ≥20 years ( n =3041). We also examined the association between prescription antibiotic use and enterolactone to confirm its susceptibility to changes in bacterial composition of the body. Associations between natural log-transformed enterolactone and (1) detected vs. not detected ( Q 1– Q 5), and (3) any vs. no antibiotics were estimated with multiple linear regression, adjusting for sex, age, race, body mass index, poverty income ratio, education, fiber intake, bowel movement frequency, cotinine and creatinine ( n =2441). Results Triclosan was detected in 80% of subjects (range: 99% of subjects (range: β = 0.07 (95% CI: −0.15, 0.30); Q 5 (≥104.5 ng/mL) vs. Q 1 (none): β = 0.06 (95% CI: −0.21, 0.34)). In sex-stratified analyses, triclosan was associated with higher enterolactone in women (detect vs. non-detect: β = 0.31 (95% CI: −0.07, 0.70), but not men β = −0.18 (95% CI: −0.47, 0.11). However, any antibiotic use ( n =112), as compared to no antibiotic use, was associated with significantly lower enterolactone ( β =−0.78 (95%CI: −1.22, −0.36)), with no sex-specific effects. This association was driven by inverse associations with the following antibiotic classes: macrolide derivatives, quinolones, sulfonamides, and lincomycin derivatives. Conclusions Antibiotics, but not triclosan, are negatively associated with urinary enterolactone. Antibiotics may reduce enterolactone by killing certain gut bacteria. At levels detected in the U.S., triclosan does not appear to be acting similarly, despite broad antimicrobial properties. Additional study of determinants of triclosan exposure and enterolactone production may be needed to better understand positive associations among women.
Some "Thing" to Talk About? Differential Story Utility From Experiential and Material Purchases.

Psychological research has shown that experiential purchases (a hike in the woods, a trip to Rome) bring more happiness than material purchases (a designer shirt, a flat-screen television). The research presented in this article investigates one cause and consequence of this difference: People talk more about their experiences than their possessions and derive more value from doing so. A series of eight studies demonstrate that taking away the ability to talk about experiences (but not material goods) would diminish the enjoyment they bring; that people believe they derive more happiness from talking about experiential purchases; that when given a choice about which of their purchases to talk about, people are more likely to talk about experiential rather than material consumption; and that people report being more inclined to talk about their experiences than their material purchases and derive more hedonic benefits as a result—both in prospect and in retrospect.
The effects of thiosemicarbazide on development in the wood frog, Rana sylvatica. II. Critical exposure length and age sensitivity.

Abstract Wood frog (Rana sylvatica) tadpoles were exposed to 50 mg thiosemicarbazide (TSC)/liter water for varying lengths of time and at different developmental stages. Short exposure periods (3 and 6 hr) resulted in no visible deformities. Exposure periods of 12 or more hr caused slight to severe abnormalities, with a direct relationship between length of exposure and degree of deformity. Tadpoles exposed to TSC from posthatching Days 24–30 were more seriously affected than were tadpoles exposed at an older age.
Optimization of the efficiency in gyrotron backward wave oscillator model via tapered axial magnetic field

The nonlinear evolution of the gyrotron backward wave oscillator (gyro-BWO) has been investigated numerically in the presence of a tapered axial magnetic field. The set of coupled nonlinear differential equations that govern the self-consistent evolution of the TE modes and the trajectories of an ensemble of electrons in a gyrotron have been solved subject to boundary conditions for both the usual BWO (power extracted at the input end) and the reflection-type BWO (power extracted at the input end) and the reflection-type BWO (power extracted in the forward direction) configurations. The space-charge effects were neglected. The calculated saturation efficiency is about 10-15% in the K/sub a/-band with rectangular TE/sub 10/ modes and near 104 GHz with cylindrical TE/sub 10/ modes. However, the efficiency can be greatly enhanced (>30%) by tapering the magnetic field. The frequency of the oscillator can be magnetically tuned over a 15% bandwidth. Beam thermal effects have also been investigated. >
26 The unity of colour: a quasi-functionalist proposal

There is strong evidence suggesting that birds, bees, reptiles and fish can see colours in the ultra-violet (UV) portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Humans cannot. This evidence poses an immediate philosophic problem: why should we call the properties that the birds detect colours? The term “colour”, after all, applies to red, green, blue, yellow and combinations thereof—those colours that humans can see. If we are to extend colour to include properties that are inaccessible to humans, we must specify what property all and only colours share, in virtue of which the term colour can be applied. In short, we must specify what unifies colour. This chapter proposes to do just that.
Abstract 3556: Alcohol-dysregulated non-codingRNAs in the pathogenesis of oropharyngeal cancer

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Though alcohol consumption has been implicated in the pathogenesis of oropharyngeal cancer, the molecular mechanism for the pathogenesis of alcohol-related oropharyngeal cancer is poorly understood. In our study, we sought to identify key microRNAs (miRNA), piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNA), and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) dysregulated by ethanol, as well as its known carcinogenic metabolite acetaldehyde, to determine the role these non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) play in the pathogenesis and progression of oropharyngeal cancer. Using next generation sequencing analysis, we analyzed the non-coding RNA of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. In order to further investigate these ncRNAs, we exposed a panel of normal oral epithelial cell lines (OKF4, OKF 6) to 0.1%, 0.3%, and 1.0% ethanol for 4 weeks to represent social drinkers, moderate drinkers, and heavy drinkers respectively, and performed qPCR arrays to determine alcohol regulation of piRNAs and lncRNAs in vitro. We identified a panel of 5 piRNAs, 6 lncRNAs, 8 miRNAs and that were dysregulated consistently in vitro and clinically between alcohol drinkers and those who are non-drinkers. The five piRNAs (piR 25894, piR 35373, piR 266308, piR 34946, and piR 58510) were upregulated between parental cells and the alcohol-treated derivatives in both clinical and in-vitro data, and further investigation may elucidate their role as oncogenes. SAF and Zeb2Nat, two lncRNAs implicated in oncogenesis, exhibited the highest fold change, and the stem cell genes Nanog and Oct-4, and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) gene Vimentin, were also upregulated through ethanol treatment, thus suggesting that SAF and Zeb2Nat are important in the pathogenesis of alcohol-induced oropharyngeal cancers by promoting expression of the EMT phenotype and stemness. Ectopic expression of miR-30a-5p and miR-934 resulted in increased expression of the stem cell genes, CD44, Oct3/4, Nanog, BMI-1. Forced expression of these miRNAs also resulted in increased proliferation, increased invasion, and inhibition of cisplatin-induced apoptosis, signifying the malignant transformation of normal oral cells. Identification of key ncRNAs differentially expressed in alcohol-related oropharyngeal cancer may reveal important steps in the initiation and progression of oropharyngeal cancer. These key ncRNAs may also serve as indicators and therapeutic targets for more effective treatments of alcohol-associated oropharyngeal cancer. Citation Format: Maarouf A. Saad, Elizabeth Kim, Vicky Yu, Jonjei Ku, Selena Z. Kuo, Hao Zheng, Elham Rahimy, Jessica Wang-Rodriguez, Weg M. Ongkeko. Alcohol-dysregulated non-codingRNAs in the pathogenesis of oropharyngeal cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3556. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3556
On the Classification of Unstable Modes in Bounded Compressible Mixing Layers

In the past few years there has been an increasing interest in the stability of compressible mixing layers, both bounded and unbounded. This results, in part, from the projected use of the scramjet engine for the propulsion of hypersonic aircraft. An additional reason for the renewed interest in the stability of compressible mixing layers is that a number of experiments (e.g., Brown and Roshko, 1974; Chinzei, Masuya, Komuro, Murakami, and Kudou, 1986; and Papamoschou and Roshko, 1986, 1988) and numerical simulations (e.g., Guirguis, 1988; Lele, 1989; Sandham and Reynolds, 1989; and Mukunda, Sekar, Carpenter, Drummond, and Kumar, 1989) have shown that the mixing layer becomes less unstable with increasing Mach number. Thus, knowledge of the stability of the mixing layers may allow one to control the downstream evolution of the flow.
Symptomless Spread of Blight-inducing Strains of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris on Cabbage Seedlings in Misted Seedbeds

Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris induces two types of symptoms, namely, black rot and blight. Black rot symptoms are V-shaped lesions and black veins on the leaf, and blight symptoms are sudden collapse of interveinal tissues following the lack of veinal necrosis at early stages of infection. These two symptoms can occur simultaneously. However, the tendency to induce either symptom type is strain-dependent. Six strains were evaluated for their rate and pattern of spread in misted seedbeds by using strain-specific monoclonal antibodies and miniplate enrichment/ELISA. Data on pathogen incidence was defined as the presence of the pathogen in or on plants rather than visual symptoms. The results indicated that blight-inducing strains spread to more seedlings than black rot-inducing strains. The high incidences of blight-inducing strains in experimental plots were associated with non-randomness of spatial pattern of pathogen spread, indicating that high incidence is primarily due to the spread from adjacent plants by leaf contact and water splash. Most ELISA-positive seedlings were symptomless, indicating that the sensitivity of the system used in this study was adequate for detection of latent or epiphytic spread.
Complete characterization of epitaxial systems from the lattice geometrical point of view. I: Fundamentals

Abstract There is a lot of experimental evidence that the commonly used laws of overgrowth fail in general because epitaxial misorientations exist. Therefore, a new description tool for epitaxial systems using transformation matrices has been developed replacing the laws of overgrowth. For complete characterization of epitaxial systems, these transformation matrices can be divided into up to five factors: the scalar of the length change, the deformation tensors of the deposit and of the substrate, the rotation matrix of the ideal orientation relationship, and the rotation matrix of the epitaxial misorientation. Further information concerning the lattice geometry and symmetry as well as the admissible line defects at the interface can also be derived from the transformation matrices.
RARÁMURI RIJIBARA: INDIVIDUAL VARIATION IN FLAKED-STONE GAMING PIECES

Raramuri men of northern Mexico continue to manufacture stone gaming pieces called rijibara for use in a game called cuatro or rijibara. In 1978, eight of these gaming pieces were manufactured by two Raramuri men during a visit to the Arizona State Museum. The implements and the resulting debitage were analyzed by the first author as a means of identifying variation resulting from individual differences in knapping technique, skill, or motor habit. We find that although the finished implements produced by the two knappers are quite similar, characteristics of the two debitage assemblages are different in terms of flake dimensions, percent cortex, length-to-width ratios, and breakage patterns. We suggest that these characteristics may be useful in recognizing individual variation in the archaeological record.
COLLECTIVE ROTATION IN COUPLED PARAMETRICALLY-DRIVEN PENDULUMS

Collective instabilities in globally coupled pendulums driven by parametric modulation is numerically investigated. Parametric instabilities are suppressed by mutual synchronization despite individual pendulums are under a parametric resonance condition. On the other hand, continuous collective rotation can be parametrically excited with certain modulation frequencies outside the regular parametric resonance.
The effects of nerve growth factor on bullfrog tadpoles (Rana catesbiana) after limb amputation

Tadpoles of the bullfrog, Rana catesbiana, lose the ability to regenerate limbs at a very early stage of development. Non-regenerating limbs either show rapid healing of connective tissue over the cut surface with no breakdown of skeletal structures, or else show dedifferentiative processes in the cartilage but the rudimentary blastema formed does not proliferate, and becomes separated from the epidermis by the regrowth of the connective tissue layer. This condition is termed the “critical stage.” When tadpoles were treated with NGF, enlargement of spinal ganglia resulted due to an increase in cell number. The density of nerve fibers in the limbs was likewise increased. This increase in nerve supply to the limbs resulted in a greater incidence of critical stage limbs over non-regenerating ones, and in several cases, produced limbs which appeared histologically to be, in fact, regenerating.
Object-Based Interactive Control System Design and Analysis

Ch is an embeddable C/C++ interpreter. It was developed to allow software developers to use one language, anywhere and everywhere, for any programming task. Ch supports C99, a latest C standard ratified in 1999, and contains salient features for two and three dimensional plotting and numerical computing for applications in engineering and science. Developed in Ch, Ch Control System Toolkit provides a control class with member functions for object-based interactive modeling, analysis, and design of control systems. The software package has been widely used in industry to solve practical engineering problems and in universities for instructional improvement. The design and implementation of Ch Control System Toolkit are described in this paper. An application example of control system design and analysis using Ch Control System Toolkit demonstrates its power and simplicity.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
DNA-binding proteins and their cis-acting sites controlling hormonal induction of a mouse β-casein::CAT fusion protein in mammary epithelial cells

Abstract Transcription of the mouse β-casein (βCAS)-encoding gene (casB) is regulated by the synergistic actions of insulin, glucocorticoid and prolactin in the mammary gland (MG). To delineate its regulatory sequence(s), we examined the hormonal inducibility of various chimeric constructs containing the promoter sequence of casB and the cat reporter gene in primary MG epithelial cells. A DNA fragment from bp − 258 to + 7 of casB was sufficient for the hormonal induction. Using a series of 5'- and internal deletions of the casB promoter region, at least three DNA elements were found to be necessary for full induction. These were located at bp positions −258 to −180, −154 to −136, and −98 to −62. DNase I footprinting analysis with a partially purified extract from lactating MG cells detected at least seven protected sequences, I(−242 to −219), II(−213 to −202), III(−151 to −139), IV(−125 to −110), V(−98 to −90), VI(−79 to −70) and VII(−59 to −45). Regions I/II, III and V/VI were included in the three DNA elements required for the hormonal induction, and the IV region corresponded to the MG consensus sequences of several milk protein-encoding genes. Competition gel retardation assays using nuclear extracts of lactating mouse MG revealed the presence of specific binding proteins for regions I, II, IV and VI, as well as specific protein(s) binding to both regions III and V. The binding activities of these proteins, except that associated with region IV, were increased from the virgin to lactating periods. The activity of protein binding to region IV existed in all stages, but its pattern in gel retardation assays changed during the development of MG from the virgin to lactating periods. These results suggest that multiple DNA elements and their binding proteins are involved in the hormonal induction of mouse casB expression during MG development.
1980 DEC users’ group report

The 1980 meeting of users/owners of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) computer equipment is discussed.
Enzymatic Glycerolysis of Soybean Oil

Enzymatic glycerolysis of soybean oil was studied. Of the nine lipases that were tested in the initial screening, Pseudomonas sp. resulted in the highest yield of monoglycerides. Lipase from Pseudomonas sp. was further studied for the influence of temperature, thermal stability, enzyme/oil ratio, and glycerol/oil ratio. A full factorial optimization approach was performed. The following conditions were tested over the specified ranges: temperature (30–70°C), thermal stability (30–70°C), enzyme/oil ratio (0.05–0.2 g enzyme/10 g oil), glycerol/oil ratio (1:1–3:1 glycerol/oil molar ratio) and 1 h reaction time. The stability of the enzyme at the reaction temperature was also incorporated as a separate variable. At temperatures above 40°C enzyme denaturation offset the higher activity. The optimal conditions were selected to be the basis for a continuous process: 40°C, a glycerol/oil molar ratio of 2:1, and an enzyme/oil ratio of 0.1 g enzyme/10 g oil. A definition for glycerolysis activity was adopted. The glycerolysis activity (1 GU) was defined as the amount of enzyme necessary to consume 1 µmol of substrate (glycerol and oil) per minute. This research is intended to explore the reaction parameters that are important in a continuous enzymatic glycerolysis process.
Effect of Analgesics on Monoclonal Antibody Ascites Production in Mice Administered Upon Recognition of Pain

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) ascites fluid production in mice is a well described method of antibody production, although ethical questions regarding the pain and distress of the animals utilized in this process have been raised. In this study, mice were injected with pristane to initiate granuloma formation, followed by an injection of murine hybridoma PA 2II 2F9-1-1 (2F9) to produce IgG1 subclass mAb directed against protective antigen (PA) protein of Bacillus anthracis. Upon the recognition of pain or distress, characterized by well accepted clinical signs, analgesics were administered by treatment group. The control group (A) received saline, group (B) received meloxicam, group (C) received buprenorphine, and group (D) received both meloxicam and buprenorphine. Analgesics were administered by group for a total of 36–48 hours prior to the second ascites fluid collection. There was no statistical difference in the antibody titer or functionality <path id="x1D443" d="M619 482q0 -69 -40.5 -119t-96 -72.5t-118.5 -26.5h-44l-70 20l-31 -151q-14 -67 0.5 -83t89.5 -22l-5 -28h-287l8 28q65 7 81.5 22t29.5 83l79 398q12 56 0.5 70.5t-78.5 20.5l7 28h255q108 0 164 -43t56 -125zM524 478q0 141 -146 141q-25 0 -47 -8q-16 -6 -20.5 -13.5 t-10.5 -39.5l-43 -241q37 -13 83 -13q67 0 125.5 45t58.5 129z" /> <path id="x30" d="M241 635q53 0 94 -28.5t63.5 -76t33.5 -102.5t11 -116q0 -58 -11 -112.5t-34 -103.5t-63.5 -78.5t-94.5 -29.5t-95 28t-64.5 75t-34.5 102.5t-11 118.5q0 58 11.5 112.5t34.5 103t64.5 78t95.5 29.5zM238 602q-32 0 -55.5 -25t-35.5 -68t-17.5 -91t-5.5 -105 q0 -76 10 -138.5t37 -107.5t69 -45q32 0 55.5 25t35.5 68.5t17.5 91.5t5.5 105t-5.5 105.5t-18 92t-36 68t-56.5 24.5z" /> <path id="x35" d="M153 550l-26 -186q79 31 111 31q90 0 141.5 -51t51.5 -119q0 -93 -89 -166q-85 -69 -173 -71q-32 0 -61.5 11.5t-41.5 23.5q-18 17 -17 34q2 16 22 33q14 9 26 -1q61 -50 124 -50q60 0 93 43.5t33 104.5q0 69 -41.5 110t-121.5 41q-53 0 -102 -20l38 305h286l6 -8 l-26 -65h-233z" /> between treatment groups at the first or the second collection time points. As reported here, analgesics may be administered upon recognition of pain in mice used for mAb ascites fluid production without affecting antibody concentration or quality and may warrant further evaluation as a refinement in other hybridoma cell lines.
Implementation of a problem-based learning program combined with team-based learning.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL), in combination with team-based learning (TBL), in an integrated curriculum at Gachon University School of Medicine. Methods: The study methods included in-depth interviews and an open questionnaire. The subjects of the study comprised 5 faculty members and 38 second-year graduate students. Results: PBL, combined with TBL, was not helpful in enhancing student ability with regard to reasoning and self-directed learning. This program also had negative effects, increasing student tension and interfering with the dynamics of discussions due to frequent tutor intervention. Conclusion: Overall, PBL that is combined with TBL was a less useful method than PBL only. We recommended understanding the characteristics of each program and attempting to develop better programs that mix the positive aspects of TBL and PBL.
Conformational properties of Eu(III) complexes of 3,3′; 5,3″-polymethylene bridged derivatives of 2,2′; 6,2″-terpyridine

Abstract The complex [Eu(tpy)3](ClO4)3 where tpy=2,2′; 6,2″-terpyridine, has been prepared and reexamined. The complex appears to be stable in acetonitrile solution with respect to decomplexation of the ligands but the addition of water does cause partial replacement of tpy. Analogous complexes have been prepared with 3,3′; 5,3″-polymethylene bridged derivatives of tpy having two or three carbons in the bridge. The bridging enforces a cisoid geometry of the ligand and prohibits its replacement by added water. An X-ray determination was carried out for [Eu(3b)3](ClO4)3, where 3b=3,3′; 5,3″-dimethylene tpy, which crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c with a=11.908(4), b=15.768(5), c=29.513(9) A, β=93.60(2)°, μ=13.5 cm−1 and Z=4. The complex forms a tricapped trigonal prism with each of the ligands adopting the same dl conformation. Variable temperature NMR analysis of the bridged ligand complexes indicates that conformational inversion of the bound ligand is not a concerted process and barriers for inversion of individual methylene units can be estimated from coalescence of the signals from the geminal methylene protons. The luminescence properties of the bridged tpy complexes are similar to the parent unbridged system.
Reconstructing and Deconstructing Agonist-Induced Activation of Integrin αIIbβ3

Summary Background Integrin receptors, composed of transmembrane α and β subunits, are essential for the development and functioning of multicellular animals. Agonist stimulation leads cells to regulate integrin affinity ("activation"), thus controlling cell adhesion and migration, controlling extracellular-matrix assembly, and contributing to angiogenesis, tumor cell metastasis, inflammation, the immune response, and hemostasis. A final step in integrin activation is the binding of talin, a cytoskeletal protein, to integrin β cytoplasmic domains. Many different signaling molecules that regulate integrin affinity have been described, but a pathway that connects agonist stimulation to talin binding and activation has not been mapped. Results We used forward, reverse, and synthetic genetics to engineer and order an integrin activation pathway in cells expressing a prototype activatable integrin, platelet αIIbβ3. Phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) activated αIIbβ3 only after the increased expression of both recombinant protein kinase Cα (PKCα) and talin to levels approximating those in platelets. Inhibition of Rap1 GTPase reduced αIIbβ3 activation, whereas activated Rap1A(G12V) bypassed the requirement for PKC, establishing that Rap1 is downstream of PKC. Talin binding to integrins mediates Rap1-induced activation because Rap1A(G12V) failed to activate αIIbβ3 in cells expressing integrin binding-defective talin (W359A). Rap1 activated integrins by forming an integrin-associated complex containing talin in combination with the Rap effector, RIAM. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated knockdown of RIAM blocked integrin activation. Conclusions We have, for the first time, ordered a pathway from agonist stimulation to integrin activation and established the Rap1-induced formation of an "integrin activation complex," containing RIAM and talin, that binds to and activates the integrin.
Interdiffusion and marker movements in concentrated polymer-polymer diffusion couples

Abstract Intrinsic and interdiffusion coefficients of binary polymer-polymer diffusion couples with initially large concentration gradients are markedly dependent on concentration, even when the polymers differ only in molecular weight. Assuming local thermal equilibrium of vacancies (or free volume) within the couple leads to different intrinsic diffusion coefficients for the two polymer species and to net vacancy fluxes. These fluxes should produce movement of inert markers in the couple relative to a point far from the initial interface. That such marker movements and vacancy fluxes actually occur is demonstrated by experiments in which the motion of 20 nm diameter Au islands is monitored by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. The markers which are initially at the interface between thin films of monodisperse polystyrene (one 2 × 10 7 M w and the other 1.1 × 10 5 M w ) are progressively displaced toward the lower molecular weight side of the couple. As expected the marker displacement is proportional to the square root of time at the diffusion temperature.
The Effect of HCl Hydrolysis on the Retention of Thymidine in DNA

Allium roots grown in C14-thymidine and H3-thymidine media were treated with N hydrochloric acid at 60°C. as in standard Feulgen hydrolysis. The retention of the radioactive thymidine in DNA as a function of hydrolysis time was studied autoradiographically. No significant loss of label was detected until hydrolysis was extended beyond the optimal time for Feulgen staining. The data are consistent with the assumption that there is no significant loss of DNA during normal Feulgen hydrolysis in the material used.
p38: A novel protein that associates with the vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein.

The vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV G) is a model transmembrane glycoprotein that has been extensively used to study the exocytotic pathway. The cytoplasmic domain of VSV G contains information for several intracellular sorting steps including efficient export from the ER, basolateral delivery, and endocytosis. In order to identify proteins that potentially interact with the polypeptide sorting motifs in the VSV G tail, the carboxy-terminal 27 amino acids of VSV G were used as bait in a yeast two-hybrid system. The protein identified most frequently in the screen is a novel protein of 38 kDa, p38. In the present work, the initial molecular and biochemical characterization of p38 is described. Preliminary evidence suggests that p38 may interact transiently with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes, and thus may affect VSV G and other cargo movement at the step of ER to Golgi traffic.
Operant conditioning of the skin resistance response with different intensities of light flashes

Operant conditioning of the skin resistance response was obtained using a dim flash of white light as the reinforcing stimulus. The results confirm earlier reports using similar procedures from another laboratory, show no differential effect of the illuminance of a reinforcing light, and contrast sharply with a study which failed to replicate previous studies using light flashes as the reinforcer. Assessment by postsession questionnaire yielded little evidence for awareness of the contingency relationship.
Location, governance, and strategic determinants of Japanese manufacturing investment in the United States

A firm's decision to manufacture abroad depends on location, governance, and strategic factors. Governance factors are firm-specific. In spite of this, most empirical studies of foreign direct investment (FDI) have been conducted at the industry level (making it impossible to look at firm-specific determinants), and only a handful have considered governance, location, and strategic factors simultaneously. This paper is the first large sample study of the determinants of foreign direct investment at the product and firm-level. It examines the impact of location and governance factors, and of four types of strategic interactions, on a Japanese firm's propensity to manufacture in the U.S. The results support the view that foreign direct investment is explained by location, governance, and strategic variables. Economies of scale and trade barriers encourage Japanese FDI in the U.S. The larger a Japanese firm's R & D expenditures, the greater the probability it will manufacture in the U.S., but this is not the case for advertising expenditures. Some strategic factors are also important: Japanese firms with medium domestic market shares have the highest propensity to invest in the U.S. There is evidence of follow-the-leader behavior between firms of rival enterprise groups, but none of ‘exchange-of-threat’ between American and Japanese firms. Japanese investors are also attracted by concentrated and high-growth U.S. industries.
SU-FF-T-177: Dose-Volume Histogram Objectives in Multi-Criteria IMRT Optimization

Purpose: Dose‐volume histogram (DVH) constraints are frequently used in IMRT planning. For example, a DVH constraint may state that 5% (but no more) of the voxels in the planning target volume may receive a dose below the prescription level. We want to find out if the percentage of violating voxels can be reduced. We are also interested in the “price” of this reduction of violating voxels, in terms of dose to other voxels and other structures. Methods and Materials: We introduce DVH objectives into IMRT planning. Here the objective is to minimize the number of voxels that violate a given dose constraint. We then integrate DVH objectives into a multi‐criteria optimization (MCO) framework, to analyze the trade offs between DVH objectives and other planning objectives. Relaxation of mixed integer programs (MIPs) used to produce the trade off curve yields a good approximation. This is contrary to relaxation of an MIP with DVH constraints in the conventional framework. A heuristic then fine tunes the relaxation results. Results: Our methods are applied to two clinical cases with both a dose‐volume objective on the tumor and a maximum dose objective on OAR. The trade off curve between those two objectives is calculated in around 20 minutes with the relaxed MIPs compared to 40 hours with the nominal MIPs. The two techniques differ on average by only .77% tumor volume coverage and the heuristic reduces this difference to .35%. Conclusion: The use of DVH objectives (instead of DVH constraints) has the potential to lead to better trade offs in IMRTtreatment planning. Surprisingly, DVH objectives simplify the numerical handling of the problem and reduce calculation times.
Evaluating bug finders: test and measurement of static code analyzers

Software static analysis is one of many options for finding bugs in software. Like compilers, static analyzers take a program as input. This paper covers tools that examine source code -- without executing it -- and output bug reports. Static analysis is a complex and generally undecidable problem. Most tools resort to approximation to overcome these obstacles and it sometimes leads to incorrect results. Therefore, tool effectiveness needs to be evaluated. Several characteristics of the tools should be examined. First, what types of bugs can they find? Second, what proportion of bugs do they report? Third, what percentage of findings is correct? These questions can be answered by one or more metrics. But to calculate these, we need test cases having certain characteristics: statistical significance, ground truth, and relevance. Test cases with all three attributes are out of reach, but we can use combinations of only two to calculate the metrics. The results in this paper were collected during Static Analysis Tool Exposition (SATE) V, where participants ran 14 static analyzers on the test sets we provided and submitted their reports to us for analysis. Tools had considerably different support for most bug classes. Some tools discovered significantly more bugs than others or generated mostly accurate warnings, while others reported wrong findings more frequently. Using the metrics, an evaluator can compare candidates and select the tool that aligns best with his or her objectives. In addition, our results confirm that the bugs most commonly found by tools are among the most common and important bugs in software. We also observed that code complexity is a major hindrance for static analyzers and detailed which code constructs tools handle well and which impede their analysis.
Growth of Thiobacillus thiooxidans on glucose.

Abstract It is possible to grow the strictly autotrophic bacterium Thiobacillus thiooxidans on glucose as the sole source of energy by means of a culture system in which the medium is continually renewed. It appears that the inability of this organism to grow on glucose under more conventional conditions is due to the accumulation of toxic materials. Pyruvic acid can be isolated from the spent medium, where it is found at a level of approximately 0.2 m m . This amount of pyruvate completely inhibits growth when sulfur is the energy source.
Colon‐specific antigen‐p (CSAp). I: Initial clinical evaluation as a marker for colorectal cancer

A radiometric immunoassay for detecting colon-specific antigen-p (CSAp) in the blood of patients suspected of having colorectal cancer has been developed and evaluated in 272 subjects of various disease entities. Using 10 units/ml as the cutoff value for normalcy, the results indicate that the highest number of elevated CSAp titers occurred in patients with advanced colorectal cancer (61%). Only one of 12 colonic adenoma patients had an elevated CSAp titer, and this was slightly above the 10 units/ml cutoff. Other nonneoplastic gastrointestinal disorders showed an 18% abnormal CSAp titer frequency, of which more than half bordered the upper limit of normalcy. CSAp elevations were also found in gastric cancer (20%), pancreatic cancer (20%), breast cancer (5%), and normal individuals (3%). CSAp was compared to carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in 44 colorectal cancer patients, in 12 patients with colonic adenomas, and in 62 patients with diverse gastrointestinal disorders. Using a CEA cutoff of 5 ng/ml, CSAp could increase the diagnostic accuracy of the CEA plasma test in colorectal cancer patients by 14%. In patients with colonic adenomas, the CSAp titer was normal when the CEA value was elevated in 25% of the cases. However, both were simultaneously elevated in only 3% of the patients with benign gastrointestinal disorders. Since the CSAp test was less frequently elevated (0-7%) in patients with breast, ovarian, lung, or cervical cancer than was found for CEA (39-75% elevated), it seems that the CSAp blood assay detects colorectal cancer more specifically than the more generally distributed CEA. These results suggest that the combined use of blood CEA and CSAp could enhance the discrimination of colorectal cancers from other nonmalignant gastrointestinal diseases, and could also serve to enhance the colorectal cancer-specificity of the CEA assay. Furthermore, serial monitoring of both markers in four advanced colorectal cancer patients indicated that they reflect disease activity, falling after successful treatment and rising again with recurrence and disease progression.
Changes to Sustainability of Uranium Carbide Fuel for a Long-Burn Fast Reactor Core

Advanced reactor concepts such as Generation-IV (Gen-IV) have been studied to fulfill the ambitious long term goals of developing a safe, sustainable, reliable, proliferation-resistant and economic nuclear energy system. The gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR) is a Gen-IV candidate for which a carbide fuel (UC, (U,Pu)C, ThC) has desirable properties in a fuel system using ceramic (SiC) cladding. This study reviews advanced fuel concepts and associated fabrication methods for a GFR, followed by available carbide fuel property data, update of fuel performance code, and assessment of the fuel performance analysis model based on irradiation test results in the Fast Flux Test Facility. The purpose of this study is to develop a fuel performance code for the design and analysis of carbide fuel and to verify the implementation of fuel property models using earlier fuel irradiation tests jointly conducted by US and Switzerland. The comparison of carbide fuel simulation results to the experimental data shows differences in the prediction of fuel temperature and swelling. Considering the limitation and uncertainty of the existing material property data, the results obtained from the updated fuel performance code indicate that more work is required to adjust and update some of the carbide fuel material property models. In the future, the coolant model will also be updated for the flexibility of code application to various advanced fuel analyses. In the long term, the code will be used for the evaluation of advanced carbide fuel with ceramic cladding and the simulation of carbide fuel irradiation tests.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Calmodulin interacts with amphiphilic peptides composed of all D-amino acids

CALMODULIN binds to amphiphilic, helical peptides of a variety of amino-acid sequences1–8. These peptides are usually positively charged, although there is spectroscopic evidence that at least one neutral peptide binds5. The complex between calmodulin and one of its natural target peptides, the binding site for calmodulin on smooth muscle myosin light-chain kinase (RS20)9, has been investigated by crystallography10 and NMR11–13 which have characterized the interactions between the ligand and the protein. From these data, it appears that the calmodulin-binding surface is ster-ically malleable and van der Waals forces probably dominate the binding. To explore further this apparently permissive binding, we investigated the chiral selectivity of calmodulin using synthesized analogues of melittin and RS20 that consisted of only D-amino acids. Fluorescence and NMR measurements show that D-melittin and D-RS20 both bind avidly to calmodulin, probably in the same general binding site as that for peptides having all i -amino acids. The calmodulin–peptide binding surface is therefore remarkably tolerant sterically. Our results suggest a potentially useful approach to the design of non-hydrolysable or slowly hydrolysable intracellular inhibitors of calmodulin.
Discrimination of Neural Coding Parameters in the Auditory System

The discriminability of small changes in amplitude and frequency of a pure tone auditory stimulus is examined in terms of statistical estimators of neural coding parameters. The neural spike train encoding process is described in terms of a multimodal histogram of interspike intervals. Such a multimodal process has the important property that both stimulus amplitude and stimulus frequency can be encoded in the same spike train. Performance of the neural coding parameters is evaluated using the Cramer-Rao bound as a measure of discriminability of statistical estimators. The dependence of the Weber fraction for stimulus frequency and stimulus amplitude is derived as a function of frequency, amplitude, and observation interval. These results are compared to results of psychophysical experiments. It is concluded that while statistical estimates based on one primary auditory nerve fiber would be insufficient to account for psychophysical performance, estimates based on about 10-12 fibers sampled in parallel would be sufficient.
Regulation of lipopolysaccharide‐induced inflammatory response and endotoxemia by β‐arrestins

Beta-arrestins are scaffolding proteins implicated as negative regulators of TLR4 signaling in macrophages and fibroblasts. Unexpectedly, we found that beta-arrestin-1 (beta-arr-1) and -2 knockout (KO) mice are protected from TLR4-mediated endotoxic shock and lethality. To identify the potential mechanisms involved, we examined the plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines/chemokines in the wild-type (WT) and beta-arr-1 and -2 KO mice after lipopolysaccharide (LPS, a TLR4 ligand) injection. Consistent with lethality, LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine levels in the plasma were markedly decreased in both beta-arr-1 and -2 KO, compared to WT mice. To further explore the cellular mechanisms, we obtained splenocytes (separated into CD11(b+) and CD11(b-) populations) from WT, beta-arr-1, and -2 KO mice and examined the effect of LPS on cytokine production. Similar to the in vivo observations, LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines were significantly blocked in both splenocyte populations from the beta-arr-2 KO compared to the WT mice. This effect in the beta-arr-1 KO mice, however, was restricted to the CD11(b-) splenocytes. Our studies further indicate that regulation of cytokine production by beta-arrestins is likely independent of MAPK and IkappaBalpha-NFkappaB pathways. Our results, however, suggest that LPS-induced chromatin modification is dependent on beta-arrestin levels and may be the underlying mechanistic basis for regulation of cytokine levels by beta-arrestins in vivo. Taken together, these results indicate that beta-arr-1 and -2 mediate LPS-induced cytokine secretion in a cell-type specific manner and that both beta-arrestins have overlapping but non-redundant roles in regulating inflammatory cytokine production and endotoxic shock in mice.
UV laser photodissociation of CF2ClBr and CF2Br2 at 298 K: quantum yields of Cl, Br, and CF2

Abstract In the photodissociation of CF 2 ClBr, the quantum yields for Cl atom production were measured to be 1.03 ± 0.14 0.27 ± 0.04, and 0.18 ± 0.03, respectively, at 193, 222, and 248 nm, while those for Br atom were 1.04 ± 0.13 at 193 nm, 0.86 ± 0.11 at 222 nm, and 0.75 ± 0.13 at 248 nm. Errors are 95% confidence limits and include estimated systematic errors. The CF 2 quantum yields in 193 nm photolysis were measured to be 1.15 ± 0.30 for CF 2 Br 2 and 0.91 ± 0.30 for CF 2 ClBr. These results indicate the quantum yield for photodissociation of CF 2 ClBr is unity.