cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Energy coupling in bacterial periplasmic permeases.

Bacterial active transport systems (permeases) can be broadly divided into two classes with regard to their mechanism of energy coupling: those energized by electrochemical ion gradients and those energized by substrate-level phosphorylation. The distribution of the permeases according to this classification is matched by their fundamentally different characteristics. Electrochemical ion gradient-energized permeases, as typified by the 3-galactoside (lacY) permease (25), are shock-resistant systems usually composed of a single, very hydrophobic membrane protein that acts as a symporter or an antiporter, utilizing an ion or a proton gradient. In contrast, substrate-level phosphorylation-energized permeases constitute a class including numerous shock-sensitive permeases that have a complex composition. The shock-sensitive denomination refers to the inactivation of transport through these systems upon osmotic shock treatment of the intact cell. The inactivation is due to the loss from the periplasm (the space between the outer and inner membranes of gram-negative bacteria) of one of the components of the transport machinery, the periplasmic substrate-binding protein. Thus, shock-sensitive permeases are also called periplasmic permeases. They are composed of a membrane-bound complex, usually comprising between two and four membrane-bound proteins, and a soluble periplasmic protein. They typically transport with high affinity, achieving very large concentration gradients. Numerous such permeases, acting on extremely disparate substrates (sugars, amino acids, peptides, ions, and vitamins) have been characterized, and their properties have been reviewed recently (3, 4). Their overall composition is invariably the same, irrespective of the nature of the substrate being transported. Clearly, the uniformly similar structural design of these permeases can serve to transport vastly different substrates. An understanding of their mechanism of action requires that the energy-coupling process be unravelled first. The action of periplasmic permeases involves the initial liganding of the substrate to the substrate-binding protein in the periplasm, thus resulting in the formation of the actual transport substrate, the liganded binding protein (33). The practical result of this first step is that the solute to be transported is presented in a concentrated form to the membrane-bound complex, as a consequence of the high binding affinity and very high concentration (of the order of millimolar) of the binding protein in the periplasm. The membrane-bound complex usually contains two very hydrophobic membrane-spanning proteins, which might form a heterodimer (2) or, if only one hydrophobic component is present, a homodimer. The third membrane-bound compo-
Determination of thermally induced deformations in electronic packages by Moire interferometry

An accurate and highly sensitive experimental procedure for measuring deformation in a device is discussed. Specimens obtained by slicing 1-Mb DRAM (dynamic random-access-memory) devices were heated uniformly from room temperature to 90 degrees C. The resulting Moire fringe patterns were recorded and analyzed using digital image processing, and axial displacements in the device were computed. It was observed that severe displacement gradients occurred at the silicon chip corners, whereas minimal gradient was seen at and above the chip. A relatively high gradient occurred at and beneath the copper lead frame. The technique proved to be extremely successful in detecting full field displacement patterns necessary for reliable stress analysis of devices. >
The Durban Platform: Issues and Options for a 2015 Agreement

The Durban Platform negotiations aim to develop a new climate change agreement by the end of 2015. This paper examines the key variables in the Durban Platform negotiations (legal form, structure, substance and process); the parameters imposed on the negotiations by the Durban Platform decision, the UNFCCC, and international law generally; the development of the existing climate change regime, which reflects both "top down and bottom up" elements; and the determinants of effectiveness. It then outlines three options for a Durban Platform outcome - an expanded Kyoto-like approach, a, "legalization of Cancun architecture" approach, and a multitrack approach. It concludes that, going forward, governments will need to draw on both top-down and bottom-up models to forge a more effective global agreement.
Fast transversal filters with data sequence weighting

A fast O(N) algorithm is presented for the adaptive recursive least-squares design of transversal filters. Data sequence weighting is introduced to allow for arbitrarily time-varying weighting strategies, facilitating the tracking of arbitrary nonstationary phenomena. A novel weighting adaptation mechanism is presented that has various desirable features and optimal performance under certain conditions. The algorithm is derived for the prewindowed given data case, and the underlying principles of the derivation are clearly exposed. Exact and soft-constraint initialization are discussed, and an improved restart procedure is proposed. >
A mutation in region 1.1 of σ70 affects promoter DNA binding by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase holoenzyme

The sigma subunit of eubacterial RNA polymerase is essential for initiation of transcription at promoter sites. It directs recognition of DNA sequences by holoenzyme (alpha2betabeta'sigma) and facilitates subsequent steps in the initiation pathway. The primary sigma factor from Escherichia coli, sigma70, has four regions that are conserved among members of the sigma70 family. Previous work has shown that region 1.1 modulates DNA binding by regions 2 and 4 when sigma is separated from the core subunits, and is required for efficient progression through the later steps of initiation in the context of holoenzyme. In this report, we show that an amino acid substitution at position 53 in region 1.1, which converts isoleucine to alanine (I53A), creates a sigma factor that associates with the core subunits to form holoenzyme, but the holoenzyme is severely deficient for promoter binding. The I53A phenotype can be suppressed by truncation of five amino acids from the C-terminus of sigma70. We propose that the behavior of sigma70-I53A is a consequence of impaired ability to undergo a critical conformational change upon binding to the core subunits, which is needed to expose the DNA-binding domains and confer promoter recognition capability upon holoenzyme.
Analysis of Thematic Maps Published in Two Geographical Journals in the Twentieth Century

This article examines changes in the design of thematic maps in two geographical journals (the Annals of the Association of American Geographers and The Geographical Journal) over the course of the twentieth century. We analyzed the design of thematic maps using both qualitative and quantitative content analyses. The qualitative content analysis involved writing positive and negative comments pertaining to eleven map design elements. For the quantitative content analysis, we created a set of seventeen items based on many of these same map design elements, but for each item there was a fixed set of possible nominal or ordinal-level responses. We also rated the overall effectiveness of map design using a ten-point scale. The overall design rating revealed a significant, albeit gradual, improvement in map design over the twentieth century, with considerable variation for individual years. The quantitative content analysis suggested that the improvement in map design over time was a function of improved reada...
Effects of Toxoplasma gondii genotype and absence of host MAL/Myd88 on the temporal regulation of gene expression in infected microglial cells

The majority of strains of Toxoplasma gondii belong to three distinct clonal lines known as types I, II, and III. The outcome of the immune response to infection is influenced by the parasite strain type. The goal of this study was to examine differences in the kinetics of gene expression in microglial cells infected with types I, II, or III of T. gondii. In addition, a requirement for the integrity of host Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling in parasite-mediated changes in gene expression was evaluated. Wild type murine microglial cells infected with T. gondii displayed different kinetic patterns of pro-inflammatory cytokine expression that were dependent on the parasite strain type. In general, types II and III elicited higher sustained responses compared to type I which induced fluctuating patterns of cytokine gene expression. Contrary to this, differences in the induction of anti-apoptotic gene expression were minimal among the different type strains throughout infection. Experiments with cells lacking the TLR adaptor molecules MAL and Myd88 showed a dependency on these factors for the pro-inflammatory response but not the anti-apoptotic response. The results show that the outcome of gene expression in T. gondii-infected microglial cells is dependent on the parasite strain type in a time-dependent manner and is selective to particular subsets of genes. The induction of an anti-apoptotic response by T. gondii infection in the absence of TLR signaling reflects a complex level of modulation of host functions by the parasite.
Repeated significance tests based on likelihood ratio statistics

For a specified decision rule, a general class of likelihood ratio based repeated significance tests is considered. An invariance principle for the likelihood ratio statistics is established and incorporated in the study of the asymptotic theory of the proposed tests. For comparing these tests with the conventional likelihood ratio tests, based solely on the target sample size, some Bahadur efficiency results are presented. The theory is then adapted in the study of some multiple comparison procedures
Photochemical reactions of spiropyrans and their utilization in optical devices

The spectroscopic properties of several spiropyrans has been studied. Absorption and emission spectra has been recorded and the transient states and species identified. Reaction mechanisms responsible for the photocoloration of spiropyrans are discussed and the use of these materials for 3D memory devices is analyzed.
Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate Synthetase Is Elevated in Fibroblasts from Patients with the Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome

In subconfluent cultures of fibroblasts from patients with complete or partial deficiencies of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase, phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase activity is elevated. The abnormally high catalytic activity of the synthetase appears to account for the overproduction of purines by the cultured mutant cells and presumably for that by the patients.
Reactions of [W2(OCH2tBu)8](MM) with diazobenzene and trimethylsilyldiazomethane. Preparation and structures of W2(OCH2tBu)8(NPh) and W2(OCH2tBu)8(N2C(H)SiMe3)

Hydrocarbon solutions of W2(OCH2tBu)8 (MM) react with azobenzene at room temperature to give the phenylimido-bridged compound W2(μ-NPh)(μ-OCH2tBu)2(OCH2tBu)6 which has a confacial biooctahedral geometry with a W–W single bond length of 2.5613(2) A and W–N = 1.987(3) A (ave). Similarly, W2(OCH2tBu)8 (MM) and trimethylsilyldiazomethane react to give the 1 ∶ 1 adduct W2(μ-N2C(H)SiMe3)(μ-OCH2tBu)2(OCH2tBu)6 which has a W–W distance of 2.5626(2) A and W–N = 1.985(1) A (ave). The μ-N2CHSiMe3 ligand can be described as a hydrazonido(2−) ligand. The N–N distance is 1.366(4) A and the N–N–C angle is 120.1(3)°. The NNC plane of the bridging ligand is perpendicular to the W–W bond axis. The bonding in these molecules is discussed in the light of electronic structure calculations employing density functional theory. The present findings are contrasted with related reactions involving MM multiply bonded compounds and with low valent early transition metal complexes that are similarly known to activate N–N bonds.
Measuring nicotine dependence among high-risk adolescent smokers☆

In the present study we tested our hypothesis that because of the higher prevalence and greater intensity of cigarette smoking among vocational-technical students (N = 110; 51.8% males; mean age 17 years), adolescents might demonstrate the nicotine dependence patterns comparable to those measured in a similar fashion in a group of adult smokers (N = 173; 50% males; mean age 42 years). A modified version of the Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire (FTQ) utilized in the adolescent sample was coded to make it comparable to the original FTQ used in the adult sample. The tests of item structure and internal consistency of the modified FTQ for adolescents were satisfactory; the overall mean FTQ score correlated significantly with the intensity and duration of smoking. Although the FTQ values were generally lower in the adolescent sample, 20% of students had an overall FTQ score of 6 and above, indicating substantial nicotine dependence (compared to 49% in adults). Reasons for failure of the existing adolescent smoking cessation programs as well as the rationale for adding a nicotine replacement option to the behavioral smoking cessation treatment for a subset of high-risk nicotine-dependent adolescents are discussed.
24-h blood glucose pattern in type I and type II diabetics after oral treatment with pentoxifylline as assessed by artificial endocrine pancreas

Based on the known action of xanthine derivatives on the insulin secretion, the effect of pentoxifylline on carbohydrate homeostasis of type I (IDDM) and type II (NIDDM) diabetics was investigated. Pentoxifylline is known to exert a favorable influence on hemorheological disturbances in such patients. Twenty-four hour blood glucose pattern and insulin requirements were evaluated in type I and type II diabetics by the use of the artificial pancreas before and after a 14-day treatment with pentoxifylline 400 mg p.o. (Trental 400®) t.i.d. During the stabilization period before treatment with pentoxifylline, NIDDM patients required 10.1±3.8 U of insulin and the IDDM 35±13.7 U. After 2 weeks on pentoxifylline, NIDDM required only 6.3±2.8 U (p<0.05) and IDDM 28.5±9.7 U (n.s.). Average blood glucose during the 24h decreased by 15.8±3.5% in NIDDM and by 10.3±2.5% in IDDM. Moreover, a significant smoothing of glucose fluctuations during the 24h was noted in both groups. It is concluded that pentoxifylline administered concurrently to any antidiabetic type of treatment leads to better blood glucose control as well as to prevention or delay of vascular complications.
Production uncertainty, enforcement, and smuggling: a stochastic model

A stochastic, joint-product model of smuggling is developed, merging the existing smuggling literature with the literature on competitive firm behaviour under uncertainty. The equilibrium and comparative static results of the model reconcile contradictory results found in the earlier literature concerning how risk and risk preference affect smuggling behaviour. The introduction of stochastic risk demon-strates that the models developed in the earlier smuggling-risk literature overstated (understated) the positive (negative) economic consequences associated with the introduction of smuggling. The analysis reveals that smuggling activity is not dependent on firm risk preference. However. risk preference does affect the amount of trade the smuggling firm will engage in. Government enforcement and tax policy are analysed. Increasing enforcement efforts against smuggling will reduce illegal activity. However, the affect on legal trade is shown to be dependent on whether the firm considers smuggling and legal t...
THE MECHANISM OF ACTION OF QUINIDINE ON THE SINUS NODE STUDIED BY DIRECT PERFUSION THROUGH ITS ARTERY.

Abstract Studied by direct perfusion of the sinus node through its artery, quinidine has three actions: direct, anticholinergic, and antiadrenergic. The direct action of quinidine is insignificant at concentrations below 10.0 μg per milliliter, but causes suppression of sinus activity at 100 μg per milliliter. The anticholinergic and antiadrenergic actions occur concurrently and are unrelated to the direct action: both of these effects increase in direct relation to the concentration of quinidine. Since the autonomic blocking effect includes both nerve stimulation and the administration of local neurohormones, this action of quinidine occurs at the receptor site and is not due to inhibition of local release of effector substance.
Spurious Causal Kinds: A Problem for the Causal-Power Conception of Kinds

There is an assumption common in the philosophy of mind literature that kinds in our sciences—or causal kinds, at least—are individuated by the causal powers that objects have in virtue of the properties they instantiate. While this assumption might not be problematic by itself, some authors take the assumption to mean that falling under a kind and instantiating a property amount to the same thing. I call this assumption the “Property-Kind Individuation Principle”. A problem with this principle arises because there are cases where we can sort objects by their possession of common causal powers, and yet those objects do not intuitively form a causal kind. In this short note, I discuss why the Property-Kind Individuation Principle is thus not a warranted metaphysical assumption.
Ku regulates the non-homologous end joining pathway choice of DNA double-strand break repair in human somatic cells.

The repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is critical for the maintenance of genomic integrity and viability for all organisms. Mammals have evolved at least two genetically discrete ways to mediate DNA DSB repair: homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). In mammalian cells, most DSBs are preferentially repaired by NHEJ. Recent work has demonstrated that NHEJ consists of at least two sub-pathways—the main Ku heterodimer-dependent or “classic” NHEJ (C-NHEJ) pathway and an “alternative” NHEJ (A-NHEJ) pathway, which usually generates microhomology-mediated signatures at repair junctions. In our study, recombinant adeno-associated virus knockout vectors were utilized to construct a series of isogenic human somatic cell lines deficient in the core C-NHEJ factors (Ku, DNA-PKcs, XLF, and LIGIV), and the resulting cell lines were characterized for their ability to carry out DNA DSB repair. The absence of DNA-PKcs, XLF, or LIGIV resulted in cell lines that were profoundly impaired in DNA DSB repair activity. Unexpectedly, Ku86-null cells showed wild-type levels of DNA DSB repair activity that was dominated by microhomology joining events indicative of A-NHEJ. Importantly, A-NHEJ DNA DSB repair activity could also be efficiently de-repressed in LIGIV-null and DNA-PKcs-null cells by subsequently reducing the level of Ku70. These studies demonstrate that in human cells C-NHEJ is the major DNA DSB repair pathway and they show that Ku is the critical C-NHEJ factor that regulates DNA NHEJ DSB pathway choice.
Feasibility of Single Channel Speaker Separation Based on Modulation Frequency Analysis

We explore the use of the modulation frequency domain for single channel speaker separation. We discuss features of the modulation spectrogram of speech signals that suggest that multiple speakers are highly separable in this space. In a preliminary experiment, we separate a target speaker from an interfering speaker by manually masking out modulation spectral features of the interferer. We extend this experiment into a new automatic speaker separation algorithm, and show that it achieves an acceptable level of separation. The new algorithm only needs a rough estimate of the target speaker's pitch range.
Modeling and simulation of nonsolvent vapor-induced phase separation

A model is developed for the nonsolvent vapor-induced phase separation process (VIPS). The model incorporates coupled heat and mass transfer, ternary diffusion and a moving boundary at the polymer solution/air interface. Predictions are shown for mass transfer paths, composition profiles, film temperature, and thickness for evaporation of solvent from a binary polymer/solvent system under an atmosphere containing the nonsolvent vapor. Four systems used for simulations are cellulose acetate/acetone/water, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/dimethylformamide (DMF)/water, polysulfone (PS)/N-methyl-2-pyrolidone (NMP)/water, and poly(etherimide) (PEI)/NMP/water. By superposing mass transfer paths onto the ternary phase diagram, a number of morphological features were rationalized. The effects of different controlling parameters including relative humidity, solvent volatility, air velocity, evaporation temperature, initial film thickness, and polymer concentration are investigated. A critical humidity is needed to induce phase separation in VIPS and it is closely related to the nature of the homogeneous region of the ternary phase diagram. The role of diffusion formalism on the morphological predictions is also illustrated to show the accuracy of the multicomponent diffusion theory.
Wall shear stress measured by phase contrast cardiovascular magnetic resonance in children and adolescents with pulmonary arterial hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating disease with significant morbidity and mortality. At the macroscopic level, disease progression is observed as a complex interplay between mean pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, pulmonary vascular stiffness, arterial size, and flow. Wall shear stress (WSS) is known to mediate or be dependent on a number of these factors. Given that WSS is known to promote architectural vessel remodeling, it is imperative that the changes of this factor be quantified in the presence of PAH. In this study, we analyzed phase contrast imaging of the right pulmonary artery derived from cardiovascular magnetic resonance to quantify the local, temporal and circumferentially averaged WSS of a PAH population and a pediatric control population. In addition, information about flow and relative area change were derived. Although the normotensive and PAH shear waveform exhibited a WSS profile which is uniform in magnitude and direction along the vessel circumference at systole, time-averaged WSS (2.2 ± 1.6 vs. 6.6 ± 3.4 dynes/cm2, P = 0.018) and systolic WSS (8.2 ± 5.0 v. 20.0 ± 9.1 dynes/cm2, P = 0.018) was significantly depressed in the PAH population as compared to the controls. BSA-indexed PA diameter was significantly larger in the PAH population (1.5 ± 0.4 vs. 0.7 ± 0.1 cm/m2, P = 0.003). In the presence of preserved flow rates through a large PAH pulmonary artery, WSS is significantly decreased. This may have implications for proximal pulmonary artery remodeling and cellular function in the progression of PAH.
Tattoo of colonic neoplasms in 113 patients with a new sterile carbon compound

Abstract Background: Endoscopic marking of intestinal lesions is essential when difficulty is anticipated with subsequent localization during surgical resection or postpolypectomy surveillance. The most commonly used indelible marker has been India ink, which must be diluted and sterilized, a cumbersome process. SPOT, a prepackaged, sterile Food and Drug Administration-approved formulation of pure carbon particles in suspension, eliminates the need for preinjection preparation. Methods: Ten patients with colonic polyps deemed endoscopically unresectable or malignant-appearing had the area surrounding the lesions injected with SPOT and subsequently underwent surgical resection. An additional 103 patients underwent colonoscopic injection with SPOT and were followed endoscopically or underwent surgery at another hospital. Results: The SPOT injection sites were visible to the surgeons in all 10 cases. On histopathologic evaluation, none of the resection specimens exhibited necrosis or abscess formation. In total, there were 118 SPOT injections in 113 patients; none had fever, abdominal pain, or any other signs or symptoms of inflammation develop. In the nonoperated group, 42 patients subsequently underwent colonoscopies at our institution, and in all cases stains were readily identifiable at the injection sites. Conclusions: SPOT is a safe and effective marker for use at colonoscopy when surgical resection is anticipated. It is also useful for endoscopic follow-up of patients who have not undergone surgery. (Gastrointest Endosc 2002;56:339-42.)
Mobilization of amino acids in tumor cells by hyperthermia

Abstract When P815 mastocytoma cells are heated to 43 °C from 37 °C, pools of individual amino acids and the total amino acid pool increase significantly, the latter reaching a new plateau within 20 minutes. The increase in the total amino acid pool may reach as much as 75 mOsm per liter of cell water or 26% of the cellular osmolarity. The source of this excess amino acid is not due to an accelerated degradation of proteins, but either to the amino acids left behind by slowed protein synthesis or to the accelerated transport of extracellular amino acids into the cell. The excess amino acid should increase the osmolarity and the cell volume. Evidence suggests that the cell volume increase triggers the osmoregulatory process to reduce the contents of major ions.
VALENCE BOND CONCEPTS APPLIED TO THE MOLECULAR MECHANICS DESCRIPTION OF MOLECULAR SHAPES. 3. APPLICATIONS TO TRANSITION METAL ALKYLS AND HYDRIDES

Recently we reported a qualitative, valence bond derived model for describing the shapes of transition metal complexes, with a focus on metal hydrides and alkyls. This model, based on the concepts of hybridization and resonance, rationalizes the unusual and varied shapes of hydride and alkyl complexes with transition metals. This paper demonstrates the quantitative incorporation of these valence bond concepts into molecular mechanics algorithms. The resulting force field method (HV-VB) accurately describes the structures of alkyls and hydride complexes of the transition metals. For a wide variety of crystallographically characterized molecules, the HV-VB computations faithfully reproduce the observed structures.
Cyclic 3'5'adenosine monophosphate inhibition of sulfation factor activity.

Summary Sulfation factor in rat serum stimulates 35 SO 4 incorporation into embryonic chick cartilage in vitro . Cyclic 3′5′adenosine monophosphate, in concentrations as low as 1×10 −3 M, significantly inhibits this effect. Theophylline, at concentrations of 5×10 −3 M and greater has a similar inhibitory action. These data suggest that cyclic 3′5′adenosine monophosphate may play a role in regulating cartilage growth.
Position and constraint force control of a vehicle with two or more steerable drive wheels

Since a vehicle with two or more steerable drive wheels is always traveling in a circle about an instantaneous center of rotation, the motion of the wheels is constrained. The wheel translational velocity divided by the radius to the center of rotation must be the same for all wheels. When the drive wheels are controlled independently using position control, the motion of the wheels may violate the constraints and the wheels may slip. Consequently, substantial errors can occur in the position and orientation of the vehicle. A vehicle with N steerable drive wheels has N holonomic constraints on the steering angles, (N-1) nonholonomic constraints on the wheel velocities, and one degree of freedom. The authors have developed a new approach to the control of a vehicle with N steerable drive wheels. The novel aspect of their approach is the introduction of variables to control the constraint forces. To control the vehicle, the authors have one variable to control motion and (N-1) variables that can control the constraint forces to reduce errors. Kankaanranta and Koivo (1988) developed a control architecture that allows the control variables for force and position to be decoupled. In the work of Kankaaranta and Koivo the control variables for force are an exogenous input. The authors have made the central variables for force endogenous by defining them in terms of the errors in satisfying the nonholonomic constraints. The authors have applied the control architecture to the HERMIES-III robot and have measured a dramatic reduction in error (more than a factor of 20) compared to motions without constraint force control. >
The new vertebrate CYP1C family: Cloning of new subfamily members and phylogenetic analysis

Abstract Two novel CYP1 genes from teleost fish constituting a new subfamily have been cloned. These paralogous sequences are designated CYP1C1 and CYP1C2. Both genes were initially obtained from untreated scup Stenotomus chrysops tissues by RT-PCR and RACE. Scup CYP1C1 and CYP1C2 code for 524 and 525 amino acids, respectively, and share 80–81% identity at the nucleotide and amino acid levels. Orthologues of CYP1C1 and CYP1C2 were identified in genome databases for other fish species, and both CYP1B1 and CYP1C1 were cloned from zebrafish (Danio rerio). Phylogenetic analysis shows that CYP1Cs and CYP1Bs constitute a sister clade to the CYP1As. Analysis of sequence domains likely to have functional significance suggests that the two CYP1Cs in scup may have catalytic functions and/or substrate specificity that differ from each other and from those of mammalian CYP1Bs or CYP1As. RT-PCR results indicate that CYP1C1 and CYP1C2 are variously expressed in several scup organs.
Finite Element Modeling of Structures With L-Shaped Beams and Bolted Joints: Model Updating and Predictive Modeling Approaches

Due to bending-torsion coupled vibrations of the L-shaped beams and numerous uncertainties associated with the bolted joints, modeling structures with L-shaped beams and bolted joints is a challenging task. With the recent development of the modeling techniques for L-shaped beams by the authors [1], this work focuses on developing new finite element (FE) models for bolted joints in these structures. While the complicated behavior of a single bolted connection can be analyzed using commercial FE software, it is computationally expensive and inefficient to directly simulate the global dynamic response of an assembled structure with bolted joints, and it is necessary to develop relatively simple and accurate models for bolted joints. Three new approaches, two model updating approaches and a predictive modeling approach, are developed in this work to capture the stiffness and mass effects of bolted joints on the global dynamic response of assembled structures. The unknown parameters of the models in the model updating approaches are determined by comparing the calculated and measured natural frequencies. In the predictive modeling approach, the effective area of a bolted connection is determined using contact FE models and an analytical beam model; its associated stiffnesses can also be determined. The models developed for the bolted joints have relatively small sizes and can be easily embedded into a FE model of an assembled structure. For the structures studied, including a three-bay space frame structure with L-shaped beams and bolted joints, and some of its components, the errors between the calculated and measured natural frequencies are within 2% for at least the first 13 elastic modes, and the associated modal assurance criterion values are all over 94%.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Immotile cilia syndrome in two Old English Sheepdog litter‐mates

Two Old English Sheepdog litter-mates with chronic respiratory disease since birth had ultrastructural abnormalities of their respiratory tract cilia. The ciliary defects included lack of inner dynein arms, abnormal radial spokes and nexin links, and microtubule doublet displacement. Similar ciliary defects in man result in immotile cilia with the subsequent development of sinusitis, bronchitis or bronchiectasis, male sterility, and, in some cases, situs inversus. Both dogs had sinusitis and bronchiectasis, and one of the dogs also had situs inversus.
STUDIES ON ORGANOGENESIS : I. THE ABILITY OF ISOLATED BLOOD CELLS TO FORM ORGANIZED VESSELS IN VITRO.

1. Isolated blood cells, when placed for incubation in a plasma substratum, are capable of constructing highly organized, tubular processes that project from the explanted cell mass into the surrounding medium. 2. The tubular structures have fibrillar walls that may be covered, eventually, by a membranous layer of leukocytes. Their lumina contain blood cells suspended in fluid. 3. The formation of the tubules is initiated by the red cells. The leukocytes, and more particularly the thrombocytes, are responsible for the construction of the walls. 4. The phenomenon occurs only in the presence of plasma, the coagulation of which has been slightly delayed. Once the surrounding medium has become firmly coagulated, no further change occurs either in the length of the tubules or in their diameter. 5. The development of the tubules is not suppressed by substances that enhance cellular activity unless they induce, at the same time, the immediate coagulation of the medium. The addition of embryo tissue juice prevents their formation by producing early coagulation. 6. The phenomenon as a whole is dependent upon the physicochemical nature of the medium, the character and thickness of the explanted fragment, and the physical and physiological peculiarities of the cells that comprise it. It is the expression of various physicochemical and physiological events that have occurred in a definite order, or sequence.
The Self-Monitoring Organization: Minimizing Discrepancies among Differing Images of Organizational Identity

We apply the concept of self-monitoring to organizations to outline an approach for better understanding how organizations can attend to the different ways in which stakeholders perceive organizational identity and various other organizational images. We argue that self-monitoring is a multilevel concept that can be applied not only to individual but also to the organizational level, and can contribute to an organization's ability to monitor the ways in which its many images are interpreted. We further suggest that organizations with high self-monitoring abilities have better capability for assessing how their identity is perceived, how these various interpretations might affect organizational identity and how these interpretations might be managed.
Parameter estimation in the presence of uncertain parameters and with correlated data errors

Abstract Parameter estimation involves fitting experimental data to a model of the system, represented by F ( p , q ). Here p are the parameters to be estimated and q are other parameters of the model which are assumed to be known. It is usual to assume that q are known precisely. In many cases, q are known only approximately and it is desired to understand (a) how the uncertainty affects the estimates of p , (b) how to eliminate the dependence of p on q . Both effects can be accommodated by the use of Bayesian probability and treating the q parameters as extraneous variables. Because the errors in the model fitting, i.e., the difference between the data and the model, are functions of q , the errors are correlated although they still may be of zero mean. In addition correlation may exist in the data. These correlations have a substantial effect on the precision of the estimated parameters and require more sophisticated analysis than is usually employed in the least square approach to determining p . This paper presents the fundamentals of considering uncertain parameters and applies them to a hypothetical experiment involving an uncertain, but constant, parameter and to a real experiment in which the data are cross and autocorrelated.
Molecular cloning, sequence analysis and expression distribution of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) cystatin C

Abstract Cystatin C is one of a family of proteinase inhibitors of cathepsins and other cysteine proteinases. Among warm-blooded vertebrates, small functional regions of cystatin amino acid sequences are well conserved among species, but major portions of cystatin amino acid sequences vary evolutionarily. Although considerable attention has been given to mammalian and avian cystatins, little data exist on cystatins from other vertebrates. A cDNA clone for trout cystatin C was isolated from a λ gt11 cDNA library of rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) liver. An apparently full-length cDNA clone of 674 bp encoding 132 amino acid residues was obtained. Sequence analysis indicated that trout cystatin C contains an N-terminal signal sequence extension of 21 amino acids and a mature sequence of 111 amino acid residues, with amino acid residues conserved in functional regions relative to mammalian and avian cystatin C. Using cloned cDNA as a probe, we investigated expression of the cystatin C gene in trout tissues, several cell lines of trout liver or liver tumor, and cell cultures of liver tumor origin. Cystatin C mRNA was in high abundance in trout embryo tissue, a tumor-derived liver cell line and some normal adult tissues. Southern hybridization analysis indicated one copy of the trout cystatin C gene per haploid genome, and sequence comparisons indicated considerable divergence in large portions of the coding region of the trout cystatin C gene relative to a variety of species.
Homicide and economic conditions: A replication and critique of M. Harvey Brenner's new report to the U.S. Congress

M. Harvey Brenner has produced two influential studies of the social costs of unemployment, economic inequality, and economic growth, both sponsored by the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress. This paper reports the results of an effort to reproduce Brenner's findings for homicide from his more recent (1984) study. Our conclusions are as follows. (1) Although not obvious from his write-up, Brenner's 1984 results differ substantively from his earlier results. (2) We are unable to reproduce his reported findings. (3) There are serious methodological problems with his procedure for choosing a regression specification.
Etch patterns in zinc

Abstract Loops and spiral etch patterns were observed on surfaces parallel or nearly parallel to the basal plane of zinc. Their motion and growth were recorded and appeared similar to the mechanism proposed by Frank and head (1) 2 for the generation of dislocations.These observations have been tentatively- interpreted as the dissolution of a step in the surface with the ends of the steps pinned.
Fast density-based lesion detection in dermoscopy images

Dermoscopy is one of the major imaging modalities used in the diagnosis of melanoma and other pigmented skin lesions. Automated assessment tools for dermoscopy images have become an important research field mainly because of inter- and intra-observer variations in human interpretation. One of the most important steps in dermoscopy image analysis is automated detection of lesion borders. In this study, we introduce a border-driven density-based framework to identify skin lesion(s) in dermoscopy images. Unlike the conventional density-based clustering algorithms, proposed algorithm expands regions only at borders of a cluster that in turn speeds up the process without losing precision or recall. In our method, border regions are represented with one or more simple polygons at any time. We tested our algorithm on a dataset of 100 dermoscopy cases with multiple physicians' drawn ground truth borders. The results show that border error and f-measure of assessment averages out at 6.9% and 0.86 respectively.
Sémiotique de l'intertexte: réinscription et renouvellement chez André Du Bouchet

A obra de Du Bouchet se revela paradoxal por varias razoes: as vezes inovadora e altamente intertextual, escandalosamente identica e sempre diferente, simultaneamente classica e pos-moderna. Ora, trata-se de uma escrita ainda mais enigmatica, pois essa poetica supera os mesmos modelos aos quais pretende aderir superando-se a si propria: em suma, e necessario precisar, uma superacao tao substantiva quanto ludica, jogadora, ornamental.
The future of optometric practice? The results of a survey of optometrists and optometry students.

Background There is an apparent increase in the number of private optometry practices that are closing due to a lack of interested buyers. We examined some of the factors that influence the market for optometry practices in a survey of practicing optometrists and third- and fourth-year optometry students. Methods Optometrists in six states, and students at four schools and colleges of optometry, completed a mailed or faxed survey regarding attitudes toward optometric practice, including fair/reasonable compensation for a new optometrist, the value of optometric practices, and preferred mode of practice on graduation. Results Doctors and students differed significantly in the amount of money they reported as fair/reasonable compensation for a recently graduated optometrist joining a practice. Comparing students to doctors in specific categories of compensation, students chose a higher fair/reasonable compensation compared to doctors. Students were more likely than doctors to choose >$70,000 as fair/reasonable compensation, while doctors were more likely than students to choose $40,000 to $69,000. Doctors tended to overvalue their practices for the purpose of selling the practice when using percentage of gross income as a valuation method. Students’ choices for mode of practice changed dramatically from their ideal when taking their current financial situation into consideration. Students were more likely to choose corporate practice as their preferred practice mode when considering their current financial situation than when not restricted. Conclusions There are many factors that affect the value and marketability of an optometric practice. In order to sell a practice, the owner must consider the effects of the needs and desires of recently graduated optometrists.
Untreated (combined) intracardiac and valvular trauma with long asymptomatic survival.

Abstract A 47-year-old man experienced an exceptional 17 year asymptomatic interval following a cardiac stab wound which created an aortic-right ventricular fistula and a lacerated, incompetent aortic valve, a combination of lesions which is generally fatal.
Reduction of excitation light leakage to improve near-infrared fluorescence imaging for tissue surface and deep tissue imaging

Purpose: Fluorescence-enhanced optical imaging using near-infrared (NIR) light developed for in vivo molecular targeting and reporting of various diseases provides promising opportunities for diagnostic imaging. However, the measurement sensitivity of NIR fluorescence (NIRF) optical imaging systems is limited by the leakage of the strong backscattered excitation light through rejection filters. In this article, the authors present a systematic method for improving sensitivity and validating the NIRF optical imager currently used for clinical imaging of human lymphatic function. Methods: The proposed systemic method consists of an appropriate filter combination and a collimation optics adapted to an NIRF optical imager. The spectral contributions were first assessed due to the excitation light backscattered from the tissue and from non-normal-incidence of the excitation light on the optical filters used in the authors’ NIRF clinical imaging system. Then two tests were conducted to assess the system with and without the components of appropriate filters combination and collimation optics using: (1) a phantom to evaluate excitation light leakage as a function of target depth and (2) deployment in an actual human study. Results: The phantom studies demonstrate as much as two to three orders of magnitude reduction in the transmission ratio, indicating that the excitation light leakage can be reduced upon using the appropriate filter combination and collimation optics while an in vivo investigatory human study confirms improved imaging. Conclusions: The method for reducing the excitation light leakage is presented for validating collected signals for fluorescence imaging.
Capillary isoelectric focusing using an LKB 2127 tachophor isotachophoretic analyzer

Abstract Capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF) was carried out using a commercial capillary isotachophoretic analyzer, the LKB 2127 Tachopor. The unmodified instrument was found to be unsuitable for fast focusing, due to non-optimized boundary conditions at the capillary ends, the length of the separation tube, and insufficient cooling of the focusing trough. Simple column changes were implemented, resulting in significantly improved applicability of the instrument for CIEF. The impact of these modifications was examined via the analysis of protein mixtures in both simple buffers and in synthetic carrier ampholytes.
Highly confined optical modes in nanoscale metal-dielectric multilayers

We show that a stack of metal-dielectric nanolayers, in addition to the long- and short-range plasmon polaritons, guides also an entire family of modes strongly confined within the multilayer---the bulk plasmon polariton modes. We propose a classification scheme that reflects specific properties of these modes. We report experimental verification of the bulk modes by measuring modal indices in a structure made of three pairs of silica $(\ensuremath{\sim}29\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm})∕\text{gold}$ $(\ensuremath{\sim}25\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm})$ layers.
Lipid-like Self-Assembling Peptides

One important question in prebiotic chemistry is the search for simple structures that might have enclosed biological molecules in a cell-like space. Phospholipids, the components of biological membranes, are highly complex. Instead, we looked for molecules that might have been available on prebiotic Earth. Simple peptides with hydrophobic tails and hydrophilic heads that are made up of merely a combination of these robust, abiotically synthesized amino acids and could self-assemble into nanotubes or nanovesicles fulfilled our initial requirements. These molecules could provide a primitive enclosure for the earliest enzymes based on either RNA or peptides and other molecular structures with a variety of functions.We discovered and designed a class of these simple lipid-like peptides, which we describe in this Account. These peptides consist of natural amino acids (glycine, alanine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, lysine, and arginine) and exhibit lipid-like dynamic behaviors. Th...
Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy with fullerene coated tips

We report a marked improvement in STM images of graphite surfaces taken in air when scanning is performed with tunneling tips which have been previously exposed to thin films of fullerenes. Spectroscopy, TEM measurements, and previous studies on the bonding of C60 to various substrates indicate that such treatment results in the adsorption of fullerene molecules on the tip. The adsorbed fullerene molecules stay attached to the tip, and once prepared are stable with respect to sample transfer. The reduced noise and enhanced corrugation of the images of graphite surfaces obtained with these fullerene-coated tips suggest that a modified Pethica mechanism may play an important role in obtaining these images.
Ventilatory failure due to asbestos pleurisy

Seven patients are described who had a distinctive syndrome of chest wall restriction caused by asbestos-induced pleural fibrosis. All had severe dyspnea and predominant pleural disease on radiographic examination, with pulmonary function findings of reduced vital capacity, total lung capacity (measured in five patients), and maximal voluntary ventilation. Five patients had ventilatory failure with carbon dioxide retention; four of these have died and one is close to death. Examination of the thoracic organs in five patients showed minimal or no parenchymal fibrosis in three and less severe involvement of the parenchyma than of the pleura in the remaining two. Neoplasms were suspected in three patients because of extension of the pleural fibrosis into the lung. Two of these patients had pleural uptake of 67-gallium citrate attributable to the inflammatory reaction. With the increasing duration since onset of exposure in the nine million workers who have been exposed to asbestos, as well as in other exposed persons, it is expected that additional cases of ventilatory failure caused by asbestos-induced pleural fibrosis will be encountered.