cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A role for complement C5 in organism containment and granulomatous response during murine tuberculosis.

The molecular mechanisms underlying protective granuloma formation and control of bacterial growth during infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) are not yet completely understood. MTB-infected mice with natural deficiency in complement component C5 are unable to develop productive granulomatous responses, and are impaired in limiting organism growth within the lung. To address the molecular basis for this histologic dysfunction, congenic complement C5-sufficient (B10.D2-H2d H2-T18c Hcl/nSnJ) and complement C5-deficient strains (B10.D2-H2d H2-T18c Hco/oSnJ) congenic mice were infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and cytokine and chemokine responses were examined. Twelve and 28 days after infection, lungs showed elevated messages for multiple inflammatory cytokines in both congenic strains. Interleukin (IL)-12(p40) mRNA was also induced during infection in C5-deficient mice, although levels were significantly decreased compared to C5-sufficient congenics. C5-deficient mice also demonstrated reduced KC, MIP-2, IP-10, and MCP-1 mRNA. The defect may directly involve C5-mediated effects on macrophage responses; C5-deficient bone marrow derived macrophages had significantly reduced secretion of KC, MIP-1α and MIP-2 compared to C5-sufficient macrophages following in vitro infection. These findings indicate a role for C5 in mediation of chemotactic and activation events that are the basis for granulomatous responses during murine tuberculosis.
Ecosystem change along a woody invasion chronosequence in a California grassland

Woody species have increased in abundance in many grassland ecosystems during the last century. To investigate the consequences of Baccharis pilularis encroachment into coastal California grasslands, we established a chronosequence of sites naturally invaded by Baccharis zero to 25 years ago. Increasing above- and below-ground biomass increase along the chronosequence drove increases in ecosystem N sequestration of ∼700% and in C storage of over 125%. Colonization by oaks (Quercus agrifolia) and other woody species at sites colonized by Baccharis >15 years ago indicate that the progressive ecosystem changes observed in chronosequence reinforce woody dominance and associated changes at shrub-invaded sites.
Superconducting Radio-Frequency Systems for High-β Particle Accelerators

This article addresses the physics and engineering of the superconducting radio-frequency systems for high-β particle accelerators. I consider different geometries for cavities, discuss criteria for optimization, and options for higher-order mode damping. In reviewing recent progress in the field, SRF systems are classified according to the functions they perform. These systems are fundamental RF accelerating systems, deflecting/crab cavities, harmonic RF systems, and SRF photoemission electron guns.
The Impact of Technology-Enhanced Curriculum on Learning Advanced Algebra in US High School Classrooms.

We report on two large studies conducted in advanced algebra classrooms in the US, which evaluated the effect of replacing traditional algebra 2 curriculum with an integrated suite of dynamic interactive software, wireless networks and technology-enhanced curriculum on student learning. The first study was a cluster randomized trial and the second was a quasi-experimental replication study using a subset of the original treatment teachers. Both studies demonstrated significant impact on student learning of core algebra concepts including both procedural and conceptual problems. Various variables were modeled to understand the impact of such an intervention including demographic factors and class level. We found that being in an honors class significantly predicts learning gains but being in a non-honors SimCalc class significantly predicts learning gains versus all other groups. We also found significant effects of treatment on difference scores for problems which demanded simple procedural approaches and those that demanded complex conceptual understanding.
Consistency of wind erosion assessments across land use and land cover types: A critical analysis

In recent decades, large areas of rangeland have been converted to cropland or vice versa in the western United States and elsewhere in the world, driven largely by increased crop prices, loss of access to irrigation water, and agricultural expansion/contraction. Wind erosion and dust emissions are key processes that have not been well studied during land use and associated land cover changes. This assessment is challenging because currently no model is available that can provide field- to landscape-scale estimates of wind erosion on both rangeland and cropland, and account for soil, vegetation and management changes. In this paper, we compare aeolian sediment transport estimates from available cropland models and a number of mass flux equations developed for rangelands, for a bare soil surface with different levels of crust and surface roughness under different wind speeds. Our results show that the simulated horizontal sediment mass fluxes are similar for cropland and rangeland models at large surface crust coverage and aerodynamic roughness. In situations of small to moderate crust cover and soil roughness, horizontal mass fluxes varied by over three orders of magnitude among the tested models. A correlation analysis shows that horizontal mass fluxes simulated by cropland and rangeland models are correlated, with correlation R 2 of 0.37–0.99 across different models. Finally, we propose an approach to estimate changes in
Cadmium as a factor in hypertension

Abstract Most human subjects dying from hypertensive complications showed in their kidneys either increased concentrations of cadmium or increased ratios of cadmium to zinc, compared to subjects dying of a variety of other major diseases. Within the limits of 358 kidneys analyzed, this alteration occurred in both the United States and in foreign countries around the world.
Heterogeneity of the chicken ALD muscle: Evidence for a minor, twitch fiber type

Examination of the anterior latissimus dorsi muscle of the chicken using histochemical, immunofluorescent, and ultrastructural techniques revealed the presence of a minor muscle fiber type which was similar but not identical to the fast-twitch fibers of the posterior latissimus dorsi muscle. Heterogeneity of muscle fiber type appeared within the 1st week after hatching.
Use of cyclosporin A in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in the rat.

ALLOGENEIC bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has become the therapy of choice for the treatment of severe aplastic anaemia and severe combined immunodeficiency diseases and is considered beneficial for the treatment and possible cure of malignant diseases, especially lymphohaematopoietic malignancies1. Several serious complications, however, prevent the full realisation of the therapeutic potential of this procedure. To accept an allogeneic marrow graft, patients (even those treated for aplastic anaemia) have to be conditioned with cytoreductive agents like cyclophosphamide (Cy) or total body irradiation (TBI), agents that have relatively low therapeutic indices for immunosuppression and marked toxicities. Furthermore, patients, even if matched with their respective donors at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), have after engrafting successfully, a high incidence of potentially fatal graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). Third, patients, who successfully engraft have a severe immunodeficiency for several months after transplantation that apparently contributes to potentially fatal opportunistic infections in the post-grafting period2. Attempts to overcome these complications have had only limited success. Cyclosporin A (Cs A), an undecapeptide of fungal origin3, has been reported to have very profound antilymphocytic activities with very low degrees of myelotoxicity4. It has been shown to suppress a variety of humoral and cellular immune phenomena5, including the rejection of renal allografts in rabbits.6 It seemed reasonable, therefore, to study its effects in an animal model of bone marrow transplantation. Cs A permits the full establishment of a rat marrow graft across the major histocompatibility barrier. Given post grafting it prevents GvHD in an AgB mismatched donor–recipient combination and allows recovery of T-dependent immune functions as early as 28 d after transplantation. Thus, Cs A seems to be a promising agent for use in clinical marrow transplantation.
Elastic properties and cooperative Jahn-Teller effect in nickel chromite☆

Abstract The symmetry elastic constant c11 − c12 shows softening at the cooperative Jahn-Teller phase transition. The dominant mechanism for the transition is the strain coupling to the nickel ions.
EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ON THE HYPONATREMIA OF ACUTE INFECTIONS.

Abstract Rats were infected with pneumococci in an attempt to find a model for study of changes in concentration of electrolyte which occur in human disease. Experimental empyema succeeded in producing changes similar to those seen in man in most of the animals. Study of the tissue, utilizing chloride space calculations showed a loss of sodium content from muscle and an increased intracellular space. The excess water had endogenous (metabolic) origin but was not excreted despite a low solute concentration in serum. Some of the animals showed only slight drops in concentration of sodium. In this group the urine output was considerably higher than in the others and the uninfected controls.
Compressed piecewise-circular approximations of 3D curves

Abstract We propose a compact approximation scheme for 3D curves. Consider a polygonal curve P , whose n vertices have been generated through adaptive (and nearly minimal) sampling, so that P approximates some original 3D curve, O , within tolerance e 0 . We present a practical and efficient algorithm for computing a continuous 3D curve C that approximates P within tolerance e 1 and is composed of a chain of m circular arcs , whose end-points coincide with a subset of the vertices of P . We represent C using 5 m +3 scalars, which we compress within a carefully selected quantization error e 2 . Empirical results show that our approximation uses a total of less than 7.5 n bits, when O is a typical surface/surface intersection and when the error bound e 1 + e 2 is less than 0.02% of the radius of a minimal sphere around O . For less accurate approximations, the storage size drops further, reaching for instance a total of n bits when e 1 + e 2 is increased to 3%. The storage cost per vertex is also reduced when e 0 is decreased to force a tighter fit for smooth curves. As expected, the compression deteriorates for jagged curves with a tight error bound. In any case, our representation of C is always more compact than a polygonal curve that approximate O with the same accuracy. To guarantee a correct fit, we introduce a new error metric for e 1 , which prevents discrepancies between P and C that are not detected by previously proposed Hausdorff or least-square error estimates. We provide the details of the algorithms and of the geometric constructions. We also introduce a conservative speed-up for computing C more efficiently and demonstrate that it is sub-optimal in only 2% of the cases. Finally, we report results on several types of curves and compare them to previously reported polygonal approximations, observing compression ratios that vary between 15:1 and 36:1.
Resolved-sideband and cryogenic cooling of an optomechanical resonator

Combing cryogenic and so-called sideband cooling promises to cool micrometre-scaled resonators to the point at which quantum effects take hold. Hope that this aim will soon be reached is boosted by the demonstration of a deformed silica microsphere that is cooled so that it contains only 37 phonons. Cooling a mechanical oscillator to its quantum ground state enables the exploration of the quantum nature and the quantum–classical boundary of an otherwise classical system1,2,3,4,5,6,7. In analogy to laser cooling of trapped ions8, ground-state cooling of an optomechanical system can in principle be achieved by radiation-pressure cooling in the resolved-sideband limit where the cavity photon lifetime far exceeds the mechanical oscillation period9,10,11. Here, we report the experimental demonstration of an optomechanical system that combines both resolved-sideband and cryogenic cooling. Mechanical oscillations of a deformed silica microsphere are coupled to optical whispering-gallery modes that can be excited through free-space evanescent coupling12,13. By precooling the system to 1.4 K, a final average phonon occupation as low as 37 quanta, limited by ultrasonic attenuation in silica, is achieved. With diminishing ultrasonic attenuation, we anticipate that the ground-state cooling can be achieved when the resonator is precooled to a few hundred millikelvin in a 3He cryostat.
Higher obstructions to smoothing

ONE BASIC PROBLEM of differential topology is the following: Given two differentiable n-manifolds M and N, find conditions which are both necessary and sufficient for them to be diffeomorphic. A necessary condition is that they be combinatorially equivalent, so this we may assume. In [6], we obtained conditions of an algebraic nature which are sufficient for the existence of a diffeomorphism; in the present paper, we refine these conditions so as to make them necessary as well. This provides, in theory, a complete solution to the problem.
New Light on the Development of Chalcolithic Metal Technology in the Southern Levant

Several decades after the discovery of the spectacular Nahal Mishmar Hoard (a collection of cast metal goods, some quite ornate, found in a cave high in the cliffs of the Judean Desert) many important questions about Chalcolithic metallurgy in the southern Levant remain unanswered. What is the origin of the materials used? Where were the final goods produced and what were the dynamics of production? In fact, new questions have also arisen as recent discoveries force us to reconsider previous interpretations of Chalcolithic metallurgy and the societies within which it evolved. Such will be the focus of this paper.
Deoxyribonucleic acid-protein interactions associated with transcriptional initiation of the mouse testis-specific cytochrome c gene.

Transcriptional regulation of the mouse testis-specific cytochrome c (cyt. C T ) gene was studied by examining DNA-protein interactions in its proximal promoter. Testicular and liver nuclear proteins bound to the cyt. c T gene at sites -105 to -81, +87 to +113, and +146 to +169, suggesting interactions with ubiquitous nuclear proteins. Protein present in liver nuclear extracts bound to a fourth site at -176 to -125, whereas protein present in testicular nuclear extracts bound to a subregion of this site at -176 to -140. The sequence from -136 to -127, bound by liver but not testicular nuclear proteins, is similar to that of the binding site of a somatic c-mos repressor protein. Lastly, different nuclear proteins from mouse liver and testis bound to a region from -18 to +31 that contains a putative Y box at -13 to -2. Mobility shift assays, Southwestern blots, and immunoprecipitation studies have established that this putative Y box binds a 52-kDa mouse testicular homologue of the Xenopus germ cell-specific Y-box protein and a competing 50-kDa protein present in both liver and testis nuclear extracts. These data suggest that the testis-specific expression of the mouse cyt. C T gene during spermatogenesis may be regulated by the differential binding of tissue-specific nuclear proteins to its proximal promoter region.
Social media, authentic learning and embedded librarianship: a case study of dietetics students

Recent studies and reports indicate that social media tools have changed the way that people access and disseminate information. Social information, or information that is communicated and made accessible through social media networks and tools, represents a growing collection of information used by consumers, researchers and even healthcare practitioners. Undergraduate students preparing to enter the healthcare field need to understand how to use social information to reach consumers and share scholarship with other healthcare professionals. Using the dietetics curriculum at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA, as a case study, this paper describes how a liaison librarian highlighted particular areas of the curriculum that she could support through information literacy instruction and embedded librarianship. By collaborating with a faculty member and using objectives from both the Association of College & Research Libraries’ Information Literacy Standards for Science and Engineering/Technology and the Accreditation Council of Education in Nutrition and Dietetics’ 2008 Foundation Knowledge and Competencies-Dietitian Education, she developed an authentic learning experience for students in the programme. Formal and informal assessments indicated that the entire project met a significant need in the dietetics curriculum and successfully engaged students by having them negotiate the social web in an authentic learning environment. This article is based on a paper presented at LILAC 2012.
Effective Potentials in Molecular Collisions

Procedures are developed for obtaining effective potentials Veff between two linear molecules. The potential Veff couples the internal rotational states of the molecules, regardless of the spatial effects associated with the projection quantum numbers M. Since just Veff is not sufficient for treating the dynamics, an effective Hamiltonian Heff = H0eff + Veff is obtained from the original Hamiltonian H = H0 + V, where H0 describes the unperturbed motion of the molecules. A consistent procedure is presented for finding both effective operators H0eff and Veff, where the matrix elements of an effective operator Qeff are written as 〈 J1J2 | Qeff | J1′J2′ 〉. The effective states | J1J2〉 are orthonormal eigenstates of the rotational portion of H0eff with the same level spacings as for H0. The effective potential is shown to have the form of a radial function times an internal state coupling matrix, or in general a sum of such terms. The effective close‐coupled equations are developed from Heff, and it is de...
ESVEM and the Hazards of Clinical Trials

During the past 15 years, our approach to patients with cardiovascular disease has undergone significant and often dramatic changes. These changes have primarily occurred as a result of large-scale multicenter clinical trials involving many patients and extending over several years. One such trial is the ESVEM study,1 which was initiated in 1985, involved 14 centers, screened more than 2000 patients, and ultimately enrolled 486 patients with life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. The trial had two major purposes: (1) to determine whether serial electrophysiological testing or serial Holter monitoring provided the better method of predicting the long-term therapeutic efficacy of antiarrhythmic drugs and (2) to determine which of the six antiarrhythmic drugs tested was most effective. In this issue of Circulation , Reiter and coworkers2 report on results obtained in a subgroup of 146 patients who were among the 242 patients comprising the electrophysiological arm of the ESVEM trial. In this subgroup of 146, Holter monitoring was also performed. The authors report that the therapeutic efficacy of the various drugs was no greater when predicted by both tests (concordant results) than when predicted by only one of the two tests (discordant results). Although not specifically stated, the hypothesis being tested was that the ability of a drug to suppress the arrhythmia trigger (as reflected by the suppression of the ventricular premature beats recorded by Holter monitoring) and to alter the arrhythmia substrate (as reflected by the inability to induce ventricular tachycardia by electrophysiological testing) should predict better long-term efficacy than the ability to accomplish either alone. This hypothesis makes intuitive sense if we assume that both the trigger and the substrate remain unchanged for the duration of the …
Management of Hepatitis C Infection in the HIV-Infected Patient:

Morbidity and mortality associated with HIV infection have rapidly decreased with the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy. Of recent concern is the increase of unusual opportunisti...
Effect of single vs bilateral lung transplantation on plasma surfactant protein D levels in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Background Serum levels of surfactant protein D (SP-D) have been suggested as reflecting epithelial damage in acute lung injury, COPD, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, little is known about SP-D levels in the setting of lung transplantation. Methods We examined plasma SP-D levels in 104 subjects from a prospective, multicenter cohort study of lung allograft recipients. Plasma SP-D was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay prior to transplant and daily for 3 days after transplant. Results Subjects undergoing transplant for IPF had higher baseline SP-D levels (median, 325 ng/mL) compared with subjects with cystic fibrosis, COPD, and pulmonary hypertension (median, 100, 80, and 82 ng/mL, respectively; P = .0001). Among subjects with IPF undergoing bilateral transplant, SP-D levels declined rapidly postoperatively. In contrast, SP-D levels in subjects undergoing single lung transplant for IPF remained significantly higher than those of bilateral allograft recipients. Among subjects undergoing single lung transplant for IPF, the development of primary graft dysfunction (PGD) was associated with a subsequent rise in SP-D levels, whereas SP-D levels in IPF subjects undergoing bilateral transplant declined, even in the presence of grade 3 PGD. Importantly, single lung allograft recipients without PGD had higher postoperative SP-D levels than bilateral allograft recipients with PGD. Conclusions Subjects undergoing lung transplant for IPF have significantly higher baseline plasma SP-D levels compared with those with other diagnoses. Plasma SP-D is likely a biomarker of the air-blood barrier integrity in the native IPF lung, but may be less useful as a biomarker of PGD after transplant.
The ALK/ROS1 inhibitor PF-06463922 overcomes primary resistance to crizotinib in ALK-driven neuroblastoma

Neuroblastomas (NBs) harboring activating point mutations in Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) are differentially sensitive to the ALK inhibitor crizotinib, with certain mutations conferring intrinsic crizotinib resistance. To overcome this clinical obstacle, our goal was to identify inhibitors with improved potency that can target intractable ALK variants such as F1174L. We find that PF-06463922 has high potency across ALK variants, and inhibits ALK more effectively than crizotinib in vitro. Most importantly, PF-06463922 induces complete tumor regression in both crizotinib-resistant and sensitive xenograft mouse models of NB, as well as in PDXs harboring the crizotinib-resistant F1174L or F1245C mutations. These studies demonstrate that PF-06463922 has the potential to overcome crizotinib resistance, and exerts unprecedented activity as a single targeted agent against F1174L and F1245C ALK-mutated xenograft tumors, while also inducing responses in a R1275Q xenograft model. Taken together, these results provide the rationale to move PF-06463922 into clinical trials for treatment of patients with ALK-mutated NB.
California’s Back-to-Basics Policies and the 1999 Textbook Adoption

In 1992, California adopted a new mathematics Framework. This Framework did not list content that students needed to study at each grade level. Instead it focused on classroom and program characteristics that would promote student learning of mathematics, emphasizing instructional approaches that would encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning, with teachers as facilitators rather than imparters of information. The Framework stated that, “Students construct their understanding of mathematics by learning to use mathematics to make sense of their own experience.” (p. 33)
Bidirectional coupler design using plastic optics

Short and medium distance fiber-optic networks have a potentially high-volume demand for active bidirectional couplers. An active bidirectional coupler (Fig. 1) uses a beam splitter to couple light from an emitter into the fiber and light from the fiber to the detector. This type of coupler is also called a 3-dB coupler as a 3-dB power penalty is paid in any beam splitter coupling scheme. For the coupler injection molding manufacturing was chosen as most appropriate for this high-volume demand.
Does Brief Bradycardia at the Onset of Arm‐Restraint Predict Infants’ Emotional Reactivity During Restraint?

Using electrocardiogram data with 78 six-month-old infants, this study examined the presence or absence of brief orienting bradycardia during the onset of maternal arm-restraint and subsequent differences between infants on behavioral organization during restraint. Results showed that 45 of the infants exhibited brief episodes of bradycardia at the onset of arm-restraint. Group comparisons showed infants exhibiting bradycardia to have greater emotional reactivity during the arm-restraint protocol, which included a shorter latency to cry, decreased orientation toward mother, increased escape attempts during restraint, greater intensity of crying, and longer duration of crying than non-bradycardiac infants. These findings suggest that bradycardia at the outset of a mild perturbation episode may signal infants' attention to the emotional content of novel dyadic interactions and the disruption of expectancies in ongoing interactions, leading them to become distressed more quickly, turn their attention away from mom, and attempt to escape the restraint with greater vigor.
Preparing the Next Generation for Electoral Engagement: Social Studies and the School Context

In an era of accountability focused primarily on academic outcomes, it may be useful to reconsider the other original aim of U.S. schools: citizenship development. Using longitudinal, nationally representative data (Adolescent Health and Academic Achievement Study [AHAA] and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health [Add Health]), we employ multilevel models to investigate the effects of social science programs and other measures of school context on young adult voting and voter registration. Findings suggest that school social science context directly influences young adult electoral engagement to the extent that peers’ social science performance can counteract an individual’s low level of social connection to produce an active voter in young adulthood.
The Truth About Baby Boomer Gamers A Study of Over-Forty Computer Game Players

This article describes a study conducted in the summer of 2006 aimed at exploring the play patterns and lifestyles of gamers who fall into the loose demographic of “Baby Boomers,” typically defined as people born between 1946 and 1964. This independent study, including more than 300 participants, combined quantitative and qualitative techniques to paint a multifaceted picture of the gaming lifestyles and tastes of this understudied population. The study findings show that Baby Boomers comprise a vibrant video game audience, that they are devoted players, and that they have distinct needs and interests that have gone ignored by both the mainstream game industry and the game press. They also provide some detailed data about their play styles and gaming interests, the role of gaming in their larger media mix, as well as specific case studies that paint a nuanced portrait of this understudied and underserved audience.
Molecular basis of crosstalk between oncogenic Ras and the master regulator of hematopoiesis GATA‐2

Disease mutations provide unique opportunities to decipher protein and cell function. Mutations in the master regulator of hematopoiesis GATA-2 underlie an immunodeficiency associated with myelodysplastic syndrome and leukemia. We discovered that a GATA-2 disease mutant (T354M) defective in chromatin binding was hyperphosphorylated by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. p38 also induced multisite phosphorylation of wild-type GATA-2, which required a single phosphorylated residue (S192). Phosphorylation of GATA-2, but not T354M, stimulated target gene expression. While crosstalk between oncogenic Ras and GATA-2 has been implicated as an important axis in cancer biology, its mechanistic underpinnings are unclear. Oncogenic Ras enhanced S192-dependent GATA-2 phosphorylation, nuclear foci localization, and transcriptional activation. These studies define a mechanism that controls a key regulator of hematopoiesis and a dual mode of impairing GATA-2-dependent genetic networks: mutational disruption of chromatin occupancy yielding insufficient GATA-2, and oncogenic Ras-mediated amplification of GATA-2 activity.
An Efficient Zero-Skew Routing Algorithm

A bucket algorithm is proposed for zero-skew routing with linear time complexity on the average. Our algorithm is much simpler and more efficient than the best known algorithm which uses Delaunay triangulations for segments on Manhattan distance. Experimental results show that the linearity of our algorithm is accomplished. Our algorithm generates a zero-skew routing for 3000-pin benchmark data within 5 seconds on a 90MIPS RISC workstation.
Nitric oxide interaction with insect nitrophorins and thoughts on the electron configuration of the {FeNO}6 complex.

Abstract The nitrophorins are NO-carrying heme proteins that are found in the saliva of two species of blood-sucking insects, the kissing bug ( Rhodnius prolixus ) and the bedbug ( Cimex lectularius ). In both insects the NO is bound to the ferric form of the protein, which gives rise to K d s in the micromolar to nanomolar range, and thus upon injection of the saliva into the tissues of the victim the NO can dissociate to cause vasodilation and inhibition of platelet aggregation. The structures of the proteins from each of these insects are unique, and each has a large component of β-sheet structure, which is unusual for heme proteins. While the Rhodnius nitrophorins increase the effectiveness of their NO–heme proteins by also binding histamine, secreted by the victim in response to the bite, to the heme, the Cimex nitrophorin does not bind histamine but rather binds two molecules of NO reversibly, one to the heme and the other to the cysteine thiolate which serves as the heme ligand in the absence of NO. This requires homolytic cleavage of the Fe–S–Cys bond, which produces an EPR-active Fe(II)–NO complex having the {FeNO} 7 electron configuration. For the Rhodnius nitrophorins, the heme of the {FeNO} 6 stable NO complex could have the limiting electron configurations Fe(III)–NO or Fe(II)–NO + . While vibrational spectroscopy suggests the latter and Mossbauer spectroscopy cannot differentiate between a purely diamagnetic Fe(II) center and a strongly antiferromagnetically coupled Fe(III)–NO center, the strong ruffling of the heme (with alternate meso -carbons shifted significantly above and below the mean plane of the porphyrin, and concomitant shifts of the β-pyrrole carbons above and below the mean plane of the porphyrin ring, to produce a very nonplanar porphyrin macrocycle) may suggest at least an important contribution of the latter. The strong ruffling would help to stabilize the (d xz , d yz ) 4 (d xy ) 1 electron configuration of low-spin Fe(III) (but not low-spin Fe(II)), and the d xy orbital does not have correct symmetry for overlap with the half-filled π* orbital of NO. This Fe(III)–NO electron configuration would facilitate reversible dissociation of NO.
Diffusibility and solubility of gases in ethylcellulose and nitrocellulose

Permeability of ethylcellulose and nitrocellulose films to thirteen different gases and vapors was determined. The solubility of these gases and vapors in ethylcellulose and nitrocellulose was also measured by gravimetric and volumetric methods of equilibrium sorption. From these data for permeability and solubility, diffusion coefficients of the gases and vapors in the polymeric films were calculated by means of the relation, P = DS, in which P and S are the permeability and solubility constants, respectively. It was found that the diffusion coefficient D decreased linearly with an increase of molecular weight; however, the shape factor of the molecules played an important role in the diffusion process. The solubility constants increased linearly with an increase of the Lennard-Jones force constants ϵ/k when solubility was expressed on a weight basis rather than a volume basis. Both ethylcellulose and nitrocellulose are noncrystalline. Higher solubility, diffusibility, and permeability of ethylcellulose than that of nitrocellulose are considered to be due to the molecular packing in the films.
A spatially nonlocal model for polymer desorption

In order to describe diffusion of a penetrant in a polymer entanglement network, one must incorporate nonlocal effects. Most previous models have included nonlocality in time only; however, by exploiting the disparate length scales in such systems, one can model these effects by a partial integrodifferential equation which is nonlocal in space. When considering the case of diffusion near the glass-rubber transition, a moving boundary separates the polymer into two regions, each governed by a different set of PDEs. The desorption of a semi-infinite polymer is studied using singular perturbation methods. Layers arise at the exposed surface, at the moving boundary, and initially. Analytical and phase-plane solutions are obtained for the solution, which exhibits physically realistic forms of desorption overshoot. Thus, spatially nonlocal models have the potential to replicate experimental systems, and should be considered in concert with other viscoelastic models of polymer-penetrant systems.
Matrix environments for continuous system modeling and simulation

In any future standard for continuous system simulation lan guages, it is of primary importance that the data and program structures are made sufficiently general and flexible. In this paper, the use of matrix structures in modeling and simulation, and the impact of matrix environments on the design of simulation languages and their experimental frames will be discussed.
Near-infrared remote sensing of Los Angeles trace gas distributions from a mountaintop site

Abstract. The Los Angeles basin is a significant anthropogenic source of major greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4) and the pollutant CO, contributing significantly to regional and global climate change. We present a novel approach for monitoring the spatial and temporal distributions of greenhouse gases in the Los Angeles basin using a high-resolution spectroscopic remote sensing technique. A new Fourier transform spectrometer called CLARS-FTS has been deployed since May, 2010, at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)'s California Laboratory for Atmospheric Remote Sensing (CLARS) on Mt. Wilson, California, for automated long-term measurements of greenhouse gases. The instrument design and performance of CLARS-FTS are presented. From its mountaintop location at an altitude of 1673 m, the instrument points at a programmed sequence of ground target locations in the Los Angeles basin, recording spectra of reflected near-IR solar radiation. Column-averaged dry-air mole fractions of greenhouse gases (XGHG) including XCO2, XCH4, and XCO are retrieved several times per day for each target. Spectra from a local Spectralon® scattering plate are also recorded to determine background (free tropospheric) column abundances above the site. Comparisons between measurements from LA basin targets and the Spectralon® plate provide estimates of the boundary layer partial column abundances of the measured species. Algorithms are described for transforming the measured interferograms into spectra, and for deriving column abundances from the spectra along with estimates of the measurement precision and accuracy. The CLARS GHG measurements provide a means to infer relative, and possibly absolute, GHG emissions.
Interference interactions of two rice cultivars and their F3 cross with barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli) in a replacement series study

Abstract Barnyardgrass (BYG) has been the most frequently reported troublesome weed in rice because it is an aggressive invader, is difficult to control, and reduces yields significantly. A replacement series study was conducted to determine how a naturally suppressive cultivar (T65*2/TN 1; ‘PI 312777’), a nonsuppressive cultivar (‘Lemont’), and an F3 cross between the two (‘PI 312777 × Lemont’) would interfere with BYG in the southern United States. The rice cultivars did not differentially affect BYG height. The PI 312777 produced more tillers and greater shoot dry weight but was only moderately competitive (relative yield [RY]) or aggressive (relative crowding coefficient) against BYG. Competitiveness at 2:2 rice and BYG mixture proportion and replacement series illustrations on RYs for the number of tillers and shoot dry weights for the three rice cultivars indicated that PI 312777 suppressed BYG growth relatively better than the other two cultivars. Plant-for-plant, PI 312777 was more competitive tha...
Design of a single protein that spans the entire 2-V range of physiological redox potentials

The reduction potential (E°′) is a critical parameter in determining the efficiency of most biological and chemical reactions. Biology employs three classes of metalloproteins to cover the majority of the 2-V range of physiological E°′s. An ultimate test of our understanding of E°′ is to find out the minimal number of proteins and their variants that can cover this entire range and the structural features responsible for the extreme E°′. We report herein the design of the protein azurin to cover a range from +970 mV to −954 mV vs. standard hydrogen electrode (SHE) by mutating only five residues and using two metal ions. Spectroscopic methods have revealed geometric parameters important for the high E°′. The knowledge gained and the resulting water-soluble redox agents with predictable E°′s, in the same scaffold with the same surface properties, will find wide applications in chemical, biochemical, biophysical, and biotechnological fields.
147 : Proatherogenic conditions promote autoimmune Th17 responses in vivo

Although patients with atherosclerosis have a higher incidence of systemic autoimmune diseases, the relationship between proatherogenic factors and autoimmune T cell responses is poorly understood. Mice lacking both LDL receptor and apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme (Ldlr −/− Apobec1 −/− ; LDb) are hyperlipidemic and prone to atherosclerosis. Here, we show that LDb mice exhibit increased IL-17 in circulation as well as in the aortic sinus area, which was attributed to a preferential enhancement of Th17 cells in the secondary lymphoid organs. In addition, the environment within LDb mice was substantially favorable for the Th17 polarization of auto-reactive CD4 + T cells during homeostatic proliferation. In vitro , the addition of oxidized LDL, but not native LDL, promoted dendritic cell-mediated Th17 polarization by triggering IL-6 and IL-1 in a MyD88-dependent fashion. Furthermore, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-reactive CD4 + T cells expanded in the presence of oxidized LDL expressed increased levels of Th17 signature genes, and induced more profound experimental autoimmune encephalitomyelitis (EAE) when transferred into naive mice. Our findings demonstrate that proatherogenic factors induce the polarization and functional maturation of autoimmune Th17 cells, which may be critical for the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and other related autoimmune diseases.
The Tortuous Trajectories of Democracy and the Persistence of Authoritarianism in Africa

This paper offers a systematic account of political regime changes in Sub-Saharan Africa from 1990 to 2012. Are democratic transition processes a variance of a singular domestic politico-institutional model (political protest, political mobilization, and democratization), as Michael Bratton and Nicolas van de Walle (1997) claimed, or do other variables matter in democratic transition processes? What conditions create and maintain democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa? Combining qualitative and quantitative methods, this paper examines the development of African political regimes, contrasting the pre and post-Cold War periods (1960-1989 and 1996-2010) to understand their determinants. It focuses on the new transformations observed since the beginning of the twenty-first century, assessing recent regime history and examining the factors (political, governance, economic and international) that have contributed to democratic development in some states and autocracy in others. The findings show that democratic transitions are not only the variance of Bratton and Van de Walle model, which downplay economic and international variables. The process is also mainly, but not always determined by domestic politico-institutional factors. Foreign intervention and economic conditions are also important determinants of democratization (Sierra Leone and Liberia) in Sub-Saharan Africa in the post-Cold War era
Series-connected Interdigitated Surface Acoustic Wave Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring

Active health monitoring using narrowband Raleigh-wave or mode- selective Lamb-wave actuation and reception involves the use of a pair of matched multi-element transducer arrays. The spacing of the elements of the transducer arrays dictates the Lamb mode wavelength, and by appropriate choice of drive fre- quency, a specific mode can be selected. Typically, the elements of the transducer array are all connected in a parallel configuration and are used for both excitation and reception. It is shown in this paper that for reception a series connected trans- ducer array results in better performance. Connecting multiple electrodes in a series configuration allows the summing of individual voltages generated by each piezo- electric transducer and it is shown that this results in better sensor performance.
A Comparative Study of Sense of Presence of Traditional Virtual Reality and Immersive Environments

User experience is a critical component in the development of virtual environment systems and applications. To create an effective and efficient user experience for virtual environment systems, it is imperative to conduct empirical studies to explore factors that contribute to a heightened sense of presence, or immersion, for users, who increasingly demand an experience in a virtual environment that seems as real as possible. The primary hypothesis of this study is that participants will experience higher levels of presence in an Immersive Visualization Environment (IVE) than in a Traditional Virtual Reality Environment (TVRE). The empirical methodology consists of two different experiments designed, developed, and implemented using seventy participants. A simulated virtual airplane scenario was created and conducted for each participant. After completion of each simulation session, each participant was given a questionnaire that measured the participant’s sense of presence in either virtual or real environments. Analysis of the collected data indicated that there was a statistically significant difference in the level of presence experienced by participants between the TVRE and IVE systems. The primary conclusion is that participants experienced a higher sense of presence in the IVE experiment when compared with the TVRE experiment, indicating significantly more natural and richer user experience through the IVE system’s interface.
Pricing for hotel revenue management: Evolution in an era of price transparency

The recession of the early 2000s, the emergence of online booking channels and the price transparency afforded by the Internet, coupled with challenges to the basic assumptions underlying traditional revenue management (RM) systems, have fueled significant change in how the hotel RM problem is approached. This article charters the evolution in pricing for hotel RM, from inventory management-based approaches to rate availability, to the emergence of price optimization solutions. It also provides an overview of recent research that explores how consumers use price and non-price information in hotel choice and highlights the impact this may have on pricing for hotel RM.
Nurturing Our Rocket Space Workforce at the United States Air Force Academy

The Space Systems Research Center at the United States Air Force Academy is building a cadre of rocket space professionals “one cadet at a time.” Its motto and aim is for cadets to “Learn Space by Doing Space.” Approximately one half of the cadets majoring in astronautical engineering perform a one year long capstone program of the design, fabrication, test and launch of a sounding rocket (the FalconLAUNCH program). This year’s rocket, FalconLAUNCH-3, launched in April, 2005. This was the preliminary test of the rocket design for FalconLAUNCH-4, scheduled for a 2006 launch from San Nicolas Island, California, carrying a 5-kg payload to 100,000 meters. This program is modeled like any Air Force program, with the cadets acting as the contractor, and the faculty and Air Force funding agencies acting as the Air Force Manager. The program has approximately 20 students with five or six faculty mentors. The program is multi-disciplinary, requiring cadets to use skills learned in physics, electrical engineering, computer science, and management. All of the normal milestones, reviews, presentations, and reports required in an Air Force Program are required of the cadets in the FalconLAUNCH program. The overarching goal is to provide realistic system development and systems engineering experience to future Air Force leaders. While the overall design evolves each year, each class culminates their undergraduate engineering experience with the launch of their rocket. This paper details the development, challenges, and advantages of conducting an undergraduate sounding rocket program and details the design, construction, testing and the April 2005 launch of FalconLAUNCH-3.
The Effect of Hawthorn Extract on Coronary Flow

Hawthorn extract has been used for heart failure and may decrease cardiac cell injury and improve cardiac function. One proposed mechanism for hawthorn action is vasodilation. We hypothesized that hawthorn extract would increase coronary blood flow in isolated perfused rat hearts. Coronary flow was measured in nonworking perfused rat hearts (Langendorff, constant pressure) using a flow probe; data were collected electronically in real time. Hawthorn extract showed an early (30-120 seconds) vasodilation, followed by a later (3-5 minutes) decrease in coronary flow. Maximum vasodilation occurred with 240 μg/mL hawthorn extract. Hawthorn’s pattern of activity was unlike that of several known vasoactive drugs. Both nitric oxide synthase inhibitors and indomethacin abolished early vasodilation, but they had no effect on the late phase decrease in flow. We suggest that a hawthorn-induced increase in nitric oxide generation leads to an increase in prostacyclin production, thus causing early phase vasodilation.
Parallel surrogate-assisted global optimization with expensive functions --- a survey

Surrogate assisted global optimization is gaining popularity. Similarly, modern advances in computing power increasingly rely on parallelization rather than faster processors. This paper examines some of the methods used to take advantage of parallelization in surrogate based global optimization. A key issue focused on in this review is how different algorithms balance exploration and exploitation. Most of the papers surveyed are adaptive samplers that employ Gaussian Process or Kriging surrogates. These allow sophisticated approaches for balancing exploration and exploitation and even allow to develop algorithms with calculable rate of convergence as function of the number of parallel processors. In addition to optimization based on adaptive sampling, surrogate assisted parallel evolutionary algorithms are also surveyed. Beyond a review of the present state of the art, the paper also argues that methods that provide easy parallelization, like multiple parallel runs, or methods that rely on population of designs for diversity deserve more attention.