cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stability of Trusses Subjected to Ponding Loads

It has been observed that flat roofs may fail due to ponding loads during rain storms. Since the load due to the weight of the ponded rain water increases as the deflection of the roof increases, roof structures without sufficient rigidity may be unstable and deflect progressively and finally collapse during a sustained rain storm. Flat roofs supported by one-way beams subjected to ponding loads have been studied by several investigators. However, roofs supported by flat trusses such as open web joists were not treated in those studies. The purpose herein is to obtain the stability conditions for one-way truss roofs under ponding loads and to examine their general characteristics. The analysis makes use of a difference formulation introduced by Dean and Tauber for the study of uniformly loaded trusses.
Branching Brownian motion and the Dirichlet problem of a nonlinear equation

We consider a simple case of Markov branching processes. Suppose we are given the following data: (i) A probability vector F = {p 2 , p 3 , ...}, p i ≥ 0 and ∑ i=2 ∞ p i = 1. (ii) A nonnegative measurable function b on R d .
The localization and sequence of the phosphorylation sites of Acanthamoeba myosins I: An improved method for locating the phosphorylated amino acid *

The actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activities of Acanthamoeba myosins IA, IB, and IC are expressed only when a single site in their heavy chains is phosphorylated by a myosin I heavy chain-specific kinase. We show that phosphorylation occurs at Ser-315 in the myosin IB heavy chain, Ser-311 in myosin IC, and a threonine residue at a corresponding position in myosin IA whose amino acid sequence is as yet unknown. The most obvious feature common to the three substrates is a basic amino acid(s) 2 or 3 residues before the site of phosphorylation. The phosphorylation site is located between the ATP- and actin-binding sites, which corresponds to the middle of the 50-kDa domain of skeletal muscle myosin subfragment 1. The sequence similarity between the region surrounding the phosphorylation site of myosin I and subfragment 1 is much lower than the average sequence similarity between myosin I and subfragment 1. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the conformation of this region of myosin I differs from that of the corresponding region in skeletal muscle myosin and that phosphorylation converts the conformation of the actomyosin I complex into a conformation comparable to that present in actosubfragment 1 without phosphorylation. The protein sequences obtained in the course of this work led to the conclusion that the myosin I genes previously identified as myosin IB and IL (myosin-like) heavy chains actually are the myosin IC and IB heavy chains, respectively. Finally, we report a modification of the method for monitoring the appearance of 32Pi during sequencing of 32P-labeled peptides that results in almost complete recovery of the radioactivity, thus allowing unequivocal assignment of the position of the phosphorylated residue.
Performance of young and aged C57BL/6J mice on cognitive task depends on the task (629.2)

Aging has been associated with weakening of cognitive function, and nutritional supplementation has been suggested to enhance cognitive function. Prior research has demonstrated limited effects of ...
Labor Discipline, Reputation and Underemployment Traps

The introduction of "effort inducible" and non-effort" workers into an otherwise standard model of labor discipline produces a paradox of sorts: when firms cannot tell the difference, the predictable reductions in both output and real wages are sometimes accompanied by an increase in profits. The resolution of this paradox is found in the difference in expected productities of workers with and without jobs, the source of a reputation effect that alters the balance of labor market power. When, as a consequence of the acquisition and depreciation of productive skills, the relative proportions of such workers are then endogenized, the model exhibits multiple equilibria for plausible parameter values. One of these equilibria can be understood as a new sort of "underemployment trap" with an atrophied primary sector.
Has predation shaped the social systems of arboreal primates

I studied antipredator behavior in two species of monkeys to elucidate the role of predation in shaping the social systems of arboreal primates. I compared the responses of monkeys to auditory and visual contact with predators to response elicited by sound playback experiments using the recorded calls of predators. Changes in vigilance and aggregation persisting up to 30 min after predator encounter occurred in both cases. Measures of vigilance shed light on individual perceptions of risk, while aggregation measures—intragroup spatial cohesion and polyspecific associations—permit direct inference about the protective benefits of grouping for the monkeys. They responded to real predator encounters and simulations in similar ways. Thus, sound playbacks of predator vocalizations are effective to simulate predator proximity. Contrary to predictions, predator encounters did not lead invariably to increased cohesion within groups or to increased time spent vigilant. Moreover, behavior in polyspecific associations was no different from that in single-species groups. Only red colobus encountering chimpanzees behaved as predicted by increasing vigilance and intragroup cohesion. The red colobus social system may have developed to protect against chimpanzee attack. In contrast, red-tailed monkey encounters with raptors and chimpanzees involved no change in time spent vigilant, coupled with decreases in intragroup cohesion. I conclude that predation is not a uniform selective pressure and patterns of social behavior within groups do not predict antipredator behavior.
The Wave Equation

The subject of this, the final chapter of this book, is perhaps the most interesting of the classical partial differential equations of mathematical physics. The theory of the wave equations, the standard example of hyperbolic equations, also builds upon the theory of Laplace’s equation, but is somewhat more complicated due to the absence of exponential decay in the time variable, as was the case with the heat equation. Our setting is again a region in En with an additional variable t for time. At various instances we shall restrict the number of dimensions for computational simplicity.
Permanent Erb palsy: A traction-related injury?

Historically, the primary risk factor attributed to brachial plexus injury during birth has been excessive traction applied at delivery to an entrapped anterior shoulder. However, recent evidence has suggested that not all cases of brachial plexus palsy are attributable to traction. We have encountered several cases of permanent Erb palsy associated with birth that were not attributable to traction applied at delivery. We reviewed cases of neonates with documented permanent Erb palsy that occurred either in the absence of shoulder dystocia or in the neonate's posterior arm in the presence of anterior shoulder dystocia. We identified four cases that occurred in the absence of shoulder dystocia and four cases that occurred in the posterior arm of infants with anterior shoulder dystocia. These data further support the notion that the etiology of permanent brachial plexus palsy associated with birth may not be related to traction.
On the Number of Galactic Planetary Systems

The discoveries of small particulate clouds surrounding several young stellar objects may be the first direct indications of ongoing planet formation in the Galaxy. If these clouds are indeed the initial stages of new planetary systems around the stars, then planetary systems are probably not rare occurrences around stars and may even be quite common. The evidence for these clouds and their interpretation as young planetary systems is reviewed and discussed in the context of estimating the probability for planet formation around solar-mass stars.
Chapter 7. Pulmonary and Antiallergy Agents

Publisher Summary Pulmonary and antiallergy drug development has mainly focused on asthma/allergy market, with some activity evident against the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary hypertension (PH), and cystic fibrosis (CF). Asthma remains an attractive area for the introduction of new therapy as there is a growing sense that current treatment is inadequate and that the incidence is growing. The traditional view that H1 antihistamines do not work in asthma is under question, as the second wave of nonsedating compounds undergoes clinical trial. Pharmacological properties in addition to histamine antagonism are frequently invoked to support the possibly added clinical effects of the newer agents. While definitive clinical evidence of a major role for the peptide leukotrienes in asthma/allergy is not established, many antagonists are in the clinic and expectations remain high. Orally active LTD 4 /LTE antagonist shows small beneficial effects on the pulmonary function (increase in FEV, decrease in the use of bronchodilators) in mild asthmatics given 600 mg. b.i.d. for six weeks. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) has attracted recent attention as a possible mediator of asthma, because of its unique ability to produce pulmonary eosinophilia in guinea pigs and bronchial hyper reactivity in human.
DEVELOPMENT OF FLAVOR LEXICON FOR FRESHLY PRESSED AND PROCESSED BLUEBERRY JUICE

A lexicon with 32 aroma/flavor, taste and mouthfeel attributes was developed for blueberry juice. Twenty blueberry products were used to develop the lexicon. It was tested with frozen blueberries that were thawed and hand-pressed to make juices (P1, P2 or P3) and bottled juices (B1, B2, B3 or B4). Freshly pressed juices had significantly (P 0.05) higher scores in blueberry, strawberry, floral, sweet aroma and sweet taste except for processed juice, B4, which was also high in sweet taste. In comparison, the four bottled juices were significantly (P 0.05) higher in cranberry, molasses/dark corn syrup, canned tomato, fermented, processed berry juice, sour aroma and pungency aroma. In addition, all three hand-pressed juices plus B4 were significantly lower than B1, B2 and B3 in wine-like, bitter taste, sour taste, astringent, metallic, tongue numbing and throat burn attributes. Processed blueberry juice had a different flavor profile than freshly pressed juice.
Stress detection for implicit human-robot co-operation

An online heart rate variability analysis to infer the mental stress of a human engaged in a task has been presented. This technique involves real-time heart rate monitoring, signal processing using both Fourier Transform and Wavelet Transform, and inferring the stress condition based on the level of activation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The standard deviations of the Wavelet coefficients for a particular frequency band were compared for stressed and reference data. When stressed, the standard deviation in the sympathetic frequency band (0.0625-0.125 Hz) was found to increase and the standard deviation in the parasympathetic frequency band (0.25-0.3125 Hz) was found to decrease. This stress detection technique is expected to be useful in the future human-robot cooperation activities.
A gravity generation of electromagnetic radiation and the luminosity of quasars.

In this paper a new mechanism is proposed for the omission of radiation by charged particles in a gravitational field whereby the gravitational field is coupled directly to the radiation field of the charge via the principle of equivalence. This leads to a Larmor formula for the electromagnetic power emitted by a charge at rest (on the average) in a gravitational field, which can account for the spectral distribution and the total radiant energy emitted by quasars. This gravitational mechanism for the emission of electromagnetic radiation becomes more important than any other mechanism when the radius of the quasar is near its Schwarzschild radius.
Residential zip code influences outcomes following hospitalization for acute pulmonary embolism in the United States

Socioeconomic status (SES) as reflected by residential zip code may adversely influence outcomes for patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). We sought to analyze the impact of neighborhood SES on in-hospital mortality, use of thrombolysis, implantation of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters and cost of hospitalization following acute PE. We used the 2003-2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) for this analysis. All hospital admissions with a principal diagnosis of acute PE were identified using ICD-9 codes. Neighborhood SES was assessed using median household income of the residential zip code for each patient. Over this 9-year period, 276,484 discharges with acute PE were analyzed. There was a progressive decrease in in-hospital mortality across the SES quartiles (p-trend <0.001). The incidence of in-hospital mortality across quartiles 1-4 was 3.8%, 3.3%, 3.2%, and 3.1%, respectively. Despite low rates of thrombolytic utilization in this cohort, we observed a progressive increase in the rate of thrombolysis utilization across the SES quartiles (1.5%, 1.6%, 1.7%, 2.0%; p-trend <0.001). There was no significant difference in the use of IVC filters across the SES quartiles (p-trend=0.9). The mean adjusted cost of hospitalization among quartiles 2, 3, and 4, as compared to quartile 1, was significantly higher by $1202, $1650, and $1844, respectively (p-trend<0.001). In conclusion, patients residing in zip codes with lower SES had increased in-hospital mortality and decreased utilization of thrombolysis following acute PE compared to patients residing in higher SES zip codes. The cost of hospitalization for patients from higher SES quartiles was significantly higher than those from lower quartiles.
Feasibility of Advanced Vehicle Control Systems for Freight Terminals

Within the freight transportation system, transfer facilities provide automated vehicle control systems (AVCS) to yield significant efficiency benefits. Freight movement operations often require goods to pass through several transfer points between an origin and a destination. Because these transfer terminals can limit system throughput, a variety of intelligent transportation systems technologies are now under consideration by the freight industry to reduce processing inefficiencies. Among those technologies, AVCS is potentially significant, even though it is also the least known within the industry. Given the controlled nature of freight terminals, as well as the dependence on human labor for performing even the simplest and most repetitive vehicle movements, AVCS is a logical improvement for terminal operations. Through a detailed examination of freight movement operations and available vehicle control technologies, opportunities for AVCS to improve the operational efficiency of freight terminals are explored and future directions for developing new systems are recommended.
The Impact of Vertical Scaling Decisions on Growth Interpretations.

Most growth models implicitly assume that test scores have been vertically scaled. What may not be widely appreciated are the different choices that must be made when creating a vertical score scale. In this paper empirical patterns of growth in student achievement are compared as a function of different approaches to creating a vertical scale. Longitudinal item-level data from a standardized reading test are analyzed for two cohorts of students between Grades 3 and 6 and Grades 4 and 7 for the entire state of Colorado from 2003 to 2006. Eight different vertical scales were established on the basis of choices made for three key variables: Item Response Theory modeling approach, linking approach, and ability estimation approach. It is shown that interpretations of empirical growth patterns appear to depend upon the extent to which a vertical scale has been effectively “stretched” or “compressed” by the psychometric decisions made to establish it. While all of the vertical scales considered show patterns of decelerating growth across grade levels, there is little evidence of scale shrinkage.
Ecology: Gene tweaking for conservation

It is time to weigh up the pros and cons of using genetic engineering to rescue species from extinction, say Michael A. Thomas and colleagues.
Live cell chemical profiling of temporal redox dynamics in a photoautotrophic cyanobacterium

Protein reduction–oxidation (redox) modification is an important mechanism that allows microorganisms to sense environmental changes and initiate cellular responses. We have developed a quantitative chemical probe approach for live cell labeling and imaging of proteins that are sensitive to redox modifications. We utilize this in vivo strategy to identify 176 proteins undergoing ∼5–10-fold dynamic redox change in response to nutrient limitation and subsequent replenishment in the photoautotrophic cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002. We detect redox changes in as little as 30 s after nutrient perturbation and oscillations in reduction and oxidation for 60 min following the perturbation. Many of the proteins undergoing dynamic redox transformations participate in the major components for the production (photosystems and electron transport chains) or consumption (Calvin–Benson cycle and protein synthesis) of reductant and/or energy in photosynthetic organisms. Thus, our in vivo approach reveals new red...
Electrophilic Metal Precursors and a β-Diimine Ligand for Nickel(II)- and Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Ethylene Polymerization†

The α-diimine ligand ArNC(Me)C(Me)NAr (Ar = 2,6-C6H3-iPr2) reacts with Pd(OAc)2 in the presence of HBF4·Et2O, or [Pd(MeCN)4](BF4)2 in the absence of acid, to give ethylene polymerization catalysts. The reactions of a related β-diimine ligand with [Pd(MeCN)4](BF4)2 and (1,2-dimethoxyethane)NiBr2, and the polymerization activity of catalysts derived from it, are discussed.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy for melanoma

BACKGROUND: The most powerful predictor of survival for patients with melanoma is the status of the regional lymph nodes. Sentinel lymph node biopsy may provide improved staging accuracy without the morbidity of elective lymph node dissection (ELND). METHODS: Sixty-eight patients with intermediate thickness melanoma underwent gamma probe guided sentinel node biopsy without ELND and were followed up over a mean of 22 months. RESULTS: A sentinel node was found in all patients. Six patients (9%) had positive sentinel nodes; all underwent complete lymphadenectomy. Two patients (3%) with negative sentinel nodes developed nodal recurrence; 1 of these patients was found to have microscopic disease on reexamination of the sentinel node. Two patients (3%) developed systemic disease. CONCLUSION: Gamma probe guided sentinel node biopsy can be performed with a high rate of technical success. It provides accurate pathological staging with a low incidence of nodal basin failure.
The Aminopeptidase from Aeromonas proteolytica can Function as an Esterase

The aminopeptidase from Aeromonasproteolytica (AAP) can catalyze the hydrolysis of L-leucine ethyl ester (L-Leu-OEt) with a rate of 96±5 s–1 and a Km of 700 µM. The observed turnover number for L-Leu-OEt hydrolysis by AAP is similar to that observed for peptide hydrolysis, which is 67±5 s–1. The kcat values for the hydrolysis of L-Leu-OEt and L-leucine-p-nitroanilide (L-pNA) catalyzed by AAP were determined at different pH values under saturating substrate concentrations. Construction of an Arrhenius plot from the temperature dependence of AAP-catalyzed ester hydrolysis indicates that the rate-limiting step does not change as a function of temperature and is product formation. The activation energy (Ea) for the activated ES‡ ester complex is 13.7 kJ mol–1, while the enthalpy and entropy of activation at 25 °C calculated over the temperature range 298–338 K are 11.2 kJ mol–1 and –175 J K–1 mol–1, respectively. The free energy of activation at 25 °C was found to be 63.4 kJ mol–1. The enthalpy of ionization was also measured and was found to be very similar for both peptide and ester substrates, yielding values of 20 kJ mol–1 for L-Leu-OEt and 25 kJ mol–1 for L-pNA. For peptide and L-amino acid ester cleavage reactions catalyzed by AAP,\({{k_{cat}^{H_2 O} } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{k_{cat}^{H_2 O} } {k_{cat}^{D_2 O} }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {k_{cat}^{D_2 O} }} = 2.75\) and 6.07, respectively. Proton inventory data suggest that two protons are transferred in the rate-limiting step of ester hydrolysis while only one is transferred in peptide hydrolysis. The combination of these data with the available X-ray crystallographic, kinetic, spectroscopic, and thermodynamic data for AAP provides new insight into the catalytic mechanism of AAP.
Deletion mutants of tyrosine hydroxylase identify a region critical for heparin binding

Phenylalanine hydroxylase, tyrosine hydroxylase, and tryptophan hydroxylase constitute a family of tetrahydropterin-dependent aromatic amino acid hydroxylases. It has been proposed that each hydroxylase is composed of a conserved C-terminal catalytic domain and an unrelated N-terminal regulatory domain. Of the three, only tyrosine hydroxylase is activated by heparin and binds to heparin-Sepharose. A series of N-terminal deletion mutants of tyrosine hydroxylase has been expressed in Escherichia coli to identify the heparin-binding site. The mutants lacking the first 32 or 68 amino acids bind to heparin-Sepharose. The mutant lacking 76 amino acids binds somewhat to heparin-Sepharose and the proteins lacking 88 or 128 do not bind at all. Therefore, an important segment of the heparin-binding site must be composed of the region from residues 76 to 90. All of the deletion mutants are active, and the Michaelis constants for pterins and tyrosine are similar among all the mutant and wild-type enzymes.
Low cost test and tuning of RF circuits and systems

The demand for multi-faceted wireless applications has led to increased levels of device integration and migration of RF to CMOS technologies. However, the resulting circuits are increasingly susceptible to manufacturing process variations, coupled noise (substrate, power planes) from on-chip digital signal processing circuitry, thermal fluctuations (V t sensitivity to temperature), resulting mismatch effects and device wear-out (V t degradation) phenomena. In the recent past, “alternative” testing methods have been used to perform parametric testing of RF transceivers. These allow simple tests to measure complex RF specifications while at the same time allowing catastrophic failures to be detected. All (or most) of the device under test (DUT) specifications are evaluated from a single test application which may be repeated multiple times to average out noise effects. As an example, the EVM specification for a transmitter or receiver can be predicted accurately from a carefully constructed multi-tone signal with specified magnitude and phase for each tone. The process of using such techniques requires the use of supervised learning algorithms that are necessary for determining the test specification values and associated pass/fail conditions from the alternative test measurements. These learning techniques also account for nonidealities in the test stimulus generation and data acquisition hardware. Once the infrastructure for such algorithms is put in place, production testing is greatly simplified and allows significant trade-offs between the complexity of test instrumentation (stimulus generation, response analysis), the complexity of the test procedures and the complexity of the back-end signal processing algorithms needed for specification prediction and pass/fail analysis. As another example of the benefits of this approach, simple high frequency digital pulse streams from a logic circuit appropriately filtered (shaped) can be used as stimulus to RF devices and the response, down converted by an envelope detector, can be used to accurately predict the gain and nonlinearity specifications of the RF DUT.
Nonprotein Thiols and the Radiation Response of A549 Human Lung Carcinoma Cells

Glutathione (GSH)-depletion by buthionine sulphoximine (BSO) altered both the aerobic and anaerobic radiation response of A549 human lung cancer cells grown in vitro. The oxygen enhancement ratio (o.e.r) was increased slightly from 3.0-3.3. The lack of an effect of GSH-depletion on o.e.r. reduction, provides a system whereby the mechanism of action of the thiol reactive reagent diethylmaleate (DEM) can be investigated. Pretreatment of cells with DEM, under non-toxic concentrations, removed 13 per cent of the intracellular NPSH and resulted in an o.e.r. of 2. When BSO followed by DEM was used, so that both GSH and NPSH were reduced to zero, an o.e.r. of 1.5 was obtained. Cells treated with 1 mM BSO for 24 hours contained 10 per cent NPSH and no GSH. When these cells were exposed to 0.5 or 1 mM DEM briefly, during irradiation, the o.e.r. was 2.4 and 1.7 respectively. In some cases altered o.e.r.s occurred in combination with increased aerobic responses. This was especially true for aerobic irradiations of BSO-treated cells in the presence or absence of DEM. However, the increased aerobic response was offset by a more dramatic increase in the hypoxic response. These results indicate (a) that GSH plays a significant role in aerobic radiation response but is not a principal factor in o.e.r.-reduction, and (b) that reduction of the o.e.r. by DEM is not due primarily to GSH-removal. The preferential radiosensitization of hypoxic cells by DEM may involve reactions of this compound with NPSH or protein SH, or may be related to the ability of DEM to mimic oxygen as a hypoxic cell radiosensitizer.
Deuterated drugs: where are we now?

Introduction: Deuterated versions of existing drugs can exhibit improved pharmacokinetic or toxicological properties due the stronger deuterium– carbon bond modifying their metabolism. There is great interest in the current state of development of this approach.Areas covered: This review covers recent US patent applications and prosecutions in this area that are based on beneficial modifications in metabolism of deuterated versions of existing drugs. The current state of 35 U.S.C. §103 ‘obviousness’ rejections are emphasized, as is the development of strategies to overcome such rejections. Current trials and market considerations are also discussed.Expert opinion: Deuterated drugs collectively are worth at least US$1 billion. It would seem that the likelihood of obviousness rejections is increasing in this area. However, careful elucidation of metabolic outcomes from deuteration that would not be anticipated from the prior art, and are instead unexpected and unobvious, has enabled allowance. Showing that ...
Blowoff of an atmosphere and possible application to Io

Diffusion equations for two components are set up with mutual drag terms included. It is found that these terms become important when the flux of an escaping gas is of the order of its diffusion limit. In this situation, other gases can be dragged along (blowoff) and both scale heights tend towards equality. It appears that this may occur on Io, giving a strong tendency to equalize the scale heights of O, S, and SO2 without any appeal to eddy diffusion. Ionic bombardment of the exosphere may therefore eject material with an O:S ratio approaching 2, rather than the much higher value expected for a diffusively separated atmosphere. Future aeronomical studies of this atmosphere should include the drag terms in the diffusion equations.
Evolving regimes of multi-university research evaluation

Since 1980, national university departmental ranking exercises have developed in several countries. This paper reviews exercises in the U.S., U.K. and Australia to assess the state-of-the-art and to identify common themes and trends. The findings are that the exercises are becoming more elaborate, even unwieldy, and that there is some retreat from complexity. There seems to be a movement towards bibliometric measures. The exercises also seem to be effective in enhancing university focus on research strategy.
Mechanistic Studies and Their Implication for the Management of Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Objectives: To provide an overview of the findings regarding the underlying pathogenesis of FMSS and to compare these findings with the results of recent treatment studies to determine whether there is concordance between what “should work” and “what does” in this illness.Findings: A number of different experimental modalities have been employed to demonstrate conclusively that FMSS is characterized by a “left-shift” in stimulus response function, that is, that FMSS patients display both hyperalgesia and allodynia. The fact that this occurs to several different types of sensory stimuli [pressure, heat or electricity applied to the skin, auditory stimuli] suggests that this augmented pain processing is primarily a central rather than peripheral process. There is additional evidence suggesting that there is a deficiency of descending analgesic activity in FMS, and that this is primarily due to decreased serotinergic/noradrenergic activity, rather than an inherent defect in opioid-induced analgesic systems. ...
Maldynia: chronic pain as illness, and the need for complementarity in pain care.

An expanding epistemology has generated enhanced understanding of the mechanistic basis and existential impact of pain as a complexity-based systems event, and compels the need to develop diagnostic a
Function of a Conserved Loop of the β-Domain, Not Involved in Thiamin Diphosphate Binding, in Catalysis and Substrate Activation in Yeast Pyruvate Decarboxylase

The X-ray crystal structure of pyruvamide-activated yeast pyruvate decarboxylase (YPDC) revealed a flexible loop spanning residues 290 to 304 on the β-domain of the enzyme, not seen in the absence of pyruvamide, a substrate activator surrogate. Site-directed mutagenesis studies revealed that residues on the loop affect the activity, with some residues reducing kcat/Km by at least 1000-fold. In the pyruvamide-activated form, the loop located on the β domain can transfer information to the active center thiamin diphosphate (ThDP) located at the interface of the α and γ domains. The sigmoidal v0−[S] curve with wild-type YPDC attributed to substrate activation is modulated for most variants, but is not abolished. Pre-steady-state stopped-flow studies for product formation on these loop variants provided evidence for three enzyme conformations connected by two transitions, as already noted for the wild-type YPDC at pH 5.0 [Sergienko, E. A., and Jordan, F. (2002) Biochemistry 41, 3952−3967]. 1H NMR analysis of ...
Emotions as Moderators of Information Cue Use: Citizen Attitudes Toward Hurricane Katrina

Despite the extensive literature on the effects of party and other information cues on citizens' attitudes and behaviors, there exists little evidence and theory on how individuals balance multiple sources of information, particularly in the domain of blame attribution. Furthermore, we have a limited understanding of what individual characteristics moderate the use of such information. We designed a survey experiment, administered to a nationally representative population, in which respondents ranked public officials in order of how much they should be blamed for the property damage and loss of life in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. We manipulated the information provided to respondents, with some receiving the officials' party affiliations, others receiving their job titles, and others receiving both cues. We find that strong negative emotions such as anger and sadness facilitate the prioritization of heuristics used in peripheral-route cognitive processing, whereas weak emotional reactions result in more content-rich, central-route processing. Language: en
Motor-vehicle fuel economy: The forgotten hydrocarbon control strategy?

Abstract For the past twenty years, energy and environmental analysts in the U.S. have been searching for ways to improve urban air quality and make the country less vulnerable to supply and price volatility in the world oil market. To improve urban air quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a number of state air-quality agencies favor controls on emissions of non-methane hydrocarbons, which are one of the main contributors to ozone formation, and which are emitted along the entire fuel production-and-use chain, from drilling for oil through oil refining and gasoline marketing, to vehicle tailpipe emissions. To reduce oil consumption, some analysts and policy makers have suggested that the fuel economy of motor vehicles be increased substantially. These policies—to control emissions in order to improve air quality, and to increase fuel economy in order to reduce oil consumption—have always been considered separately in the U.S. In this paper we connect emission reduction policy with fuel-economy-improvement policy. We also examine a related issue: Does the side benefit of lower emissions due to improved fuel economy mean that fuel economy standards should be set even higher? Typically, when analysts estimate how high fuel economy standards should be, they compare the extra costs of efficiency-improving technology (including perhaps such things as reduced safety and performance) with the benefits of reduced fuel consumption. Such cost-benefit analyses have indicated an “optimal” level of fuel economy (where benefits balance costs) of between 30 and 40 mpg, depending on assumptions and methods. However, the analyses done to date have not counted the potential reduction in emissions as a benefit of improved fuel economy. We do so here, by assuming that the value of a ton of emissions eliminated by higher fuel economy is equal to the cost of controlling (eliminating) that ton by traditional control means. We find that adding the value of emission reductions to the benefit side of the cost-benefit analysis justifies raising fuel economy standards by an additional one mile per gallon only.
Exact solution in terms of elliptic functions for the Burgers–Korteweg–de Vries equation

Abstract The Burgers–Korteweg–de Vries equation arises from many different physical contexts as a nonlinear model equation incorporating the effects of dispersion, dissipation and nonlinearity. In the present paper, we present a more general traveling wave solution to the Burgers–Korteweg–de Vries equation by applying an exact solution of an ordinary differential equation.
Initial Emotional Response to Childhood Sexual Abuse: Emotion Profiles of Victims and Relationship to Later Adjustment

A sample of 137 college women's retrospective reports of childhood sexual abuse were examined in order to identify the emotional responses these victims experienced at the time of abuse and to investigate the relationship between these responses and the long-term effects of abuse. Results identified three important dimensions of responding including guilt/fear, anger/disgust, and positive emotions. Further, five groups of victims displaying unique emotion profiles were identified. These include: (a) guilty/fearful individuals, (b) low responders, (c) angry/disgusted individuals, (d) ambivalent individuals, and (e) positive individuals. It was determined that victims' responses to abuse were associated with abuse severity. Finally, victim's affective responses to abuse were related to subsequent adjustment. Individuals experiencing high levels of guilt/fear were identified as exhibiting poorer social adjustment than either individuals reporting primarily anger or disgust or individuals reporting low levels of all emotions. Possible mechanisms through which these experiences have their effects are discussed.
Proteolytic Activation of Human Cathepsin A

Galactosialidosis is a human lysosomal storage disease caused by deficiency in the multifunctional lysosomal protease cathepsin A (also known as protective protein/cathepsin A, PPCA, catA, HPP, and CTSA; EC 3.4.16.5). Previous structural work on the inactive precursor human cathepsin A (zymogen) led to a two-stage model for activation, where proteolysis of a 1.6-kDa excision peptide is followed by a conformational change in a blocking peptide occluding the active site. Here we present evidence for an alternate model of activation of human cathepsin A, needing only cleavage of a 3.3-kDa excision peptide to yield full enzymatic activity, with no conformational change required. We present x-ray crystallographic, mass spectrometric, amino acid sequencing, enzymatic, and cellular data to support the cleavage-only activation model. The results clarify a longstanding question about the mechanism of cathepsin A activation and point to new avenues for the design of mechanism-based inhibitors of the enzyme.
Evolution of nanocrystalline silicon thin film transistor channel layers

Abstract Thin film transistors (TFTs) of nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H) can be made at temperatures as low as 150 °C and are capable of p and n channel operation. High carrier mobility and low off current can be achieved in the staggered top-gate, bottom-source/drain geometry. Beginning the growth of nc-Si:H with a seed layer placed underneath the TFT promotes the structural evolution of the nc-Si:H channel layer and raises the carrier field effect mobilities and current ON/OFF ratio. We study the correlation between the evolution of the nc-Si:H structure and TFT electrical characteristics and determine the onset thickness of the continuously crystalline channel. The nc-Si:H surface topography is characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while electrical properties are examined by TFT performance. 50-nm thick channel layers have the smallest surface roughness and yield transistors with the highest hole and electron field effect mobilities of ∼0.25 and ∼40 cm 2 V −1 s −1 , respectively.
Church, State, and Human Rights in Latin America

Latin America's military dictatorships in the 1970s produced some of the worst human rights abuses in the Americas in the twentieth century. The Catholic Church was positioned to denounce the repression, yet the episcopacy's reaction varied by country. Why? In critiquing a prominent claim that competition from Protestant sects was the primary source of this variation, the article argues instead that the history of Church–state relations in a given country represents a path-dependent process presenting different incentives to Church episcopacies when they are faced with state violations of human rights. Where Church–state ties are close, episcopacies are not expected to publicly denounce the state. Where a strict separation between Church and state exists, denunciations of abuse are expected to be more forthcoming. This argument is illustrated with a comparison of Church–state relations in Argentina, Chile, Brazil, and Uruguay and re-assessed using a broader regional sample.
On-orbit performance of the ALEXIS EUV telescopes

The Array of Low Energy X-ray Imaging Sensors (ALEXIS) satellite is Los Alamos' first attempt at building and flying a low cost, rapid development, technology demonstration and scientific space mission. The ALEXIS satellite contains the two experiments: the ALEXIS telescope array, (which consists of six EUV/ultrasoft x- ray telescopes utilizing multilayer mirrors, each with a 33 degree field-of-view), and a VHF ionospheric experiment called Blackbeard. A ground station located at Los Alamos exclusively controls the spacecraft. The 248 pound ALEXIS satellite was launched by a Pegasus booster into a 400 x 450 nautical mile, 70 degree inclination orbit on April 25, 1993. Images from a video system on the rocket indicated that ALEXIS had been severely damaged during launch with one of the 4 solar panels breaking away from its mounting. (It later turned out that the solar paddle was still attached to the spacecraft but only through cable bundles.) Attempts at communicating with the satellite were unsuccessful until a surprised ground crew received a short transmission on June 2. By mid July, ground station operators had regained full control of the satellite and began to initiate scientific operations with both the telescope array and the VHF experiment. In this paper we will discuss a preliminary analysis of the on-orbit performance of EUV telescopes on ALEXIS.
The Relations of Maternal Practices and Characteristics to Children's Vicarious Emotional Responsiveness

This study examined the relations of maternal vicarious emotional responding and child-rearing practices, as well as familial emotional environment, to 5-6 and 8-9-year-old children's vicarious emotional responding. There were some correspondences between mothers' and children's heart rate, facial, and self-reported reactions to a sympathy-inducing film. Maternal sympathy/perspective taking and reinforcement of sympathy/prosocial behavior, as well as negative subordinate emotion in the home, were associated with markers of girls' sympathy; mothers' personal distress (for girls), restrictiveness regarding displays of hurtful negative emotions (particularly for young girls), and negative dominant emotion in the home (for both sexes) were associated with markers of personal distress. Mothers' linking of the film character's experience to children's own experience was associated with children's responsiveness to the film, and mother's verbalizations during the film concerning her own emotional state and role taking were associated with boys' self-reported sympathy.
A short journey from classical to molecular cytogenetics.

This review article examines the history of cytogenetics, emphasizing the developments of the past 20 years that the Environmental Mutagen Society has been in existence. Specific advances in the research of chromosome banding, sister chromatid differentiation and exchange, short-term cytogenetic assays, and molecular studies and the mechanism of aberration formation are discussed. The rapid development of new techniques has led to progress in understanding the organization of genomes and the significance of nuclear domains.
Hydrocyanic acid and other fumigants for control of larvae of Plemeliella abietina and Megastigmus sp. in imported Spruce seed.

In laboratory fumigations, hydrocyanic acid (HCN) at 16 mg per liter for 2 hours under sustained vacuum near 125 mm mercury absolute pressure and at 22 was effective against larvae of Plemeliella abietina Seitner and Megastigmus sp. Infesting spruce seed imported from Europe. Both insects showed high resistance to methyl bromide, and P. abietina , but Megastigmus survived 32 mg for 2 hours. In small-scale germination tests, seeds of 5 species of conifers, white spruce Picea glauca (Moench) Voss; Norway spruce, Picea abies (L.) Karst; Scotch pine, Pinus sylvestris L.; Mugo pine, Pinus mugo var. mughus (Scop.) Zenari; and European larch, Larix decidua Mill, tolerated 32 mg or more HCN under vacuum, Carbon disulfide showed promise, but more data are needed Results with dry heart, acrylonitrile, carbon tetrachloride, dichlorvos, and ethylene dibromide are discussed.
Exploration of Utility Automation Applications Trough Supervisory Control

Progress in the development and availability of digital supervisory control and data acquisition systems has led to wide-spread interest and exploration of new utility automation applications. Major attention is being directed to all facets of operation within the power plant and power system. This paper discusses the trends in supervisory control as applied to system security, computer-directed supervisory control, in-plant and substation remote multiplexing or line-sharing systems, substation and distribution system automation, programmable and read-only memory (ROM) based remotes, automatic generation control, and man-machine interface.
Effect of racemic epinephrine on ventilatory function in the neonate postextubation.

Nebulized racemic epinephrine is commonly used to improve ventilatory function in the newborn post extubation. To evaluate this therapy, 44 infants intubated for >3 days [mean 17.2±16.1 days (S.D.)] were studied. Infants were randomized to receive racemic epinephrine by nebulization immediately post extubation or to receive only warmed, humidified oxygen. Measurements of air flow (V), esophageal pressure (Pes), tidal volume (VT), respiratory rate (RR), and heart rate (HR) were made before treatment (immediately post extubation) and every 10 minutes for one hour. Changes from baseline values were calculated for each time period and analysis of variance of these variables for treatment, sex, and time main effects and their interactions, with appropriate adjustment for covariables, were performed. There were no significant time effects or interactions. The table presents mean ±1 S.D. changes over time for each treatment-sex group. This study provides no evidence that using nebulized racemic epinephrine in infants post extubation improves ventilatory function.
Empirical pseudopotential band structure parameters of 4H-SiC using a genetic algorithm fitting routine

Abstract In this paper, the viability of using a genetic algorithm to find band structure parameters for empirical pseudopotential method (EPM) calculations is demonstrated by applying a genetic algorithm to find the EPM parameters for 4H-SiC. The form of the pseudopotential for 4H-SiC and the 19 form factors found by the genetic algorithm to fit the band structure to experimentally measured indirect energy gap and direct optical gaps are given. In addition, the effective masses for the conduction band minimum are extracted from the calculated band structure. It is shown that the genetic algorithm provides an effective, automated way to find parameters that give reasonably good fits to both the band gaps and the effective masses simultaneously.
Molecular design of an amplification cascade in vision.

The photoexcitation of rhodopsin triggers a cascade that results in the hydrolysis of a large number of molecules of cyclic GMP. The molecular mechanism of this amplification cascade has been delineated. Transducin, a multisubunit perpheral membrane protein, is the information-carrying intermediate in the activation of the cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase. Photoexcited rhodopsin (R*) castalyzes the exchange of GRP for GDP bound to the α-subunit of transducin (T). About 500 molecules of Tα-GTP are formed per absorbed photon at low light levels. Tα-GTP, rekeased from the β- and γ-subunits of transducin, then activates the phosphodiesterase by relieving an inhibitory constraint imposed by its small sununit. Each actived phosphodiesterase molecule hydrolyzes more than 100 cyclic GMP/s, giving an overall gain of more than 500,000. Photoexcited rhodopsin triggers the activation of a molecule of transducin in a millisecond, which is sufficiently rapid to enable this cascade to participate in visual excitation. Hydrolysis of GTP bound to Tα seves to restore the system to the dark state. Transducin, like the G proteins of the adenylate cyclase casecade, can be specifically ADP-ribosylated by cholera toxin and pertussis toxin. In both cascades, labling by pertussis toxin blocks the capacity of transducin to interact with the excited receptor, whereas labeling by cholera toxin inhibits the hydrolysis of bound GTP, leading to persistent activation. Moreover, the moleculaar design of the hormone-triggered cyclic AMP cascade is similar to that of the light-triggered cyclic GMP cascade. It seems likely that transducin, the stimulatory G protein, the inhibitor G protein, and the ras protein are members of the same family of signal amplifiers. The study of the cyclic nucleotide cascade of vision is providing rewarding views of recurring motifs of signal amplification in nature.