cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Friction of sheared granular layers: Role of particle dimensionality, surface roughness, and material properties

[1] We report on laboratory experiments designed to investigate three fundamental deformation mechanisms for frictional shear of granular fault gouge: sliding, rolling, and dilation. Mechanisms were isolated by shearing layers composed of rods in geometric configurations that resulted in one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and rolling-only particle interactions. Results of digital video are presented with measurements of friction and strain to illuminate the distribution of shear and the relationship between particle motions and friction. The double-direct-shear configuration was used with boundary conditions of constant layer normal stress (1 MPa) and controlled shear loading rate (10 μm/s) with initial layer thickness of 6 mm. Layers were sheared in a servo-hydraulic testing machine at room temperature (22°C) and relative humidity (5 to 10%). Three materials were studied: alloy 260 brass, dried semolina pasta, and hardwood dowels, with particle diameters of 1.59 mm, 1.86 mm, and 2.06 mm, respectively. Pasta layers had mean sliding friction coefficients of 0.24, 0.11, and 0.02 in 2-D, 1-D, and rolling configurations, respectively. Layers of brass rods had average friction coefficients of 0.23, 0.15, and 0.01, respectively, in 2-D, 1-D, and rolling configurations; and the wood samples exhibited friction values of 0.18, 0.19, and 0.09, respectively. Evolution of strength during shear correlated strongly with the displacement derivative of layer thickness. SEM images document the role of surface finish on frictional properties. Rapid reorientations of particles correspond to stick-slip stress drops and may be related to the collapse and reformation of granular force chains. We find a systematic relationship between the strength of granular layers and (1) the surface roughness of particles and (2) the number of particle contact dimensions. Our data provide important insights on the mechanics of granular fault gouge and constraints on the fundamental parameters used in numerical models of tectonic faulting.
Measurement of carbon condensates using small-angle x-ray scattering during detonation of the high explosive hexanitrostilbene

The dynamics of carbon condensation in detonating high explosives remains controversial. Detonation model validation requires data for processes occurring at nanometer length scales on time scales ranging from nanoseconds to microseconds. A new detonation endstation has been commissioned to acquire and provide time-resolved small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) from detonating explosives. Hexanitrostilbene (HNS) was selected as the first to investigate due to its ease of initiation using exploding foils and flyers, vacuum compatibility, high thermal stability, and stoichiometric carbon abundance that produces high carbon condensate yields. The SAXS data during detonation, collected with 300 ns time resolution, provide unprecedented signal fidelity over a broad q-range. This fidelity permits the first analysis of both the Guinier and Porod/power-law regions of the scattering profile during detonation, which contains information about the size and morphology of the resultant carbon condensate nanoparticles. T...
Low power integrated on-chip current to digital converter

Integrated and efficient maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is a critical need in the photo-voltaic power generation system. One of the key components of the MPPT is current and power sensor. This paper presents a low-power integrated current sensor implemented in standard low-voltage CMOS technology. The proposed current sensor is a current-to-digital converter circuit, removing the need for an additional analog-to-digital converter for current digitization. The proposed PV MPPT circuit measures the current information from the DC-DC converter output ripple by charging and discharging a set of capacitive nodes, resulting in a digital current measurement for the MPPT circuit. The MPPT circuit along with the integrated circuit is presented. The current sensor is fabricated in a 0.7 micron CMOS technology and covers less than 4 mm2 of silicon area. The sensor power consumption is less than 27 mW, and provides an 8-bits digital representation of the converter load current with less than 0.4% error.
Combining Multivariate Bioassays: Accurate Inference Using Small Sample Asymptotics

For several independent multivariate bioassays performed at different laboratories or locations, the problem of testing the homogeneity of the relative potencies is addressed, assuming the usual slope-ratio or parallel line assay model. When the homogeneity hypothesis holds, interval estimation of the common relative potency is also addressed. These problems have been investigated in the literature using likelihood-based methods, under the assumption of a common covariance matrix across the different studies. This assumption is relaxed in this investigation. Numerical results show that the usual likelihood-based procedures are inaccurate for both of the above problems, in terms of providing inflated type I error probabilities for the homogeneity test, and providing coverage probabilities below the nominal level for the interval estimation of the common relative potency, unless the sample sizes are large, as expected. Correction based on small sample asymptotics is investigated in this article, and this provides significantly more accurate results in the small sample scenario. The results are also illustrated with examples.
Mixed-Mode Interactions Between Graphene and Substrates by Blister Tests

Many of the attractive properties of graphene will only be realized when it can be mass produced. One bottleneck is the efficient transfer of graphene between various substrates in nanomanufacturing processes such as roll-to-roll and transfer printing. In such processes, it is important to understand how the ratio of shear-to-tension at the interface between graphene and substrates affects the adhesion energy. With this in mind, this paper examines the mixed-mode adhesive interactions between chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown graphene that had been transferred to copper or silicon substrates. The approach that was taken was to use blister tests with a range of graphene backing layer materials and thicknesses in order to provide a wide range of the shear-to-tension ratio or fracture mode-mix at the interface. Raman spectroscopy was used to ensure that graphene had indeed been delaminated from each substrate. Measurements of pressure, top surface deflection, and blister diameter were coupled with fracture mechanics analyses to obtain the delamination resistance curves and steady state adhesion energy of each interface. The results showed that the adhesive interactions between graphene and both substrates (Cu and Si) had a strong dependence on the fracture mode-mix. In the absence of plasticity effects, the most likely explanation of this effect is asperity locking from the inherent surface roughness of the substrates.
A prototype security hardened field device for SCADA systems.

This thesis describes the development of a prototype security hardened field device (such as a remote terminal unit) based on commodity hardware and implementing a previously developed security architecture. This security architecture has not been implemented in the past due to the difficulty of providing an operating system which meets the architecture's isolation requirements. Recent developments in both hardware and software have made such an operating system possible, opening the door to the implementation and development of this new security architecture in physical devices attached to supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems. A prototype is developed using commodity hardware selected for similarity to existing industrial systems and making use of the new OKL4 operating system. Results of prototype development are promising, showing performance values which are adequate for a broad range for industrial applications.
Duration of pulmonary venous atrial reversal flow velocity and mitral inflow a ware: New measure of severity of cardiac amyloidosis

Transmitral Doppler flow patterns of patients with cardiac amyloidosis evolve from an early impaired relaxation to an advanced restrictive pattern. This reflects increasing severity of diastolic dysfunction and hence left ventricular filling pressures. The duration of the pulmonary venous atrial reversal flow was recently shown to exceed that of the mitral inflow A wave in patients with left ventricular enddiastolic pressure greater than 15 mm Hg. The objective of this study was to assess the utility of this index as a measure of the severity of cardiac amyloidosis. Comprehensive transthoracic 2-dimensional and pulsed-wave Doppler echocardiograms of the pulmonary venous and transmitral flows were made of 23 patients (10 women) with biopsyproven diagnosis of primary systemic amyloidosis and of 49 subjects as age-matched normal controls. The amyloidosis group was divided into nonrestrictive and restrictive subgroups on the basis of the patients' transmitral inflow deceleration time (>150 and ≤150 ms, respectively). The durations of the pulmonary venous atrial reversal and mitral inflow A wave were measured, and the differences between the flow durations were compared with the control and published data in the nonrestrictive and restrictive groups. The mean duration of the pulmonary venous atrial reversal was significantly longer in the amyloid than the control group ( P P
Insulin action Accumulation in vitro of Mg2+ and K+ in rat uterus: Ion pump activity

Abstract Surviving hemiuteri from donor ovariectomized rats were incubated in Krebs-Henseleit buffer, modified in select experiments with respect to Ca2+, Mg2+ and/or K+. These studies demonstrated the following: 1. 1. The retrogressed uterus in vitro maintains a substantial concentration gradient, relative to the medium, for both Mg2+ (3.8:1 in 1.2 mM, 38:1 in 0.12 mM Mg2+) and K+ (13:1). 2. 2. Insulin added in vitro promotes a net increase in the accumulation of Mg2+ and of K+ (7–16%) in uterine muscle. Mg2+ influx into the tissue does not occur by diffusion per se, and it is in general influenced by the same factors as is K+ accumulation. Under the conditions of incubation used, neither the Na+ nor the Ca2+ content was affected by insulin. 3. 3. Increases in Mg2+, K+ content (insulin effect) are not associated with alterations in the extracellular space ( d -[1-3H]sorbitol or Na+ space). 4. 4. Ouabain (5·10−4 M) added in vitro gives rise to very striking changes in this muscle: (a) Na+ content increases; (b) K+ content decreases, but less than the Na+ increases; (c) Mg2+ content increases to levels as high as that obtained with insulin in the absence of ouabain; (d) no additional effect on Mg2+ accumulation can be shown when insulin is added to a medium that also contains ouabain. 5. 5. Omission of K+ from the incubation medium mimics the ouabain effect insofar as: (a) Na+ content increases; (b) Mg2+ content increases; (c) no additional effect of insulin added in vitro is obtained. 6. 6. The interaction of insulin with its receptor in the plasma membrane appears to engage transport systems, including the ion pump [(Na+ + K+)-ATPase (ouabain sensitive; ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3)]; how increased translocation of cations which influence enzymatic activities, i.e. Mg2+ and K+, may lead to amplification of the insulin signal at the membrane is discussed.
Consistent histograms in the presence of distinct value counts

Self-tuning histograms have been proposed in the past as an attempt to leverage feedback from query execution. However, the focus thus far has been on histograms that only store cardinalities. In this paper, we study consistent histogram construction from query feedback that also takes distinct value counts into account.We first show how the entropy maximization (EM) principle can be leveraged to identify a distribution that approximates the data given the execution feedback making the least additional assumptions. This EM model that takes both distinct value counts and cardinalities into account. However, we find that it is computationally prohibitively expensive.We thus consider an alternative formulation for consistency -- for a given query workload, the goal is to minimize the L2 distance between the true and estimated cardinalities. This approach also handles both cardinalities and distinct values counts. We propose an efficient one-pass algorithm with several theoretical properties modeling this formulation. Our experiments show that this approach produces similar improvements in accuracy as the EM based approach while being computationally significantly more efficient.
Charge injection into discrete states of individual electroluminescent Au nanoclusters

Nanoscale break junctions created through electromigration naturally produce arrays of individual gold nanoclusters spanning the electrodes. These spatially resolvable individual nanoclusters electroluminesce in response to pulsed external electric fields, producing a noncontroversial, corroborative readout of nanoscale charge injection. Modulation of the electrical pulse sequence timing, polarity, and amplitude reveals electroluminescence from discrete electronic energy levels and provides a measurement of the relative coupling between an emitting cluster and its individual electrodes.
Combining a dopamine agonist and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for the treatment of depression: a double-blind, randomized pilot study.

Background Antidepressants that act on two or more amine neurotransmitters may confer higher remission rates when first-line agents affecting a single neurotransmitter have failed. Pramipexole, a dopamine agonist, has antidepressant effects in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). This pilot study examined the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with pramipexole and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) escitalopram in MDD.
Secularization of the Academy: a Baptist Typology

Abstract This article was originally presented as a paper at the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Conference on Academic Freedom at Religiously Affiliated Colleges and Universities, held at Baylor University, April 1, 2000. It examines six case studies of Baptist colleges or universities that have distanced or separated themselves from denominational control. The article identifies factors involved in what is often called the secularization of the academy. A complex picture emerges. Factors leading to the shedding of denominational links include questions about academic freedom, the desire to attract funds and students from a wider socio‐constituency but also lack of a clear Baptist pattern for institutional management. The typically ‘lower social economic’ background of Baptists has meant that their ambitions have outweighed their resources. Nonetheless, schools founded by Baptists have benefited a great number of people, Baptist and non‐Baptist, Christian and non‐Christian.
Atherosclerosis in the rhesus monkey fed three food fats.

Abstract Three groups of 6 male Rhesus monkeys were fed one of three diets, each containing 2% cholesterol and 25% lipid, either corn oil, butterfat, or peanut oil, over a period of 50 weeks. These diets produced prompt elevation of serum lipids. The highest serum cholesterol concentrations were observed in animals fed butterfat and the levels in animals fed peanut oil and corn oil were similar and much lower. Gross examination of the arteries revealed a definite difference in the degree and the characteristics of aortic atherosclerosis among the three dietary groups. The butterfat diet produced severe aortic lesions, characterized by abundant lipid deposition and relatively little cell proliferation or collagen deposition. The most widespread and advanced atherosclerosis was observed in monkeys fed peanut oil. The aortic lesions in these animals were characterized by thick, fibrous plaques which were elevated to the point of apparent narrowing of the ostia of various vessels. In addition, the peanut oil ration produced not only the highest incidence of coronary artery involvement but also the most severe coronary narrowing. This was apparently due to prominent intimal cell proliferation associated with a particularly high content of collagen. In spite of similar blood lipid elevations, the corn oil fed monkeys showed fewer gross atheromatous lesions in all parts of the arterial system and there was relatively little intimal thickening and much less lipid in the lesions. This study adds to the growing body of experimental evidence in several animal species that the tissue components and the severity of atherosclerotic lesions can be greatly influenced by the food fat fed and that peanut oil is an unusually atherogenic fat, mainly because of the severe intimal proliferation and fibrosis that occur.
Blood Volume Response to Physical Activity and Inactivity

Data from both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies provide compelling evidence that circulating blood volume can be influenced by regular physical activity or inactivity. Expansion or contraction of plasma volume can account for most of the alteration in circulating blood volume during the initial 1 to 2 weeks of changing physical activity patterns; after this time, altered blood volume may be distributed equally between plasma and red cell volumes. Alterations in circulating blood volume that accompany changes in physical activity represent a net change in total body water and solutes that are associated with increased or decreased water intake and urine volume and solute output. The mechanism of altered urine output appears to be a modified renal tubular reabsorption of sodium. The expansion of blood volume that accompanies physical activity provides advantages of greater body fluid for heat dissipation (sweating) and thermoregulatory stability as well as larger vascular volume for greater cardiac filling and stroke volume and cardiovascular stability during exercise and orthostatic challenges. The opposite is true when blood volume is reduced during periods of relative physical inactivity. The observation that underlying mechanisms for alteration in blood volume with physical activity and inactivity are similar but respond directly opposite suggests that they are intricately related. These relations have implications as to a mechanism by which physical activity and fitness may be protective against reduced blood volume and subsequent development of cardiovascular disease associated with aging.
The effect of tooth preparation on retention and microleakage of cemented cast posts

Purpose Vibration from the high-speed handpiece may adversely affect the cement layer between a casting and a tooth, causing loss of retention or increased microleakage. This study assessed the effect of crown preparation on retention and microleakage of cemented cast post and cores. Materials and Methods Post and cores were fabricated for extracted teeth and cemented. Specimens were prepared for crown restorations, varying the preparation time and the rotary diamond instrument used. After thermocycling and immersion in a dye bath, tensile unseating force and linear dye penetration were measured. Results In general, retention decreased with increased severity of crown preparation; however, differences were not statistically significant (α= .05). Although the differing preparation conditions resulted in significant differences in microleakage, no consistent trends were evident. Conclusions Crown preparation using high-speed rotary diamond abrasives of cast post and cores luted with zinc phosphate cement had no significant effect on their retention, but had varying effects on subsequent microleakage at the cement-tooth interface.
Synaptic changes in frog brain after stimulation with potassium chloride.

In vitro preparations of frog brains, stimulated by application of KCl were fixed by freeze substitution and examined electron microscopically. Control preparations were bathed in a calcium-free physiological solution with Mg added or in salt solution cooled to 5–10 °C. The isolated brain remains viable in the physiological solution as indicated by the direct cortical responses which can be led off from the forebrain. Control preparations were characterized by a row of vesicles situated close to the presynaptic membrane and by the absence of a well-developed postsynaptic web. In KCl stimulated preparations there were, in addition to synapses resembling those in the controls, synapses exhibiting fusion of synaptic vesicles with the membrane of the axonal ending, synapses in which the vesicles had retreated from the presynaptic membrane but were attached to it by a narrow stalk and synapses exhibiting a pronounced postsynaptic web. The synaptic gap was of a less uniform width than in the control preparations. The KCl stimulated preparations were furthermore characterized by a paucity of extracellular space and often showed invaginations formed by the presynaptic membrane and the plasma membranes of the postsynaptic or adjacent glial structure.
Pyridine hydrodenitrogenation: An equilibrium limitation on the formation of piperidine intermediate

The hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) of pyridine and of piperidine was studied in a continuous flow, isothermal microreactor at 11 atm, 200/sup 0/ to 425/sup 0/C and over nickel/molybdenum/alumina (A) or cobalt /molybdenum/alumina (B) commercial catalysts. The results showed that equilibration between pyridine and piperidine, the first product formed in the over-all series of HDN reactions of pyridine, can be a rate-limiting factor under some conditions. Thus, on catalyst A at 11 atm, a maximum in the pyridine HDN rate occurs at about 400/sup 0/C, caused by a thermodynamic limitation on the allowable piperidine concentration. Catalyst A appears to have greater hydrogenation-dehydrogenation activity than catalyst B, but the latter appears to have greater hydrogenolysis activity that the former, at least at about 300/sup 0/C and below.
Application of domain integral methods using tetrahedral elements to the determination of stress intensity factors

Abstract With the development of CAD packages which can create complicated 3D models and “automatically” mesh them with tetrahedral elements, the application of finite element techniques in mechanical design has reached unprecedented proportions. However, the extension of these techniques to fracture mechanics studies is hindered by the unavailability of a general method to obtain fracture mechanics singularity strength ( J, K I , etc.) for tetrahedral meshes. An approach to obtain these parameters along a 3D crack-front using tetrahedral elements is presented here. The method is then validated on well-known crack geometries, using tetrahedral meshes generated from commercially-available CAD–FEA packages.
Effects of shear thinning on laminar heat transfer behavior in a rectangular duct

Abstract The fluid dynamic and heat transfer behavior of laminar non-Newtonian flow through noncircular ducts is of special interest because of their wide range of potential application to compact heat exchangers and in electronics cooling. The present study investigates the heat transfer characteristics for laminar forced convection of inelastic non-Newtonian fluids in a nonuniformly heated rectangular duct where the flow is hydrodynamically developed but thermally developing. The governing equations are solved by a finite volume method. Second-order accurate differencing schemes are employed for both the diffusion and convective terms. The effects of shear thinning, given by the Carreau equation, and the viscous dissipation, characterized by the Brinkman number, are examined via the friction factor, the Nusselt number, and the bulk fluid temperature. The results indicate that when viscous dissipation is present, the heat transfer from the heated surface of the duct is greatly enhanced with increased shear thinning of the fluid while the rate of increase of the bulk fluid temperature with axial distance will significantly decrease. Consequently, the use of a shear-thinning non-Newtonian fluid for heat transfer enhancement appears to be a very promising concept that is worthy of further study.
Sleep in non-institutionalized Alzheimer’s disease patients

The sleep of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients is often disturbed by medications, depression, circadian rhythm changes and sleep disorders. Institutionalization is often precipitated by the effect of the patient's sleep and wakefulness on the caregiver. We examined reports of sleep disturbance in mild AD patients. The study cohort consisted of 246 AD patients and 94 controls. Self-reports of sleep disturbance in mild AD patients were examined as was the relationship of sleep and medication use. Results were compared to those of normal controls, and the patients' responses to the reports of their caregivers. Dementia was assessed with the Mini Mental Status Exam, the Blessed Dementia Scale, the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale, and the Pfeiffer Outpatient Disability Test. The more demented the patients, the more time they spent in bed, the more fragmented their sleep, and the more naps they took. Caregivers reports of increased wandering at night and more aggressive behavior during the day were associated with increased use of sedative-hypnotics and with going to bed early. Lengthy sleep was associated with disruptive behavior. We conclude that increased sleep may be associated with dementia and with more disruptive behavior.
Effect of adenine nucleotides on cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzyme products of arachidonic acid in human platelets.

Abstract Nucleotides are known to enhance cyclooxygenase product formation in several tissues and, in addition, are believed to function as cofactors for mammalian 5-lipoxygenases. Since nucleotides are released by stimulated platelets and by damaged tissue, we examined the hypothesis that nucleotides can affect the metabolism of arachidonic acid (AA) in washed human platelets. The various nucleotides were given 15 sec prior to the addition of 3 μM arachidonic acid and 1 μCi [3H]AA. We found that the phosphorylated adenine derivatives (ATP, ADP, and AMP) increased the formation of 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) by 2-fold without altering the formation of cyclooxygenase products. Adenosine was without effect on 12-HETE formation. ATP also stimulated 12-HETE formation in lysed platelets. This suggests that the 12-lipoxygenase enzyme of platelets can be regulated by adenine nucleotides. We next determined the portion of the nucleotide molecule responsible for the enhanced 12-lipoxygenase activity of platelets. Alteration of the nucleotide base led to a decrease in stimulation, with GTP less active than ATP, and UTP even less active than GTP. Studies with adenine nucleotides showed that the length of the phosphate chain was not important. We also found that the stable methylene isosters of ATP (α, β-methylene ATP and β, γ-methylene ATP) increased 12-HETE formation, suggesting that the conformation and hydrolysis of the phosphate chain are not responsible for the stimulatory activity. Cyclic 3′, 5′AMP and 3′AMP were inactive, implying the necessity for a free phosphate at the 5′ position for nucleotide stimulation of 12-HETE synthesis. In conclusion, platelet 12-lipoxygenase was stimulated by ATP, as is true for several mammalian 5-lipoxygenases. However, cyclooxygenase product formation by platelets was not altered by nucleotide addition. These studies suggest that following in vivo injury or platelet aggregation, when local concentrations of nucleotides are high, platelet lipoxygenase activity may be stimulated.
Contributions of Multicultural Counseling to Counselor Competence With Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients

This article outlines the contributions of multicultural counseling to 3 areas of counselor competence with lesbian, gay male, and bisexual male and female (LGB) clients: conceptualization of competence, counselor education, and assessment of counselor competence. The authors describe the foundations of multicultural counseling and extend the concepts to counselor competence with LGB clients. Este articulo resume las contribuciones de la consejeria multicultural a tres campos de habilidad consejera con clientes homosexuales y hombres y mujeres bisexuales: la conceptualizacion de la competencia, educacion del consejero, y evaluacion de competencia para consejeria. Los autores describen los fundamentos de la consejeria multicultural y extienden estos conceptos a la competencia consejera con clientes homosexuales, lesbianas, y bisexuales.
Two families of acyl-CoA thioesterases in Arabidopsis.

We have identified two families of acyl-CoA thioesterase (ACHs) in Arabidopsis thaliana. One family, consisting of AtACH1 and AtACH2, appears to be peroxisomal, as they have type-1 peroxisomal targeting sequences. The other family, consisting of AtACH4 and AtACH5, resides in the endoplasmic reticulum, as shown by green fluorescent protein studies. AtACH2 has been overexpressed in Escherichia coli and shows high levels of acyl-CoA thioesterase activity against both 16:0-CoA and 18:1-CoA. AtACH5 has also been overexpressed in E. coli and shows thioesterase activity as well. ACHs have been characterized in other many other organisms and in various subcellular locations, but their true physiological role is not yet understood. Indeed, atach5 gene knockout mutants have no observable phenotype.
The isolation, characterization and amino terminal sequence of the vitamin D-binding protein (group specific component) from mouse plasma.

Abstract 1. 1. In order to establish a homologous system in which to study the interaction of mouse vitamin D-binding protein (MVDBP) with mouse T-cell lymphocytes, we purified MVDBP from mouse plasma. 2. 2. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed that purified MVDBP had an apparent relative molecular weight of 49,000. 3. 3. Previous work in our laboratory has shown that purified rat vitamin D-binding protein (RVDBP) has an apparent relative molecular weight of 52,000. 4. 4. The amino terminal acid sequence of MVDBP is shown below and compared with that of RVDBP. MVDBP: LeuGluArgGlyArgAspTyrGluLysAspLysValCys Asn GluLeu AlaMet LeuGlyLys Glu RVDBP: LeuGluArgGlyArgAspTyrGluLysAspLysValCys Gln GluLeu SerThr LeuGlyLys Asp AspPhe AspPhe While 21 out of 24 residues (87.5%) of amino terminus of MVDBP are the same as those in RVDBP, residues 14, 17, 18 and 22 (underlined) are different. 5. 5. The sedimentation coefficient of the protein, determined by sucrose density gradient ultra-centrifugation, is 3.8 for MVDBP and 4.1 for the rat VDBP. 6. 6. The MVDBP purified in this study exhibits only one isoform on isoelectric focusing; the isoelectric point was 4.87 as determined on pH 4.0–6.5 isoelectric focusing gels (IEF). 7. 7. The binding of vitamin D3, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and three other analogs was investigated with a charcoal dextran assay. 8. 8. The concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 at which 50% of protein bound radiolabeled 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 was displaced from MVDBP was found to be 6.8 × 10−9M. A value of 5 × 10−9M was previously reported for the corresponding rat protein. 9. 9. Amino acid composition analysis also showed the mole percent of each residue in MVDBP was very similar to that of RVDBP. The observed properties of mouse VDBP suggest a high degree of homology with the vitamin D-binding protein of rat.
Some chemical properties of the venom of the scorpionfish Scorpaena guttata.

Abstract A method for extracting and stabilizing a fish venom is proposed. Extracts from fresh venomous spines of Scorpaena guttata were prepared in distilled water at 5°, lyophilized, reconstituted in 0·05 M sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7·4, with 0·9 per cent NaCl and 10 −3 M Cleland's reagent at 5°, and centrifuged. Using this technique, extracts were found to be stable up to 21 days. Fractionation indicated that the lethal property was associated with protein(s) having a molecular weight of more than 50,000 and less than 800,000. The semi-purified lethal fraction had an intravenous ld 50 in mice of 0·9 mg protein per kg body weight, while the ld 50 of the crude venom was 2·6 mg protein per kg. This is the first report on the separation of a fraction of a fish venom which is more lethal than the crude venom.
Evolutionary design of complex software (EDCS)

This document is intended to provide background information for offerers responding to BAA 95-40: Evolutionary Design of Complex Software (EDCS). It describes the general problem that the EDCS Program addresses along with some of the characteristics of the Program's organization. Then it discusses some concepts for evolutionary systems and some of the technology investigations that are felt to support those concepts. This is presented for illustrative purposes only. Offerors should not feel constrained to the particular concepts of evolution articulated nor to the technology areas and sample investigation projects delineated.
Skeletal open bite associated with bimaxillary dento-alveolar protrusion, evaluation and treatment

Summary A surgical procedure for correction of open bite malocclusion is reported and evaluated. This occlusal problem is often not correctable by orthodontic means. The facial and occlusal improvement was marked and produced better function, speech and appearance. Some relapse has occurred after nine months of observation. Continued observation is suggested. Maxillo-facial surgical corrections require longitudinal study to validate the effectiveness of the treatment.
Antioxidants and multistage carcinogenesis in mouse skin

The two-step initiation-promotion protocol for the induction of skin tumors in mice is a convenient model to elucidate what molecular events are involved in the multistage process of carcinogenesis and how they can be modulated. The current theories concerning the mechanisms of skin tumor initiation, stages 1 and 2 of tumor promotion, and tumor progression are reviewed. Because chemical carcinogens and tumor promoters may, directly or indirectly, generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and because various antioxidants inhibit effectively some of the biochemical and biological events linked to tumor initiation, promotion and/or progression, it is conceivable that different sequences and levels of free radical-induced macromolecule damage may contribute to the evolution of the epidermal target cells from the preneoplastic stage to the malignant stage.
Assessing the Surgical Skills of Urology Residents After Preurology General Surgery Training: The Surgical Skills Learning Needs of New Urology Residents

Objective Resident work-hour restrictions and a reduction in general surgery training have impacted urologic training. We sought to assess the educational needs of urology residents after preurology training in general surgery to compare self-reported outcomes to those of supervising faculty and to determine which aspects of preurology training have an impact on those needs. Design A survey was distributed electronically to urology residents and faculty of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) residency programs. Residents evaluated 11 surgical skills with regard to their importance to subsequent urology training and their self-assessed proficiency with those skills. Faculty members evaluated the same skills with regard to their importance and their residents' proficiency with those skills. All individuals evaluated 11 general surgery rotations with regard to their importance to later urology training. The responses were analyzed using the paired Wilcoxon test, and faculty responses were compared with resident responses using the Fisher exact test and the χ 2 -test. Setting Urologic surgery residency programs in the United States. Participants There were 305 resident responses and 58 faculty responses. Results For each surgical skill, residents perceived skills as being more important than their self-assessed proficiency with those skills (p Conclusions A discrepancy was determined between urology residents' perceptions of the importance of surgical skills and their proficiency with those skills. The duration of general surgery training might have an impact on self-assessed skills proficiency. Concordance was demonstrated between resident and faculty perceptions of residents' surgical skills and of general surgery rotations.
Catastrophe theory: A topological reconceptualization of sexual orientation.

Abstract The classical model of sexual orientation as a continuum is examined and hypotheses regarding the sequential patterning of sexual partner choices are considered. Data are reviewed which suggest that these patterns are often discontinuous: shifts from one orientation to the other are observed without a transitional period and bisexuality is rare as a lifestyle in which contacts with both male and female partners are regular, concurrent, ongoing activities. Catastrophe theory, a mathematical model of discontinuity, is explained with the simple example of aggression in dogs and then the simple cusp catastrophe is applied as a starting place for this topological reconceptualization of sexual orientation. Behavioral predictions and implications for future research are discussed.
Uteroglobin mRNA activity and levels of nuclear progesterone receptor in endometrium.

Abstract To investigate the mechanism of induction of uteroglobin by progesterone, the relationship between uteroglobin mRNA (mRNAUG) activity and nuclear progesterone receptor levels has been examined in rabbit endometrium during early pregnancy. mRNAUG activity was assessed by translation in vitro of poly A-rich endometrial RNA and immunoprecipitation of the synthesized peptides using anti-uteroglobin antibodies. Progesterone receptor was determined in purified endometrial nuclei by Scatchard analysis of the specific binding of 3H-R5020 under exchange conditions. mRNAUG activity reached a peak on Day 4 of pregnancy and declined thereafter up to Day 8. Nuclear progesterone receptor levels were uniformly low through this period, except for a slight rise on Day 2. When mRNAUG activity was high, progesterone receptor levels were low. A cause-and-effect relationship between nuclear progesterone receptors and specific mRNA or protein synthesis remains to be established.
Rabbis and reality: Public activities of Jewish women in Italy during the renaissance and catholic restoration

Reconstructing the history of Jewish women is like peering through a wooden fence. Lingering too long in one particular place in our case, exclusively concentrating on one kind of textual source can block our vision. Moving along quickly, however, to view diverse sources, allows multiple images to blend in our minds, ultimately creating a viable picture. This is especially applicable to the historical study of Jewish women in Renaissance Italy. Were we, as historians, to judge the behavior, both public and private, of these women solely on the basis of rabbinic prohibitions and the negative opinions of rabbis concerning women's participation in public matters, we should be distorting reality. The public behavior of women during the Renaissance did not conform to rabbinic expectations. It was not although it has been said otherwise a function of nebulous Renaissance values, which supposedly breathed a spirit of liberation into Jewish personal and communal life. Rather, as we shall now illustrate, the public behavior of Renaissance Jewish women was determined by a give-and-take that counterpoised such forces as halachic texts and traditions, their current rabbinic interpretations, the needs of the Jewish community, and the strivings of individual Jewish women themselves.
Immunocytochemical localization of vascular endothelial growth factor in neurons and glial cells of human retina.

In order to establish the cellular and subcellular localization of the chemokine protein, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or vascular permeability factor, in adult human retina, we employed immunocytochemistry with double immunolabeling, using a primary antibody to amino acids 1-10 of VEGF, together with antibodies to vimentin (intermediate filaments, labeling Muller cells) or to neuron-specific enolase (labeling retinal neurons). In adult human retina, VEGF-like immunoreactivity (VEGF-IR) is found in Muller cell processes, where typically it is found in the cytoplasm in close association with Vimentin-labeled (VM-IR) intermediate filaments. VEGF-IR is sometimes found diffusely in Muller cell bodies and nuclei. VEGF-IR is found in all major classes of retinal neurons, as demonstrated by co-localization with neuron-specific enolase (NSE)-IR, but is especially prominent in cell bodies of amacrine cells (ACs) (including displaced ACs) and ganglion cells (GCs). Generally, VEGF-IR is more prominent in the nucleus, while NSE-IR is more prominent in the cytoplasm and neurites. In blood vessels, VEGF-IR co-localizes with VM-IR, marking blood vessel endothelial cells, whereas NSE-IR apparently marks the layer of smooth muscle cells. These cellular findings regarding the retinal localization of VEGF-IR are consistent with VEGF synthesis in and its export from retinal neurons, particularly amacrine and ganglion cells, as well as in glia, specifically Muller cells, and suggest that retinal neurons normally provide continuous trophic support for their retinal blood supply.
Incoherent radar spectrum processing using neural network

Abstract In the high-latitude F-region, the plasma horizontal drift can be comparable to, or greater than the neutral oxygen (O) thermal speed. As a result of the interplay between the ionospheric E × B drift and the O–O + collisions, the O + velocity distribution function, f o + ( v ) , deviates significantly from Maxwellian. While the E × B drift velocity increases, the shape of f o + ( v ) becomes bi-Maxwellian, and then toroidal. The corresponding scattered wave spectrum of the incoherent radar changes from a double peaked, to a triple peaked, and then to a ‘baby-bottle’ shape. The conventional analysis technique, which assumes a Maxwellian, is not suitable under such conditions. Here, we applied artificial neural networks to analyze the radar spectrum corresponding to a non-Maxwellian f o + . A backpropagation neural network was adopted with various structures. The neural network was trained with 3000 sets of spectral density values and tested with another 1000 sets. The performance of the neural network was investigated under different structural configurations and design parameters. It was concluded that: (1) the neural network was tolerant to high levels of noise; (2) its accuracy was acceptable for as few as 10 input nodes; (3) its accuracy was comparable for all line-of-sight directions, and (4) the neural network was not sensitive to the number of hidden layers. The experimental results demonstrate that neural networks can perform well, even with very noisy data, low sampling rates, and wide ranges of ionospheric conditions. Another interesting result contrary to theories propagating through previous literature is that, the accuracy of the analysis is quite independent of the aspect angle (the angle between the radar’s line of sight and the direction of the geomagnetic field). The flexibility, robustness and powerfulness of the neural network approach in processing incoherent radar spectra are further proved by our study.
Tissue Distribution and Metabolism of Aflatoxin B1-14C in Broiler Chickens

The effects of administering low levels of aflatoxin B1-14C by crop intubation daily for 14 days to broiler chickens were determined. Studies on the distribution of 14C in the blood, selected organs, tissues, and excreta were conducted. No toxic effects were observed in broiler chickens during the 14 days of the experiment. The broiler chickens excreted 90.64% of the 14C administered. Of the 14C retained, 11.04, 9.83, 4.30, 12.52, 31.66, and 30.63% were detected in the blood, liver, heart, gizzard, breast, and leg, respectively. Chemical assay of those samples demonstrating radioactivity revealed that 81.2% of the radioactivity in these substrates was not extractable by classical extraction procedures while approximately 10% was extractable. Treatment of aqueous extracts for conjugated steroids by treatments with beta-glucuronidase revealed that 31.5% of the 14C detected in the aqueous extract was a liberated glucuronide conjugate of aflatoxin M1-14C.
Polygalacturonase in tree pollens

Abstract The pollens from 38 species of trees were analysed for polygalacturonase activity. All of the pollens contained polygalacturonase but the range of activities was great. Eastern cottonwood pollen contained the most polygalacturonase, with a level about 12 times higher than that usually found in ripe tomato fruit, which has been the highest known plant source of this enzyme. Pollens from other members of Populus were generally high in polygalacturonase although some were relatively low. Pollens from the oak family contained high activity, with the largest amount in white oak pollen. Pollens from pecan, willows, birch and hickories contained moderate levels of polygalacturonase. The smallest activities were found in pollens from beech, sycamore and conifers. The polygalacturonases from eastern cottonwood and white oak pollens were partially purified and characterized. Both enzymes were found to be exo -polygalacturonases that require Ca 2+ for activity, but they possessed different M r s, indicating that they are not identical. Exopolygalacturonase may be involved in some function related to pollination, but an explanation for the wide range of activities in different pollens is not obvious.
On conserved densities and asymptotic behaviour for the potential Kadomtsev?Petviashvili equation

We study local conservation laws with non-vanishing conserved densities and corresponding boundary conditions for the potential Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation. We analyse an infinite symmetry group of the equation, and generate a finite number of conserved densities corresponding to infinite symmetries through appropriate boundary conditions.
Black Community, Media, and Intellectual Paranoia-as-Politics:

This article used an interdisciplinary approach to a theory of paranoia as a political and cultural survival tool among Blacks in America. Focusing on a particularly contested moment in Black history—the Apollo 11 moon launch and its implications regarding funding for civil rights issues—the article approached its topic from literary, psychological, cultural, and scientific-technological perspectives, both historical and contemporary. The aim was to explore the issue of the post—civil rights “death” of the utility of appeals for full enfranchisement from the federal government and its subsequent impact on Black community life and cultural production. One of the major results of this event—seen here through the late sixties space race—was the rise of sociocultural paranoia as a productive resource in the Black community, as represented through the press, popular discourse, and literary endeavors, most notably the work of writer John A. Williams.