cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CpG Oligodeoxyribonucleotides Rescue Mature Spleen B Cells from Spontaneous Apoptosis and Promote Cell Cycle Entry

Isolated murine splenic B cells undergo spontaneous apoptosis. Motifs containing unmethylated CpG dinucleotides in bacterial DNA or in synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) are known to activate murine B cells. Now we show that ODN that induce spleen B cell cycle entry also inhibit spontaneous apoptosis in a sequence-specific fashion. Reversal of the CG to GC abolished activity. Methylation of the central cytosine decreased activity. When CpG is preceded by a cytosine or followed by a guanine, activity was abolished. Other substitutions at the same positions had no effect. Dose-response curves for apoptosis protection and G1 entry suggested that a uniform population of ODN recognition sites controlled downstream ODN effects. A CpG ODN with a nuclease-resistant phosphorothioate backbone (S-ODN) was also active, and increased the levels of c-myc, egr-1, c-jun, bclXL, and bax mRNA and c-Myc, c-Jun, Bax, and BclXL protein in spleen B cells. Levels of c-myb, myn, c-Ki-ras, and bcl2 mRNA remained unchanged. When protein synthesis was inhibited, at 16 h ODN-induced cell cycle entry was abolished and apoptosis protection was partially preserved. Under these conditions, c-Myc was still present, but c-Jun and BclXL were not detected. Our results suggest that CpG containing ODN motifs provide signals for both survival and cell cycle entry. Single base changes determine whether this signal proceeds through a rate-limiting step governing at least two steps in apoptosis (plasma membrane transition, DNA cleavage) and two phases of the cell cycle (G1 and S phase entry). This biologic action is associated with increased c-Myc, c-Jun, and BclXL expression.
Prefrontal Cortex Traumatic Brain Injury Produces Greater Neurobehavioral Dysfunction and Delayed Behavioral Recovery Versus TBI Localized to the Sensorimotor Cortex

Introduction: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is an increasingly prevalent health concern that accounts for 30% of all injury-related deaths in the US with treatment costs surpassing $16 billion. Post...
The effect of ignition source exposure and specimen configuration on the fire growth characteristics of a combustible interior finish material

Abstract The potential fire hazard presented by plastic based combustible interior finish materials is discussed. Compartment fire experimental methods and apparatus based on Uniform Building Code Standard No. 42-2 were used to study the effect of ignition source exposure and specimen configuration on the actual fire growth characteristics of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam wall covering. The results obtained are qualitative in nature, clearly demonstrating two important characteristics of the fire behavior of PVC foam: (i) the PVC foam has a ‘critical’ ignition source strenght of 64–75 kW; (ii) preheating the PVC foam greatly increases its peak net rate of heat release.
Nonlinear system identification of the dynamics of a vibro-impact beam: numerical results

We study the dynamics of a cantilever beam with two rigid stops of certain clearances by performing nonlinear system identification (NSI) based on the correspondence between analytical and empirical slow-flow dynamics. The NSI method in this work can proceed in two directions: One for the numerical data obtained from a reduced-order model by means of the assumed-mode method, and the other for the experimental data measured at the same positions as in numerical simulations. This paper focuses on the analysis of the numerical data, providing qualitative comparison with some experimental results; the latter task will be discussed in detail in a companion paper. First, we perform empirical mode decomposition (EMD) on the acceleration responses measured at ten, almost evenly-spaced, spanwise positions along the beam leading to sets of intrinsic modal oscillators governing the vibro-impact dynamics at different time scales. In particular, the EMD analysis can separate any nonsmooth effects caused by vibro-impacts of the beam and the rigid stops from the smooth (elastodynamic) response, so that nonlinear modal interactions caused by vibro-impacts can be explored only with the remaining smooth components. Then, we establish nonlinear interaction models (NIMs) for the respective intrinsic modal oscillators, where the NIMs invoke slowly-varying forcing amplitudes that can be computed from empirical slow-flows. By comparing the spatio-temporal variations of the nonlinear modal interactions for the vibro-impact beam and those of the underlying linear model (i.e., the beam with no rigid constraints), we demonstrate that vibro-impacts significantly influence the lower-frequency modes, introducing spatial modal distortions, whereas the higher frequency modes tend to retain their linear dynamics between impacts. We introduce a linear correlation coefficient as a measure for studying the linear dependency between the slowly-varying complex forcing amplitudes for the linear and vibro-impact beams and demonstrate that only a set of lower-frequency modes are strongly influenced by vibro-impacts, capturing most of the essential nonlinear dynamics. These results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach to analyze strongly nonlinear measured time series and provide physical insight for strong nonlinear dynamical interactions.
Improving critical thinking skills and metacognitive monitoring through direct infusion

Abstract To test the effectiveness of the direct infusion, instructional approach on the acquisition of argument analysis, critical reading, and metacognitive monitoring skills, we compared three similar groups of college students receiving different instruction of the same course material. The group receiving direct infusion of critical thinking (CT) was explicitly taught application of rules for analyzing psychological arguments and critical reading infused into their course work and given practice with assessments and feedback to guide skill acquisition. Compared to a second group receiving direct infusion of principles of memory improvement and a third focusing on content knowledge acquisition, the CT group showed significantly greater gains on tests of argument analysis and critical reading skills. Students in the CT group also showed significantly greater gains on the ability to accurately postdict their CT test scores. The results suggest that direct infusion can improve both CT skills and metacognitive monitoring with implications for how they are related.
Phase I and pharmacologic study of oral ftorafur and X ray therapy in advanced gastrointestinal cancer

We have treated 15 patients with advanced gastrointestinal carcinoma with a cyclical regimen of combined Ftorafur (N1-((2-furanidyl-))-5-Fluorouracil, a 5-FU pro-drug) and external beam radiation. The Ftorafur (FT) was administered orally in daily doses of between 1.0 and 2.5 g/m2/day in 3 divided doses in a Phase I format. The drug was given daily for 5 days along with conventional X ray treatment portals and daily radiation doses of 250 rad on each of the first 4 days of each treatment cycle. The patients were then rested for a minimum of 10 days or until all significant side effects had passed. The total number of 1,000 rad cycles and radiation dose were dictated by tolerance and by normal organ dose limitations. The most common toxicity in general, and the most common limiting toxicity was nausea and vomiting, in contrast to oral FT alone where diarrhea is more prominent. Stomatitis was seen only once and no other form of serious toxicity was encountered. Two-thirds of the patients responded in subjective terms (pain relief). There was 1 partial response to FT alone (pulmonary metastases outside the treatment field). The sole patient whose treatment field was outside the abdomen (chest portals for esophageal carcinoma) developed pneumonitis which contributed to his death. No other delayed effects were noted. Serum FT levels were related to the ingested dose and in the microgram range while serum 5-FU levels were in the nanogram range indicating slow decomposition of FT into 5-FU. The therapy was reasonably well tolerated at doses of 2.0 g/m2/day or lower with abdominal radiation. FT offers the potential for replacing intra-venous infused 5-FU as a clinical radiosensitizer.
New Worlds Observer Formation Control Design Based on the Dynamics of Relative Motion

The New Worlds Observer (NWO) mission is designed for the direct detection and characterization of extrasolar planets. The NWO mission concept employs a two spacecraft leader-follower formation on a trajectory around the Earth/Moon-Sun L(sub 2) Libration Point. The leader spacecraft is baselined as a 4 meter optical telescope. The follower, Starshade spacecraft, is designed to suppress light from a central body star permitting direct detection of a surrounding exoplanetary system. The current design requires a nominal leader-follower separation range of 72 Megameters. NWO poses many challenges including formation control. NWO cycles between three principal control modes during the nominal mission timeline: science (fine pointing), realignment and transition. This paper examines formation control strategies in the context of dynamics of relative motion for two spacecraft operating in the vicinity of the Earth/Moon-Sun L(sub 2)libration point. The paper presents an overview of the equations of relative motion followed by a discussion of each of the control modes. Discussion and analysis characterize control strategies for each of the mission control modes, including requirements, implementation challenges and project fuel budgets.
An optical biosensor using MEMS-based V-grooves

An optical fiber biosensor featuring miniaturization, electromagnetic interference (EMI)-immunity, and flexibility is presented. The sensor was fabricated by aligning two gold-deposited optical single-mode fiber facets inside V-grooves on a silicon chip to form a Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity. The mirrors on the fiber facets were made of deposited gold (Au) films, which provided a high finesse to produce a highly sensitivity. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication techniques were used to precisely control the profile and angle of the V-grooves on the silicon. The biotin-terminated thiol molecule was firstly immobilized on the gold surface. Subsequently, the molecules of Neutravidin were specifically bound to the biotin-terminated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The induced changes of cavity length and refractive index (RI) upon the gold surface lead to an optical path difference (OPD) of the FP cavity, which was detected by demodulating the transmission spectrum phase shift. By taking advantage of MEMS techniques, multiple biosensors can be integrated into one small silicon chip for detecting various biomolecule targets simultaneously.
Plasma membranes of bursal, thymic and circulating lymphocytes have unique proteins

Abstract The protein subunit composition of plasma membranes of chicken bursal, thymic and circulating lymphocytes was determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Two of the proteins common to bursa and thymus were not expressed in the circulating lymphocytes. Bursal membranes had 4 unique proteins, 2 of which were still expressed in the circulating lymphocytes. Thymic membranes had 3 unique proteins, one of which was still expressed in the circulating lymphocytes. Membranes of circulating lymphocytes had one unique protein.
Prominent middle genicular artery

A 17-year-old boy underwent MRI for knee trauma, revealing a torn medial meniscus (Fig. 1). Additionally, an unidentified linear structure was demonstrated coursing through knee joint space. This was further evaluated with MR angiography, revealing it to be arterial in origin (Fig. 2). This vessel followed the expected course of the middle genicular artery. Typically the middle genicular artery is small and tortuous [1]. This boy’s middle genicular artery was more conspicuous because of its generous diameter and relatively straight course in congruity with the plane of imaging. The middle genicular artery originates from the popliteal artery, enters the posterior joint capsule and
Primary-type antibody response in vitro

Organ cultures of lymph nodes obtained from nonimmunized rabbits were incubated with bacteriophage d, X174; as a result, 19S antibody was produced first, and then 7S antibody. Differences between this response and the secondary response to d? X174 induced in vitro suggest that the foriiier is a primary response.
Self-organized branching processes: Mean-field theory for avalanches.

We discuss mean-field theories for self-organized criticality and the connection with the general theory of branching processes. We point out that the nature of the self-organization is not addressed properly by the previously proposed mean-field theories. We introduce a new mean-field model that explicitly takes the boundary conditions into account; in this way, the local dynamical rules are coupled to a global equation that drives the control parameter to its critical value. We study the model numerically, and analytically we compute the avalanche distributions.
NMR study of the folding-unfolding mechanism for the thrombin-binding DNA aptamer d(GGTTGGTGTGGTTGG).

Abstract Hydrogen exchange rates of the imino protons of the thrombin-binding 15 mer DNA aptamer d(G 1 G 2 T 3 T 4 G 5 G 6 T 7 G 8 T 9 G 10 G 11 T 12 T 13 G 14 G 15 ) in the presence of Sr 2+ were measured. In the temperature range 15–35 °C, the exchange rates of the eight iminos in the quadruplex core were not uniform, with the G 2 , G 11 and G 15 iminos exchanging faster, the G 1 , G 5 , G 10 and G 14 iminos exchanging slower, and the G 6 imino exchanging at a medium rate. In the quadruplex G 1 , G 5 , G 10 and G 14 adopted syn glycosidic conformation, while G 2 , G 6 , G 11 and G 15 adopted anti-conformation. It was found that the four slowly exchanging iminos, which were all the syn-iminos, happened to be located in the TT loops that were not easy to open to the solvent. The anti-iminos exchanged faster, but the G 6 imino exchanged slower than other anti-iminos, because its hydrogen bond with the G 10 O6 was stabilized by the TGT loop. The fact that the G 6 imino exchanged at a faster rate than those syn-iminos in the TT loops suggested that the TGT loop was less stable than the TT loops. Unfolding mechanism for the quadruplex was thus proposed: The quadruplex first uncoupled the three base pairs: G 1 –G 15 , G 2 –G 14 and G 5 –G 11 , which were not protected by any loops. Then it opened the TGT loop. Finally, it opened the TT loops and the sequence became an unstructured random coil that exchanged with the quadruplex conformation. The conformational exchange between the quadruplex and random coil had been detected.
DC-shifts in amplitude in-field generated by an oscillatory interference model of grid cell firing

Oscillatory interference models propose a mechanism by which the spatial firing pattern of grid cells can arise from the interaction of multiple oscillators that shift in relative phase. These models produce aspects of the physiological data such as the phase precession dynamics observed in grid cells. However, existing oscillatory interference models did not predict the in-field DC shifts in the membrane potential of grid cells that have been observed during intracellular recordings in navigating animals. Here, we demonstrate that DC shifts can be generated in an oscillatory interference model when half-wave rectified oscillatory inputs are summed by a leaky integrate-and-fire neuron with a long membrane decay constant (100 ms). The non-linear mean of the half-wave rectified input signal is reproduced in the grid cell's membrane potential trace producing the DC shift within field. For shorter values of the decay constant integration is more effective if the input signal, comprising input from 6 head direction selective populations, is temporally spread during in-field epochs; this requires that the head direction selective populations act as velocity controlled oscillators with baseline oscillations that are phase offset from one another. The resulting simulated membrane potential matches several properties of the empirical intracellular recordings, including: in-field DC-shifts, theta-band oscillations, phase precession of both membrane potential oscillations and grid cell spiking activity relative to network theta and a stronger correlation between DC-shift amplitude and firing-rate than between theta-band oscillation amplitude and firing-rate. This work serves to demonstrate that oscillatory interference models can account for the DC shifts in the membrane potential observed during intracellular recordings of grid cells without the need to appeal to attractor dynamics.
Statistics in Sports: Special Section

(1994). Statistics in Sports: Special Section. Journal of the American Statistical Association: Vol. 89, No. 427, pp. 1064-1065.
A monadic analysis of information flow security with mutable state

We explore the logical underpinnings of higher-order, security-typed languages with mutable state. Our analysis is based on a logic of information flow derived from lax logic and the monadic metalanguage. Thus, our logic deals with mutation explicitly, with impurity reflected in the types, in contrast to most higher-order security-typed languages, which deal with mutation implicitly via side-effects. More importantly, we also take a store-oriented view of security, wherein security levels are associated with elements of the mutable store. This view matches closely with the operational semantics of low-level imperative languages where information flow is expressed by operations on the store. An interesting feature of our analysis lies in its treatment of upcalls (low-security computations that include high-security ones), employing an “informativeness” judgment indicating under what circumstances a type carries useful information.
Factors Associated With Parental Perception of Child Vulnerability 12 Months After Abnormal Newborn Screening Results

We identified factors associated with elevated parental perceptions of child vulnerability (PPCV) 12 months after newborn screening (NBS) of 136 children: healthy, normal results (H, n = 37), cystic fibrosis carriers (CF-C, n = 40), congenital hypothyroidism (CH, n = 36), and cystic fibrosis (CF, n = 23). Controlling for infant and parent characteristics, mixed logit structural equation modeling showed direct paths to elevated PPCV included parent female sex, CF diagnosis, and high documented illness frequency. PPCV was positively associated with maternal parenting stress. Infants with CF and CF carriers had significantly more documented illness frequency than H group infants. The CH group did not differ significantly from the H group and had no paths to PPCV. Unexpectedly high documented illness frequency among infants who are CF carriers warrants further investigation. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 34:389–400, 2011
Nurse-led telephone-advice lines.

Australia is following North America, the United Kingdom and other developed countries in promoting the use of nurse-led telephone advice services, where nurses follow computer-driven protocols to give advice about a wide range of problems, most of which relate to acute minor illness.
Interface dynamics and banding in rapid solidification

Rapid-solidification experiments on metallic alloys in the last decade have provided widespread observations of a novel banded structure.'' We report the results of numerical and analytical studies of the interface dynamics underlying the formation of this structure in a model of directional solidification which includes both solute and heat diffusion and nonequilibrium effects. The thrust of these studies is on the unsteady dynamics of the planar interface and thermal effects. The main conclusion is that the origin of banding can be related to relaxation oscillations of the solidification front, characterized by large variations of the interface velocity, which are dramatically affected by latent-heat diffusion. Without the latter, the oscillations are found to be reasonably well approximated by the phenomenological model of Carrard [ital et] [ital al]. [Acta Metall. 40, 983 (1992)], and the band spacing is inversely proportional to the temperature gradient. In contrast, with latent-heat diffusion the band spacing is insensitive to the temperature gradient, but is controlled instead by the interplay of solute and heat diffusion. The smallness of the solutal diffusivity to thermal diffusivity ratio is exploited to explain analytically this effect and to derive considerably simpler equations of interface motion that provide an efficient numerical meansmore » to study the nonplanar interface dynamics expected to cause dark bands. A reasonable agreement with experiment is found for the spacing of banded structures dominated by light-band microsegregation-free regions in Al-Fe alloys.« less
Trimodality imaging system and intravascular endoscopic probe: combined optical coherence tomography, fluorescence imaging and ultrasound imaging

In this Letter, we present a trimodality imaging system and an intravascular endoscopic probe for the detection of early-stage atherosclerotic plaques. The integrated system is able to acquire optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescence, and ultrasound images and simultaneously display them in real time. A trimodality intravascular endoscopic probe of 1.2 mm in diameter and 7 mm in length was fabricated based on a dual-modality optical probe that integrates OCT and fluorescence imaging functions and a miniature ultrasound transducer. The probe is capable of rotating at up to 600 rpm. Ex vivo images from rabbit aorta and human coronary arteries showed that this combined system is capable of providing high resolution, deep penetration depth and specific molecular fluorescence contrast simultaneously.
The crystal structure of the cation-disordered phase (Tl0.75Pb0.25)4Cl5

Abstract The 3 : 1 compound in the TlClPbCl2 system crystallizes in the noncentrosymmetric space group P41212 (D44) or its enantiomorph P43212 D46). Lattice constants are a = 8.450(1)A and c = 14.927(1)A. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data were collected using AgKα radiation. The structure was determined by analysis of Patterson and difference Fourier syntheses. Least-squares refinement of 41 parameters with 402 unique data converged with Rw = 0.036. In the structure the 12 Tl(I) and 4 Pb(II) ions are disordered over two eightfold sites. The formula is therefore appropriately written as (Tl0.75Pb0.25)4Cl5. A difference in size of the two positions suggests a preferential concentration of Pb(II) in the smaller site. The disordering of aliovalent cations together with a three-dimensional network of face-sharing polyhedra of cations surrounding the anions of the structure suggests (Tl0.75Pb0.25)4Cl5 as a particularly favorable case for enhancement of chloride ion conductivity by doping with TlCl. Irregularities in the coordination polyhedra about the cations can be explained by the presence of stereochemically active lone-pair electrons of the cations. The structure of (Tl0.75Pb0.25)4Cl5 is similar to that of the alloy Zr5Si4.
Computation of Elastic Scattering Phase Shifts via Analytic Continuation of Fredholm Determinants Constructed Using an L 2 Basis

It is shown that the Fredholm determinant for the Lippmann-Schwinger equation may be computed for complex energies using only ${L}^{2}$ basis functions. Analytic continuation to the real axis in the $E+i\ensuremath{\epsilon}$ limit gives elastic scattering phase shifts over a continuous range of energies, showing that it is not necessary to explicitly enforce asymptotic boundary conditions for numerical scattering computations, and suggesting that elastic electron-atom or -ion scattering information may be obtained using standard bound-state configuration-interaction methods.
Central nervous system actions of corticotropin-releasing factor on cardiovascular function in the absence of locomotor activity.

Studies were performed in conscious and anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats to examine whether the cardiovascular responses to intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) required concomitant locomotor activation. I.c.v. administration of CRF to conscious animals elicited significant increases in arterial pressure, heart rate, mesenteric resistance, and iliac blood flow, as well as intermittent locomotor, grooming and chewing activity. Intravenous infusion of the anesthetic agent, Saffan, at the minimal dose required to abolish locomotor activity caused slight but significant elevations of heart rate and mesenteric vascular resistance. I.c.v. administration of CRF to anesthetized animals produced delayed, yet significant and sustained increases in the heart rate and arterial pressure, without altering regional blood flow. These results demonstrate that locomotor activation is not requisite for the expression of CRF-induced pressor and tachycardic responses. It is concluded that CRF acts within the central nervous system to influence cardiovascular function in the absence of locomotor activity.
Bovine glucose transporter GLUT8: cloning, expression, and developmental regulation in mammary gland

GLUT8 is a newly identified member of the facilitative glucose transporter family, which characteristically exhibits high-affinity glucose transport activity. The expression of GLUT8 has been shown to depend on gonadotropin secretion in human testes and to be regulated by insulin in the blastocyst. To characterize GLUT8 and investigate its role in normal mammary gland function, we cloned and sequenced the full-length cDNA of bovine GLUT8. The 2073-base-pair cDNA sequence is predicted to encode a protein of 478 amino acids, with a molecular weight of approximately 51 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence of bovine GLUT8 is 90%, 84%, 84% and 58% identical to human, mouse, rat and chicken GLUT8, and is 26%, 27% and 24% identical to bovine GLUT1, GLUT3 and GLUT4, respectively. Bovine GLUT8 retains the characteristic structural features of GLUT8 proteins previously identified from other species including membrane spanning helices, glucose transporter motifs, an N-linked glycosylation site on loop 9 and a putative dileucine internalization motif. The major in vitro transcription and translation product of bovine GLUT8 cDNA migrated at an apparent molecular weight of 38 kDa similar to the sizes reported for GLUT8 from other mammalian species. In the presence of canine microsomal membranes, the translation product increased to 40 kDa suggesting glycosylation. Transient transfection studies using a FLAG epitope tagged construct in COS-7 cells revealed that bovine GLUT8 is localized to the cytoplasm in non-stimulated conditions. A 2.1-kb GLUT8 mRNA transcript was detected at high levels in bovine testes, at moderate levels in lactating bovine mammary gland, lung, kidney, spleen, intestine and skeletal muscle, and at low levels in bovine liver. GLUT8 mRNA expression in bovine mammary gland increased about 10-fold (P<0.001) during late pregnancy and early lactation, similar to the pattern of change in GLUT1 mRNA and more dramatic than the increase seen in mouse mammary gland. These results suggest that GLUT8 expression may be regulated by lactogenic hormones and that GLUT8 may play a role in glucose uptake in the lactating mammary gland.
Comment on “Kinks in the Electronic Specific Heat”

A Comment on the Letter by A. Toschi et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 076402 (2009). The authors of the Letter offer a Reply.
Active Stiffness and Damping Control of Air Mounted/Suspended Systems

Passive mounts/springs with negligible damping and low stiffness are highly effective in isolating vibration but have poor shock isolation characteristics. This and other contradictory traits of passive mounts, make the realization of an ideal, uncompromised isolation system unfeasible. To avoid an isolation system design based on a compromise among its conflicting requirements, a degree of real-time, on-demand adjustability should be built into the mounting system. Air springs/mounts, because of their inherent adjustability, are the best candidate for such adjustable isolation; other passive mounts, e.g. elastomeric, would require the introduction of an additional active element/actuator to work in parallel with the mount. In this proposed adjustable air mounting system, shock isolation can be enhanced without undermining the vibration isolation effectiveness by using an on-demand, active damping scheme which adds various levels of damping to an air mounted/suspension application, e.g., the cab in a truck, depending on the instantaneous urgency of shock isolation over vibration isolation. In addition, the proposed adjustable isolation scheme contains an on-demand, active stiffness control working in parallel with the active damping scheme. Depending on the operating conditions, the stiffness of the mount will be lowered to better its vibration isolation or increased to enhance its shock isolation. The active damping and stiffness control along with other on-demand adjustment tactics for an air isolation system are described, numerically examined, and experimentally demonstrated.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Propane and propylene adsorption effects over MoOx-based catalysts induced by low levels of alkali doping

Abstract The induced effects of low-level alkali promotion are studied in order to obtain a better understanding of the way the MoOx activity, altered by the presence of potassium, relates to the adsorption and reactivity of propane and propylene under various conditions. Non-steady-state and steady-state isotopic transient kinetic analyses (SSITKAs) show changes in lattice-oxygen mobility caused by the presence of potassium. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to determine the heat effects associated with propylene adsorption. The heat associated with the reversible and irreversible adsorption of propylene decreases with the addition of potassium. This information further corroborates the relationship between potassium addition and the decreased reactivity for propylene as elucidated in reaction experiments. Electron spin resonance was used to investigate changes in Mo(V) species upon contact with propane under different conditions as a probe for the electronic properties of the supported MoOx species. ESR experiments indicate that it may be possible that potassium stabilizes the MoOx domains in a more “reduced” state, Mo(V). Together with in situ-DRIFTS experiments, it is found that potassium cannot only affect the transformation of propylene over MoOx catalysts, but also change the interaction of the catalyst with propane, altering propane activation steps.
Pitch deviancy and intelligibility of deaf speech

Abstract The relationship between pitch deviancy and other aspects of speech production that affect intelligibility of deaf speech was investigated. The speech skills assessed included the following: ratings of pitch deviancy, ratings of overall intelligibility, production of the prosodic features—stress, intonation, and pause, and production of phonemes. Children who could not sustain phonation had speech that was consistently judged unintelligible. This group of children also had pure tone averages greater than 90 dB. For the remaining children, the relationship among pitch deviancy, intelligibility, and hearing level was variable. The highest intercorrelations were among prosodic feature production, phoneme production, and intelligibility.
Why We Are Not Google: Lessons from a Library Web Site Usability Study.

Abstract In the Fall of 2009, the Moraine Valley Community College Library, using guidelines developed by Jakob Nielsen, conducted a usability study to determine how students were using the library Web site and to inform the redesign of the Web site. The authors found that Moraine Valley's current gateway design was a more effective access point to library resources than a mock-up site which incorporated a central-search box on the site homepage. This finding stands in contrast to the observed trends of library Web site design that emphasizes a “Googlized” search.
La contribution des modèles murins à la compréhension des maladies immunitaires

La predisposition aux maladies auto-immunes est influencee par de nombreux genes ainsi que par des facteurs d'environnement. A cause de la tres grande complexite de ces systemes, il est devenu evident que les modeles animaux qui etaient couramment utilises dans les travaux d'immunopathologie pouvaient constituer des outils remarquables pour l'analyse genetique de la predisposition a l'auto-immunite.
Pressure-induced phase transformations in HfO 2 to 50 GPa studied by Raman spectroscopy

High-pressure Raman studies were carried out at room temperature on ${\mathrm{HfO}}_{2}$ single-crystal samples up to 50 GPa in the diamond anvil cell, with a methanol-ethanol pressure medium. From the changes in the Raman spectral features and the pressure dependence d\ensuremath{\omega}/dP of the Raman modes, three pressure-induced phase transitions were found to occur at 4.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2 GPa, 12\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5 GPa, and 28\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2 GPa. The first two high-pressure phases are nonquenchable while the high-pressure phase after the 28 GPa transition is quenchable. The high-pressure phase after the 4.3-GPa transition has been determined as orthorhombic belonging to the space group Pbcm, from earlier high-pressure Raman and x-ray studies. The 12-GPa transition and the 28-GPa transition, newly found in this study, are believed to have the same structure as that of the high-pressure polymorphs of ${\mathrm{ZrO}}_{2}$ that occur at nearly the same pressures. For these, other orthorhombic and tetragonal structures, respectively, are proposed from the close similarity in high-pressure Raman behavior between ${\mathrm{ZrO}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{HfO}}_{2}$. The almost identical molar volumes, structural correspondence, and high-pressure behavior of ${\mathrm{ZrO}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{HfO}}_{2}$ suggest that the bulk modulus ${\mathit{K}}_{0}$ of ${\mathrm{HfO}}_{2}$ should be nearly the same as that of ${\mathrm{ZrO}}_{2}$ (${\mathit{K}}_{0}$=182\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20 GPa). A value for ${\mathit{K}}_{0}$ of 185\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20 GPa is suggested for ${\mathrm{HfO}}_{2}$.
Generalized Connective Tissue Disease in Crtap-/- Mouse

Mutations in CRTAP (coding for cartilage-associated protein), LEPRE1 (coding for prolyl 3-hydroxylase 1 [P3H1]) or PPIB (coding for Cyclophilin B [CYPB]) cause recessive forms of osteogenesis imperfecta and loss or decrease of type I collagen prolyl 3-hydroxylation. A comprehensive analysis of the phenotype of the Crtap-/- mice revealed multiple abnormalities of connective tissue, including in the lungs, kidneys, and skin, consistent with systemic dysregulation of collagen homeostasis within the extracellular matrix. Both Crtap-/- lung and kidney glomeruli showed increased cellular proliferation. Histologically, the lungs showed increased alveolar spacing, while the kidneys showed evidence of segmental glomerulosclerosis, with abnormal collagen deposition. The Crtap-/- skin had decreased mechanical integrity. In addition to the expected loss of proline 986 3-hydroxylation in α1(I) and α1(II) chains, there was also loss of 3Hyp at proline 986 in α2(V) chains. In contrast, at two of the known 3Hyp sites in α1(IV) chains from Crtap-/- kidneys there were normal levels of 3-hydroxylation. On a cellular level, loss of CRTAP in human OI fibroblasts led to a secondary loss of P3H1, and vice versa. These data suggest that both CRTAP and P3H1 are required to maintain a stable complex that 3-hydroxylates canonical proline sites within clade A (types I, II, and V) collagen chains. Loss of this activity leads to a multi-systemic connective tissue disease that affects bone, cartilage, lung, kidney, and skin.
Bioisosteric heterocyclic versions of 7-{[2-(4-phenyl-piperazin-1-yl)ethyl]propylamino}-5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthalen-2-ol: identification of highly potent and selective agonists for dopamine D3 receptor with potent in vivo activity.

In the current report, we extend the SAR study on our hybrid structure 7-{[2-(4-phenyl-piperazin-1-yl)ethyl]propylamino}-5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthalen-2-ol further to include heterocyclic bioisosteric analogues. Binding assays were carried out with HEK-293 cells expressing either D2 or D3 receptors with tritiated spiperone to evaluate inhibition constants (Ki). Functional activity of selected compounds in stimulating GTPγS binding was assessed with CHO cells expressing human D2 receptors and AtT-20 cells expressing human D3 receptors. The highest binding affinity and selectivity for D3 receptors were exhibited by (−)-34 (Ki = 0.92 nM and D2/D3 = 253). In the functional GTPγS binding assay, (−)-34 exhibited full agonist activity with picomolar affinity for D3 receptor with high selectivity (EC50 = 0.08 nM and D2/D3 = 248). In the in vivo rotational study, (−)-34 exhibited potent rotational activity in 6-OH-DA unilaterally lesioned rats with long duration of action, which indicates its potential application ...
A case study of distributor-supplier business relationships

Abstract This case study examines business relationships of a large window and door distributor in the northeastern United States with two suppliers; a “special” partnership and a “typical” transactional vendor. The partnership supplier has played a dominant role in supplying products to the distributor for many decades. This unique relationship with a company much larger than the distributor has recently evolved further through an exclusive territory arrangement and is now generally considered a strategic alliance. Dependence, relationship investment, and switching costs are viewed as important relationship attributes by the distributor in this relationship. Information exchange and trust have been increasing in this alliance although the distributor feels threatened by the leverage of this very large supplier. The typical business relationship of the supplier discussed in this case can be characterized as having low strategic importance to the distributor. Dependence, relationship investment, and switching costs for the distributor are viewed as low and information exchange is virtually non-existent. These two types of supplier relationships are examined in terms of the steps leading to relationship development, the shared activities, and the implementation and evaluation of these processes.
Possibilities for computer structures 1971

What computer structures come into existence in a given epoch depends on the confluence of several factors:The underlying technology---its speed, cost, reliability, etc.The structures that have actually been conceived.The demand for computer systems (in terms of both economics and user influence).
Purification and characterization of eukaryotic translational initiation factor eIF-2B from liver

Abstract Eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)-2B was purified to greater than 95% homogeneity from both rat and bovine liver. The purified protein consisted of five nonidentical subunits with apparent molecular ranging from 30.9 to 89.1 kDa. The holoprotein was characterized in terms of its Stokes radius and frictional coefficient. The isoelectric points for the β-, γ-, and ϵ-subunits were found to be 6.4, 6.9, and ≈6.0, respectively; the α- and δ-subunits did not focus well because their isoelectric points as predicted by the nucleotide sequences of cDNAs for the two proteins are greater than 8.5. The purified protein was used as antigen to generate monoclonal antibodies to the ϵ-subunit. The eIF-2Bϵ monoclonal antibodies and monoclonal antibodies to the α-subunit of eIF-2 were then used to directly quantitate the amounts of eIF-2B and eIF-2 in rat liver and rat reticulocytes. The ratio of eIF-2B to eIF-2 was found to be approx. 0.6 and 0.3 in liver and reticulocytes, respectively, supporting the proposition that phosphorylation of only part of the total cellular eIF-2 could potentially sequester all of the eIF-2B into an inactive eIF-2·eIF-2B complex. The purified protein was also used as substrate in protein kinase assays. Extracts of rat liver were shown to contain protein kinase activity directed toward the ϵ-subunit, but no other subunit of eIF-2B. Overall, the studies presented here are the first to show a direct quantitation of eIF-2 and eIF-2B in different tissues. They also provide evidence that the ϵ-subunit of eIF-2B is the only subunit of eIF-2B that is phosphorylated by protein kinase(s) present in extracts of rat liver.
Organization and functions of interacting domains for signaling by protein-protein interactions

Information transfer from activated heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) to downstream effectors occurs through noncovalent protein-protein interactions. Such interactions involve multiple regions of contact between the G protein and the effector. Some of these regions mediate information transfer, as defined by their ability to change the activity of their downstream binding partners, whereas other interactions appear to contribute solely to binding affinity. Such modular configurations occur in functionally diverse proteins such as myosin and a regulator of the double-stranded DNA stimulated protein kinase (PKR) called PACT. In most cases, it appears that both charge complementarity and the architecture of the interacting surfaces provide the appropriate balance between specificity of interactions and their reversibility. Information transfer regions appear to display conformational flexibility in interactions. Such flexible interactions may be essential for the local conformational changes necessary to induce change in activity by an induced fit-type mechanism. Thus, a general mechanism for information transfer by protein-protein interactions could use specific regions that induce conformation changes in the downstream partner. Other binding regions may be arranged within the protein to impart specificity of recognition and thereby maintain overall contact between the partners during the conformational dynamics that occur in the signal-transfer process.
3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase in outer versus inner cortices of the guinea pig adrenal: effects of adrenocorticotropin and dexamethasone.

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase, a rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis, was examined in the lipid-filled outer cortical cells and smooth endoplasmic reticulum-filled inner cortical cells of guinea pig adrenals. The specific activity of HMG CoA reductase was higher in microsomes obtained from the outer cortex, but was stimulated by ACTH and suppressed by dexamethasone (DEX) in both regions. Immunoblots of the microsomal proteins revealed a higher concentration of immunoreactive HMG CoA reductase (mol wt 94K) in microsomes from outer cortical cells. Changes in the intensity of this band corresponded to changes in activity after treatment with ACTH and DEX. However, quantitative immunoassay revealed that changes in activity in the inner zone after ACTH and in both zones after DEX were greater than could be accounted for by changes in immunodetectable protein, implying that other regulatory factors play a role in these cases. Incubation of outer and inner cortical tissue...
Distance Metrics on the Rigid-Body Motions with Applications to Mechanism Design

In this article we examine the problem of designing a mechanism whose tool frame comes closest to reaching a set of desired goal frames. The basic mathematical question we address is characterizing the set of distance metrics in SE(3), the Euclidean group of Rigid-body motions. Using Lie theory, we show that no bi-invariant distance metric (i.e., one that is invariant under both left and right translations) exists in SE(3), and that because physical space does not have a natural length scale, any distance metric in SE(3) will ultimately depend on a choice of length scale. We show how to construct left- and right-invariant distance metrics in SE(3), and suggest a particular left-invariant distance metric parametrized by length scale that is useful for kinematic applications. Ways of including engineering considerations into the choice of length scale are suggested, and applications of this distance metric to the design and positioning of certain planar and spherical mechanisms are given
Contact and Adhesion of Elastic-Plastic Layered Microsphere

A finite element contact model of a layered hemisphere with a rigid flat, which includes the effect of adhesion, is developed. This configuration has been suggested as a design for a microswitch contact because it has the potential to achieve low adhesion, low contact resistance, and high durability. Elastic-plastic material properties were used for each of the materials comprising the layered hemisphere. Adhesion was modeled based on the Lennard-Jones potential. The effect of the layer thickness on the adhesive contact was investigated. In particular the influence of layer thickness on the pull-off force and maximum contact radius was studied. The results are presented as load vs. interference and contact radius vs. interference for loading and unloading from different values of the maximum interference.© 2010 ASME
The Influence of Amprolium and Butynorate on Growth Rate and Feed Utilization by Large White Turkeys

Four feeding trials were conducted in which Large White turkeys were fed diets containing either amprolium or butynorate to 8 or 9 weeks of age to female and male turkeys, respectively. Diets fed during the study contained from 0 to 10% supplemental fat to provide a range of dietary energy levels. Poults were maintained on built-up wood shavings litter with no attempts to induce coccidiosis. Turkeys fed diets with amprolium did not grow as well or convert feed as efficiently as those fed butynorate at 8 or 9 weeks of age when the additives were withdrawn. However, at market weights or feed utilization between turkeys fed the two different anticoccidials.
Sensitivity of metal nanoparticle resonances to the dielectric environment: boiling down the many controlling factors to plasmon band location and material properties

The sensitivity of surface plasmon band location in noble metal nanoparticles to the refractive index, n , of the medium is investigated using closed form approximations to the particle polarizability. Within its range of validity, quasi-static analysis indicates that single component nanoparticles, including hollow nanoshells, have peak wavelength sensitivities that are determined exclusively by band location and dielectric 'constants' of the metal, e, and medium, n 2 . Among particle plasmons that peak in the frequency range where the real part of the metal dielectric function varies linearly with wavelength and the imaginary part is small and slowly varying, the sensitivity of the peak wavelength, λ*, to refractive index, n , is found to be a linearly increasing function of λ*, regardless of the structural features of the particle that determine λ*. The dependence of the sensitivity on band position is determined by the wavelength dependence of the real part of the particle dielectric function. The results are applicable to all particle shapes, including rods, disks, hexagons, chopped tetrahedra, and hollow nanoshells and are not limited to dipolar resonances. Modification of the quasi-static analysis to account for electrodynamic effects to second order in the size parameter indicates that the structural independence of the refractive index sensitivity extends to larger nanoparticles than those accurately represented by quasi-static theory. The bulk refractive index sensitivity yielded by the theory serves as an upper bound to sensitivities of nanoparticles on dielectric substrates and sensitivities of nanoparticles to local refractive index changes, such as those associated with biomolecule sensing.
Extremals and exposed faces of the cone of positive maps

We show that for a matrix A of size n × m, the maps are extremals of the cone of positive maps acting . When the rank of A equals 1 or m (in which case, necessarily m ≤ n), we show that these extremals are exposed.