cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proton dosimeter design for distributed body organs.

A simple dosimeter design has been developed by NASA to monitor the space proton dose (in rads) to a distributed body organ as a linear combination of ion chambers with varying wall thickness. Estimated doses are given for ion chambers of thickness 2, 3, 4, and 5 g/sq cm. The analytical equation used to calculate the dose distribution factor is also given.
Single Step Optimization of Feedback-Decoupled Collision Avoidance Manipulator Maneuvers

Simultaneous robot path planning and path following is shown to be achievable in the presence of motor saturation and obstacle avoidance requirements. The discrete time algorithm derived performs one step ahead mean square optimization of commanded joint accelerations, subject to present actuator force or torque constraints and N step ahead prediction of configuration constraints.
Identity and Motivation Among Hispanic ELLs

This study examined the degree to which student-level variables that have been established in the relevant literature as predicting academic achievement (perception of scholastic competence, perceptions of educational opportunities, motivation, and acculturative stress) accurately predicted student group membership in two districts with disparate language acquisition methods (Structured English Immersion and bilingual education) . The samples included Hispanic English Language Learners (ELLs) in middle elementary school, ages 9-11 (N= 295). Students' perceptions of scholastic competence, perceptions of educational opportunities, motivation, and acculturative stress contributed to the accurate prediction of 73.3% of the participants' group membership. Post-hoc analyses of group differences resulted in moderately higher scholastic competence and perceived educational opportunities for ELLs in the Texas district, whereas acculturative stress, perceived discrimination, and maladaptive motivation scores were moderately higher for ELLs in the Arizona district. ELLs in the SEI group, however, also had slightly higher scores on adaptive motivation. Competing hypotheses and policy implications are discussed in the context of prior research. 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false
Acute intestinal injury induced by acetic acid and casein: prevention by intraluminal misoprostol.

Abstract Acute injury was established in anesthetized rabbits by intraluminal administration of acetic acid with and without bovine casein, into loops of distal small intestine. Damage was quantified after 45 minutes by the blood-to-lumen movement of 51Cr-labeled ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and fluorescein isothiocyanate-tagged bovine serum albumin as well as luminal fluid histamine levels. The amount of titratable acetic acid used to lower the pH of the treatment solutions to pH 4.0 was increased by the addition of calcium gluconate. Luminal acetic acid caused a 19-fold increase in 51Cr-EDTA accumulation over saline controls; casein did not modify this effect. In saline controls, loop fluid histamine levels bordered on the limits of detection (1 ng/g) but were elevated 19-fold by acetic acid exposure and markedly increased (118-fold) by the combination of acid and casein. Intraluminal misoprostol (3 or 30 μg/mL), administered 30 minutes before acetic acid, significantly attenuated the increase in epithelial permeability (luminal 51Cr-EDTA, fluorescein isothiocyanate-bovine serum albumin accumulation) and histamine release (P
Abstract MP50: Fat Distribution and Metabolic Health: Central and Lower Body Adipose Tissue Depots are Differentially Associated with Insulin Sensitivity in Parous and Nulliparous Caucasian and African American Women

Parity and race individually affect the accumulation of visceral adipose tissue, but their combined influence on the relationship between fat distribution and insulin sensitivity is unknown. The purpose of this study is to test the influence of parity and race in the relationship between insulin sensitivity and the preference of central versus lower-body fat accumulation in overweight women. METHODS: In non-Hispanic white (white; n= 109, 56 parous) and African American (AA; n= 119, 58 parous) pre-menopausal women matched for age and BMI (age 34 ± 6.2; BMI = 27.5 ± 4.7), intra-abdominal adipose tissue (IAAT) via CT, regional and total body fat by DXA, insulin sensitivity (SI) calculated from minimal model, and cardiorespiratory fitness (VO 2max ) were assessed. RESULTS: Nulliparous women (NP) were younger (31.3 ± 6.5 vs 36.4 ± 5.1), had less IAAT (69.6 ± 31.4 vs 85.4 ± 30.3), and a higher VO 2max (29.5 ± 4.0 vs 27.7 ± 3.6), but showed no difference in SI or leg fat compared to parous women. Stratified by race, white women were more insulin sensitive (3.5 ± 1.8 vs 2.5 ± 1.9 [x 10-4 min-1/(μIU/ml)]), had a higher VO 2max (29.2±4.0 vs 27.6±3.6), and more IAAT (92.7±30.4 vs 65.1 ± 25.9) than AA women, but less leg fat (26.6 ± 3.7 vs 28.2 ± 3.1). IAAT is negatively related to SI in NP (r= -.40, p 2max . Leg fat is positively related to SI in both NP (r= .45, p .4, p Multiple linear regression indicates that IAAT, age, leg fat, race, and VO 2max are independent predictors of SI in NP. In parous women, only race achieved significance. IAAT, age, leg fat, and VO 2max are predictors of SI in white NP, but not in white parous. Leg fat is the sole predictor of SI in AA NP, while none of the variables are significant in AA parous. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that the relationship between fat distribution and insulin sensitivity in overweight women varies as a result of race and reproductive history. In NP, the more insulin sensitive the individual is, the more fat accumulates in the legs and the less it accumulates in the abdomen. Race clearly influences these relationships. The SI/abdominal fat relationship is more pronounced in white women, while SI/leg fat predominates in AA. SI loses its strong association with abdominal obesity in white parous women and its association with leg fat in AA parous women. This dissociation suggests that both hepatic metabolism and fat distribution are altered by high hormones during pregnancy in both racial groups.
Accommodation: Mechanism and Measurement

A clear understanding of the anatomy of accommodative structures, the mechanism of accommodation, and the causes of presbyopia is necessary to understand whether accommodation may be restored to the presbyopic eye. Not withstanding the significant challenges that are faced owing to age-related changes in the eye, theoretically, it may be possible to restore accommodation to a presbyopic eye with an artificial accommodative intraocular lens.
Research Strategies: Psychological and Psycholinguistic Methods in Neurolinguistics

Neuropsychological research in the past century has increasingly relied upon a functional definition of language processing whose broad outlines are now widely accepted. Neurolinguistic research within this functionalist framework has three main goals: to enumerate and classify the fundamental components of the human language system (mainly by studying damaged language systems); to study how those units normally function; and to model our understanding of the complex process of language use in a compact and comprehensible way. In this chapter, examples of various common methods for achieving these goals are presented and discussed.
Differential outcomes enhance accuracy of delayed matching to sample but not resistance to change.

Three experiments assessed the relation between the differential-outcomes effect and resistance to change of delayed matching-to-sample performance. Pigeons produced delayed matching-to-sample trials by responding on variable-interval schedules in two components of a multiple schedule. In the same-outcome component, the probability of reinforcement was the same for both samples (.9 in Experiments 1 & 2, .5 in Experiment 3); in the different-outcomes component, the probability of reinforcement was .9 for one sample and .1 for the other. In all three experiments, the forgetting functions in the different-outcomes component were higher and shallower than in the same-outcomes component. When total reinforcement was greater in the same-outcomes component (Experiments 1 and 2), resistance to disruption by prefeeding, intercomponent food, extinction, or flashing lights typically was greater in that component. In Experiment 3, when total reinforcement was equated, resistance to disruption was similar across components. Thus, the level and slope of forgetting functions depended on differential reinforcement correlated with the samples, but the resistance to change of forgetting functions depended on total reinforcement in a component. Both aspects of the results can be explained by a model of delayed matching to sample performance.
A cybernetic theory of morality and moral autonomy.

Human morality may be thought of as a negative feedback cotrol system in which moral rules are reference values, and moral disapproval, blame, and punishment are forms of negative feedback given for violations of the moral rules. In such a system, if moral agents held each other accountable, moral norms would be enforced effectively. However, even a properly functioning social negative feedback system could not explain acts in which individual agents uphold moral rules in the face of contrary social pressure. Dr. Frances Kelsey, who withheld FDA approval for thalidomide against intense social pressure, is an example of the degree of individual moral autonomy possible in a hostile environment. Such extreme moral autonomy is possible only if there is internal, psychological negative feedback, in addition to external, social feedback. Such a cybernetic model of morality and moral autonomy is consistent with certain aspects of classical ethical theories.
How Endogenous Motivations Influence User Intentions: Beyond the Dichotomy of Extrinsic and Intrinsic User Motivations

Information technology (IT) adoption research recognizes theoretical limitations in discerning if and when user behavior results from perceived external influences or from personal volition. A clear understanding of this issue requires a precise distinction between mandatory and volitional behaviors. Consistent with organismic integration theory (OIT), this study situates the locus of user motivations inside the user. Drawing upon an endogenous view of behaviors, this research makes three key contributions. First, it develops the theoretical basis for clearly discerning if and when behavior results from perceived external influences or from personal volition. Specifically, it examines how endogenous psychological feelings of autonomy, freedom, conflict, and external pressure can predict and explain user intentions. Second, it proposes that behavior may result from combinations of perceived external influences and personal volition. Recognizing how such "collections of motivations" together influence behavior advances our understanding beyond the "dichotomy" of extrinsic versus intrinsic motivations often adopted in prior research. Third, it proposes that some desired behaviors may be thwarted or impeded by a conflict between perceived external influences and personal volition. The theoretically grounded research model was empirically validated in a field study on Blackboard, a Web-based education platform at a large university. Data collected from a sample of 211 users were tested using structural equation models of initial system adoption and experienced use. Empirical support was found for the proposed model and related hypotheses. The results of this study advance our understanding about user motivations for adopting IT.
Evaluation and Management of Post-Transurethral Resection of the Prostate Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) continues to be the most common treatment in the operative management of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Several other modalities have shown equivalence to TURP. However, even after surgical treatment, up to one third of patients have bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). This review discusses the pathophysiology, evaluation, and management options for patients with LUTS after TURP.
A Probit Latent Variable Model of Nutrition Information and Dietary Fiber Intake

Nutrition information and intake data for a sample of U.S. household meal planners are used to estimate the effects of fiber-specific information on dietary fiber intake. The information variables are measured using survey questions on fiber content of foods, attitude toward consuming fiber-rich foods, and awareness of fiber-health links. The evidence confirms the influence of nutrition information on fiber intake. Household income, meal planner age, smoking status, vegetarian status, race, and ethnicity are major determinants of both information and intake. Education exerts a sizable intake effect by enhancing the information level. Direct and indirect effects of exogenous variables are reported.
Conceptualizing Control in Social Cognition: How Executive Functioning Modulates the Expression of Automatic Stereotyping.

Two studies investigated the role of executive control in moderating the relationship between automatic stereotype activation and behavioral responses. Race bias in weapon identification was used to measure stereotyping, and a process dissociation procedure was used to measure automatic and controlled components of performance. In Experiment 1, the controlled component was shown to correlate with general attention control and race-specific motivations to control prejudice. Across multiple measures, automatic race bias was more likely to be expressed as behavioral discrimination among individuals with poor executive control. Experiment 2 found the same relationship between automatic and controlled components of behavior when predicting impressions of a Black individual. Executive control is discussed in the context of other control strategies in influential dual-process models of stereotyping.
A single arrangement variational method for total reaction probabilities

A variational method for computing approximate total quantum reaction probabilities from specific initial states is presented. This approach reduces the reactive scattering problem to a boundary value problem in the reactant arrangement without the use of complex absorbing boundaries. The method is tested by performing calculations on the three-dimensional H + H2, D + H2 and the H + D2 reactions with J = 0.
Inhibitory characteristics of lead chloride in sodium- and potassium- dependent adenosinetriphosphatase preparations derived from kidney, brain, and heart of several species.

Inhibition of adenosinetriphosphatase (A TPase) by lead chloride (PbCl2) was studied in microsomal fractions or tissue homogenates of kidney, brain, and heart of several species, including humans. The concentration of PbCl 2 causing 50% inhibition (l50 ) of Na+ + K+ ATPase activity varied from 8 × 10 ‐6 to 8 × 10 ‐5 M, depending on the species and organ of origin of the enzyme. The enzyme preparations derived from various parts of the kidney showed no differential sensitivity to PbCl 2 . These differences in sensitivity to lead were not related to specific activity of the enzyme or to the protein content of the preparations studied. Mg 2+ ATPase, which contaminated the enzyme preparations to a variable degree, was 10–100 times more resistant to PbCl 2 than was Na + + K + ‐activated ATPase. The following more detailed studies were performed on the dog brain and/or kidney enzyme. The inhibition of microsomal Na + + K + ATPase was characterized by reversible kinetics. The inhibitory effect was antagonized by...
Permselectivity of ionic solutes across charged dialysis membranes: in vitro and in vivo diffusive mass transfer

Abstract To elucidate the effect of ionic functional groups incorporated into dialysis membranes on the diffusive mass transfer of ionic solutes across those membranes, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) hollow fiber membranes with ionic functional groups were evaluated in in vitro and in vivo settings and compared with a non-ionic cellulosic membrane as a control. Enhanced iontransfer across a membrane with a functional group having an opposite charge to that of the ion (s) transferred was demonstrated under certain conditions in in vitro experiments. Similarly, reduced transfer was observed when the charge on the ionic function group was of the same sign as the ion(s) transferred. A theoretical model based upon the assumption of Donnan equilibrium and a linear concentration gradient inside the membranes, was proven to predict those characteristic patterns of ion-transfer experimentally demonstrated. In clinical settings, similar enhanced or suppressed ion-transfer was observed under concentration gradients of the ions involved and was reflected in the blood levels of those ions in patients for a limited number of cases such as bicarbonate and acetate ions during hemodialysis with an acetate dialysate.
DDI2PPI: an integrated web server for protein-protein interaction and residue contact matrix predictions

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play essential roles in many biological processes. The large gap between the fast growing protein sequence information and the experimentally verified PPI information has motivated the development of computational methods to predict PPIs and residue-residue (RR) contacts. Although many tools are available for PPI predictions, most do not make a distinction between direct PPIs, which refer to physical contacts between two proteins, and indirect PPIs. Furthermore, few tools predict detailed RR contacts between interacting proteins, which are valuable for understanding chemical interaction mechanisms and designing investigations of the interaction. Here we present the web server DDI2PPI to provide PPI and RR contact matrix predictions from query protein sequences, focusing on predicting direct physical interactions. DDI2PPI implements algorithms that predict PPIs and RR contact matrices through domain-domain interaction (DDI) analysis based on interaction profile Hidden Markov Models (ipHMMs) and Support Vector Machines (SVMs). It covers more than 6000 DDI families in 3DID, a database of three-dimensional interacting domains. DDI2PPI (version 1.0) is freely available at http://annotation.dbi.udel.edu/ppi_prediction/.
Considerations for the Multimodality Invasive Evaluation of the Cleft‐Like Coronary Arterial Lesion: Results from Intravascular Ultrasound Imaging, Flow, and Pressure

The assessment of coronary lesion severity is highly problematic for eccentric or cleft-like stenoses. Using endovascular pressure, flow, and ultrasound imaging, a precise anatomical and physiological determination of lesion severity and decision to defer treatment was obtained. The multimodality approach to lesion assessment is reviewed.
On the calibration of continuous, high‐precision δ18O and δ2H measurements using an off‐axis integrated cavity output spectrometer

The (18)O and (2)H of water vapor serve as powerful tracers of hydrological processes. The typical method for determining water vapor delta(18)O and delta(2)H involves cryogenic trapping and isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Even with recent technical advances, these methods cannot resolve vapor composition at high temporal resolutions. In recent years, a few groups have developed continuous laser absorption spectroscopy (LAS) approaches for measuring delta(18)O and delta(2)H which achieve accuracy levels similar to those of lab-based mass spectrometry methods. Unfortunately, most LAS systems need cryogenic cooling and constant calibration to a reference gas, and have substantial power requirements, making them unsuitable for long-term field deployment at remote field sites. A new method called Off-Axis Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy (OA-ICOS) has been developed which requires extremely low-energy consumption and neither reference gas nor cryogenic cooling. In this report, we develop a relatively simple pumping system coupled to a dew point generator to calibrate an ICOS-based instrument (Los Gatos Research Water Vapor Isotope Analyzer (WVIA) DLT-100) under various pressures using liquid water with known isotopic signatures. Results show that the WVIA can be successfully calibrated using this customized system for different pressure settings, which ensure that this instrument can be combined with other gas-sampling systems. The precisions of this instrument and the associated calibration method can reach approximately 0.08 per thousand for delta(18)O and approximately 0.4 per thousand for delta(2)H. Compared with conventional mass spectrometry and other LAS-based methods, the OA-ICOS technique provides a promising alternative tool for continuous water vapor isotopic measurements in field deployments.
Electron transport dynamics in thin polymer films containing tris(2,2′-bipyridine)osmium(III/II) complexes

Abstract Rotating carbon disk electrodes were modified by a random copolymer (PSS-PVP) of styrenesulfonate and 4-vinylpyridine. The polymer was spincoated onto the electrodes, crosslinked by reaction with 1,2-dibromoethane, then loaded with Os(bpy)2+3 by ion exchange. The oxidation of Fe(CN)4−6 contained in an aqueous contacting solution was effectively mediated by the osmium centers in the film. A study of the dynamics was carried out, and the results were analyzed via the theory of Saveant and Andrieux. When chronocoulometry was used to measure the electron diffusion rate in the film, the overall dynamics remained quantitatively inconsistent. The problem with self-consistency seems to arise from an intrinsic inadequacy of chronocoulometry for evaluating electron diffusion coefficients. A steady-state method was developed as an alternative. The polymer film was deposited across the face of a ring-disk assembly, then lateral current flow from disk to ring was measured by a modified form of square-wave voltammetry. The results suggest that the true rates of electron diffusion among osmium centers in PSS-PVP and in Nafion are almost two orders of magnitude larger than projected from chronocoulometry. As the ferrocyanide concentration is raised from 0.021 mM to 13.49 mM the dynamics of mediated oxidation change from SR to SR + E, then perhaps to S + E.
Approach to Fleet Contracting for Snow Plowing Operations

Ensuring a transportation system’s operational efficiency and effectiveness is a challenge particularly for road maintenance agencies in winter times. Winter road maintenance involves snow plowing and chemicals/abrasives spreading, and both are performed by using a number of specific types of trucks. However, most departments of transportation do not maintain sufficient trucks and hence they may resort to contract additional equipment to make up for the shortfall. Based on the Newsvendor problem, this study develops a novel stochastic model to optimize the number of plows that should be contracted prior to a snow season to minimize the total cost, considering the frequency and distribution of various intensities of snow events, geometric condition of the roadways and traffic speeds. A solution methodology based on stochastic modeling is proposed and applied to a numerical example utilizing actual snow data. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis is performed to evaluate the impact of model parameters on the optimum solution.
Optimization of inverse algorithm for estimating the optical properties of biological materials using spatially-resolved diffuse reflectance

Determination of the optical properties from intact biological materials based on diffusion approximation theory is a complicated inverse problem, and it requires proper implementation of inverse algorithm, instrumentation and experiment. This article was aimed at optimizing the procedure of estimating the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of turbid homogeneous media from spatially-resolved diffuse reflectance data. A diffusion model and the inverse algorithm were first validated by Monte Carlo simulations. Sensitivity analysis was performed to gain an insight into the relationship between the estimated parameters and the dependent variables in the inverse algorithm for improving the parameter estimation procedure. Three data transformation and the relative weighting methods were compared in the nonlinear least squares regression. It is found that the logarithm and integral data transformation and relative weighting methods greatly improve estimation accuracy with the relative errors of 10.4%...
Site Directed Spin Label EPR Spectroscopy Of Influenza A M2 Protein

M2 is a membrane protein critical to the life cycle of influenza A. We have capitalized on the expanding body of biochemical and high-resolution structural data available for the M2 protein to design and interpret site-directed spin labeling electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (SDSL-EPR) experiments on the conformation and dynamics of the homotetrameric M2 protein embedded in lipid bilayers. We have obtained data for three different M2 constructs (M2TM 22-46, M2TMC 23-60 and full length M2 protein) spin-labeled at multiple sites within the transmembrane and C-terminal domains. CW and pulsed EPR spectra show evidence that M2 adopts multiple conformational states in bilayers, and that cholesterol content dictates the relative populations of the states. Furthermore comparison of full-length M2 protein and a M2TMC 23-60 peptide demonstrates that the C-terminal juxtamembrane region in both constructs forms an amphipathic membrane surface helix.
Dynamics of DNA Supercoil Relaxation by Type II Topoisomerases

Dynamics of DNA supercoil relaxation by type II topoisomerasesQing Shao∗, Laura Finzi∗, and David Dunlap#Dept. of Physics∗ and Cell Biology#, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322Type II topoisomerases are some of the main targets of anti-cancer drugs, since they catalyze DNA decatenation and unwinding which is crucial for cell division. A recent crystal structure shows that, during the catalytic cycle, a yeast type II topoisomerase can bend a 34 base pair DNA segment by up to 150 degrees. Bacterial gyrase, another type II topoisomerase, can wrap an approximately 100 bp DNA segment into a tight 180 degree turn. By substituting diaminopurine (DAP) deoxyribonucleotides for dATP in PCR reactions, completely triply hydrogen-bonded DNA fragments have been produced and found to be stiffer than normal DNA. These and normal DNA fragments were used as substrates for observations of topoisomerase II-mediated relaxation of plectonemes introduced in single molecules using magnetic tweezers. Observations at several ATP concentrations revealed bursts of stepwise events separated by pauses. Michaelis-Menten fitting of the data for both recombinant human topoisomerase II alpha and E. coli gyrase showed that Vmax and Km both decrease in DAP-substituted with respect to normal DNA. However, while the characteristic pause interval increased for human topoisomerase II alpha operating on DAP-substituted with respect to normal DNA, it was unchanged for E. coli gyrase. These dynamic measurements not only support the hypothesis that the strand passage reaction involves DNA bending but also suggest that DNA bending and subsequent steps in the catalytic cycle, perhaps involving ATP hydrolysis, are more efficiently coupled in gyrase than in human topoisomerase II alpha.
Ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor α mRNA in NB41A3 neuroblastoma cells: regulation by cAMP

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) affects the in vitro and in vivo survival and differentiation of several classes of neurons by binding to the CNTF receptor alpha. We examined the possibility that intracellular cAMP can regulate CNTF receptor alpha mRNA levels in two neuronal cell lines that display cAMP-dependent process outgrowth. Dibutyryl cAMP did not affect CNTF receptor alpha mRNA levels in PC12 cells but elicited a dose- and time-dependent increase in NB41A3 cell CNTF receptor alpha mRNA levels. Forskolin similarly increased CNTF receptor alpha mRNA levels in NB41A3 cells. The data suggest that signal transduction mechanisms involving cAMP may 'crosstalk' with CNTF-initiated signal transduction in a cell type-specific manner and that CNTF receptor alpha expression is not generally linked to neuronal process outgrowth.
UML based embedded documentation for semi-automatic software development

A few years ago we introduced a concept of "Embedded Software Documentation". This embedded documentation consists of special documenting structures referred to as Flagged Sentences. The purpose of Flagged Sentences is to assists us in reading and understanding software programs and their individual components during the maintenance of these programs and reuse of the components. This embedded documentation also helps us in functional decomposition of given problems and design of related computer programs and in ensuring the consistency of interfaces within these programs. After the introduction of Object Oriented Modeling and Design, we expanded the concept of Flagged Sentences to incorporate a specification and classification mechanism based on Object Oriented Modeling and Design. This paper presents new extensions to deal with both: UML language for modeling of problems and software components implementing solutions to these problems, and Unified Process for iterative development of software systems. The basic objective in the current expansion of Flagged Sentences is to accommodate Object Oriented Modeling using UML, and to communicate all the necessary information to tasks that are part of modern and efficient development environments for software production. The information is provided in a format that is easy to extract and automatically organize, classify and use. The information includes data about application domains, problems to be solved, the associated software systems being developed and the related documentations.
Creolization outside creolistics

Looking up ‘creolization’ on any data base, or doing a search at amazon.com or simply googling the term will show that it is more widely used outside linguistics than inside – especially in anthropology, sociology, history and literary studies. Jourdan (2001: 2903) notes that the term has been borrowed from linguistics where one of its definitions is the creation of a new language out of contact between at least two different languages. Creolization in the sociocultural context usually refers to the creation of new aspects of culture as a result of contact between different cultures. In this column, I present some background information on what I'll call ‘sociocultural creolization’ and its links with linguistic creolization. Then I describe what I see as some of the differences between the sociocultural and linguistic approaches. I conclude with implications of these differences for the field of creolistics.
Fine structure of the development of the cephalopod lens

The development of the cephalopod lens involves migration and fusion of lentigenic processes which form a lens primordium which projects into the optic vesicle. The lens material is elaborated in the lens primordium and eventually the cytoplasm of the lentigenic processes is obliterated. Apparently the lens material forms from the content of Golgi vesicles which migrate from the cell body into the lens primordium. The role of the microtubules in this process is discussed.
Plagiarism, Graduate Education, and Information Security

Plagiarism in the classroom has changed since the period of 1997 to 2002, during which the author saw predominately word-for-word plagiarism in papers in his classes. Some came from single sources, but more often they came from two or more. With that kind of plagiarism, it was fairly easy, although time-consuming, to detect copying. Most students engaging in such behaviors believed their professors knew little about the World Wide Web, and many believed that few, if any, professors spent the time needed to check for plagiarism. The development of widely available plagiarism-detection tools also helped raise awareness and make it easier to check papers against online sources.
Rearfoot and knee coupling over a prolonged run in runners with patellofemoral pain syndrome

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is common in runners and is often related to excessive rearfoot eversion. Increased eversion is known to be associated with increased knee flexion, internal rotation, and reduced adduction [1]. Therefore, our purpose was to investigate coupling between the foot and knee in runners with PFPS. We hypothesized that the PFPS group would display larger coupling angles at baseline, due to relatively greater eversion. We also expected that these angles would increase to a greater degree in the PFPS group at the end of a prolonged run.
Shear wave attenuation profile from sonic dipole well‐log data

A shear wave attenuation profile is extracted from dipole waveform well-log data. The method is demonstrated by applying it to synthetic data, and then to monopole and dipole field data for a hard formation. The attenuation profiles for the two types of field data agree remarkably well.
Memory leads the way to better computing

New non-volatile memory devices store information using different physical mechanisms from those employed in today's memories and could achieve substantial improvements in computing performance and energy efficiency.
A rapid method of purification of human granulocyte cationic neutral proteases: purification and further characterization of human granulocyte elastase.

Abstract Human granulocyte elastase (EC 3.4.21.-) was isolated and purified (yield = 62%, purity = 91–100%) by a new short procedure using affinity chromatography using phenylbutylamine covalently linked to Affi-Gel. The granulocyte elastase was found to have a molecular weight of 34 400 by sodium dodecyl sulphate gel electrophoresis and the molecular weight obtained from the amino acid composition was 34 970. The composition of elastase purified from normal leucocytes showed some significant differences from that of enzyme purified by others from leukemic leucocytes. The granulocyte elastase hydrolyzed typical pancreatic elastase substrates like Boc-Ala-ONp and Ac-(Ala)3-Nan. The enzyme was also found to have a weak enzymatic activity in hydrolysing acetyl- l -phenylalanine-α-naphthyl ester, a typical chymotrypsin substrate. A monospecific antiserum raised against the purified enzyme gave a single precipitin line with the pure enzyme and also with crude granular extract, both lines being identical.
Evidence of land plant affinity for the Devonian fossil Protosalvinia (Foerstia)

The Devonian plant fossil Protosalvinia (Foerstia) has been examined by solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PY-GC-MS). Results of these studies reveal that the chemical structure of Protosalvinia is remarkably similar to that of coalified wood. A well-defined phenolic carbon peak in the NMR spectra and the appearance of phenol and alkylated phenols in pyrolysis products are clearly indicative of lignin-like compounds. These data represent significant new information on the chemical nature of Protosalvinia and provide the first substantial organic geochemical evidence for land plant affinity. ▭ Protosalvinia, Foerstia, Upper Devonian, biostratigraphy, carbon-13 NMR, PY-GC-MS, lignin.
On Improvement of Graduate Mechatronics Course

Colleges and Universities across the world have developed Mechatronics courses, programs, certificates, and even degrees in order to meet the increasing demands of Mechatronics products and engineers. These Mechatronics courses, mainly focusing on undergraduate level, consist of lecture presentations, well-designed laboratory experiments, and team projects. However, how to teach Mechatronics courses at graduate level remains to be an open area for discussion. The challenge is: what subjects should be addressed, at the graduate level, to closely reflect the latest Mechatronics technologies with much broad coverage and fast growing features, while distinguished from an undergraduate-level Mechatronics course. This paper discusses the approaches that the author used when teaching a graduate level Mechatronics course (ME285 Mechatronics Systems Engineering) at San Jose State University (SJSU). The course outline, laboratory experiments, and sample course projects are presented. The goal is to provide graduate students with a challenging, timely, hands-on, minds-on, and enjoyable experience in advanced Mechatronics. A suggestion of future topics for graduate Mechatronics education is also discussed.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Extensions of the Chernoff Importance Sampling Method

Importance sampling is a technique used to reduce the number of Monte Carlo trials needed to attain a given estimation error. Recently a technique called Chernoff importance sampling was developed which enabled greater reduction of Monte Carlos by a Chernoff-like bound. In this work we extend the results of Chernoff importance sampling to the estimation of probability of false alarm for single pulse greatest of, least of, median, and skew greatest of CA-CFAR detectors. In addition to this, we develop a Chernoff importance sampling methodology for multi-pulse CFAR detectors that do not have known analytic forms for the probability of false alarm as a function of threshold.
The influence of calcium on shortening velocity of skinned frog muscle cells.

The experiments reviewed here attempted to determine whether the kinetics of crossbridge cycling in intact myofibrils are directly affected by the level of activating calcium. In view of the conflicting evidence available to date, it is not yet possible to answer this question. Maximum shortening velocity, used as an index of crossbridge cycling kinetics, appears to depend directly on the concentration of activating calcium in some experiments, and to be independent of calcium in others. The differences between the experimental results appear to be genuine, and not an artifact of the experimental technique. Several criticisms of the techniques are discussed in detail to show that the error produced by any individual imperfection in technique would not be sufficient to account for the large differences in the results. It is possible that the effects of several such technical imperfections acted in consort to produce the large differences. If the large differences were the result of an accumulation of several small errors in both sets of experiments, so that the correct experimental result was a compromise, Julian's main conclusion would still be correct. That is, any genuine difference in the relative force-velocity curves, regardless of its magnitude, would indicate that calcium must have some effect on the actomyosin complex in addition to its effect on the regulatory proteins. A more likely explanation of the different results is that some physiological mechanism was operative in one set of experiments and not in the other. Two possible mechanisms, light chain phosphorylation and the influence of shortening on the cooperative binding of calcium to thin filaments, are discussed.
Major Antiparallel and Minor Parallel β Sheet Populations Detected in the Membrane-Associated Human Immunodeficiency Virus Fusion Peptide

The HIV gp41 protein catalyzes fusion between viral and host cell membranes and its apolar N-terminal region or “fusion peptide” binds to the host cell membrane and plays a key role in fusion. “HFP” is a construct containing the fusion peptide sequence, induces membrane vesicle fusion, and is an important fusion model system. Earlier solid-state NMR (SSNMR) studies showed that when HFP is associated with membranes with ~30 mol% cholesterol, the first sixteen residues have predominant β strand secondary structure and a fraction of the strands form antiparallel β sheet structure with residue 16→1/1→16 or 17→1/1→17 registries of adjacent strands. In some contrast, other SSNMR and infrared studies have been interpreted to support a large fraction of approximately in-register parallel registry of adjacent strands. However, the samples had extensive isotopic labeling and other structural models were also consistent with the data. The present SSNMR study uses sparse labeling schemes that reduce ambiguity in the determination of the fraction of HFP molecules with parallel β registry. Quantitative analysis of the data shows that the parallel fraction is at most 0.15 with a much greater fraction of antiparallel 16→1/1→16 and 17→1/1→17 registries. These data strongly support a model of HFP-induced vesicle fusion caused by antiparallel rather than parallel registries and provide insight into the arrangement of gp41 molecules during HIV/host cell fusion. This study is an example of quantitative determination of a complex structural distribution by SSNMR including experimentally-validated inclusion of natural abundance contributions to the SSNMR data.
Ubiquitin-dependent Regulation of Phospho-AKT Dynamics by the Ubiquitin E3 Ligase, NEDD4-1, in the Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Response *

AKT is a critical effector kinase downstream of the PI3K pathway that regulates a plethora of cellular processes including cell growth, death, differentiation, and migration. Mechanisms underlying activated phospho-AKT (pAKT) translocation to its action sites remain unclear. Here we show that NEDD4-1 is a novel E3 ligase that specifically regulates ubiquitin-dependent trafficking of pAKT in insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 signaling. NEDD4-1 physically interacts with AKT and promotes HECT domain-dependent ubiquitination of exogenous and endogenous AKT. NEDD4-1 catalyzes K63-type polyubiquitin chain formation on AKT in vitro. Plasma membrane binding is the key step for AKT ubiquitination by NEDD4-1 in vivo. Ubiquitinated pAKT translocates to perinuclear regions, where it is released into the cytoplasm, imported into the nucleus, or coupled with proteasomal degradation. IGF-1 signaling specifically stimulates NEDD4-1-mediated ubiquitination of pAKT, without altering total AKT ubiquitination. A cancer-derived plasma membrane-philic mutant AKT(E17K) is more effectively ubiquitinated by NEDD4-1 and more efficiently trafficked into the nucleus compared with wild type AKT. This study reveals a novel mechanism by which a specific E3 ligase is required for ubiquitin-dependent control of pAKT dynamics in a ligand-specific manner.
Hydroponic Screening of Shrub Willow (Salix Spp.) for Arsenic Tolerance and Uptake

Shrub willows have demonstrated potential in many types of phytoremediation applications. Hydroponic culture was used to assess arsenic (As) tolerance and uptake by four shrub willow clones and to ...
Item analysis as a basis for weighting examination questions

Not all tost questions are of equal importance and, therefore, should not be weighted equally. To determine weight, a method has been used in which the weight of each question is based on what the class as a whole learned from what was presented in lectures, laboratories, and assigned reading material. Multiple choice written tests are machine-graded and the percentage of students correctly answering each question is used as the weighting factor. Important basic material that is emphasized in lecture or that can readily be recognized by the students as important will be weighted high if most students learn it. Questions about small details that are not stressed will be weighted low if few students learn that detail. However, questions on poorly taught material will be weighted low if the students do riot learn it, even if material is important. Students who just memorize detail but do not understand what is important will not gain from this method. Since the methods weights the question based on what the class as a whole learned, the students think it is fair. Students are more willing to learn when they believe trey are being treated fairly. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Electrocatalytic function of Bi(V) sites in heavily-doped PbO2-film electrodes applied for anodic detection of selected sulfur compounds

Abstract The role of Bi(V) sites at the surfaces of Bi(V)-doped β-PbO2 film electrodes is examined as it relates to electrocatalysis of the anodic O-transfer reactions of organic sulfur-containing compounds, with emphasis on cysteine, in acidic media. Contrary to earlier speculation, these sites are concluded not to decrease the overpotential for O-transfer reactions by decreasing the net overpotential for anodic discharge of H2O. The possibility of electron-transfer mediation by a surface-bound Bi(III)/Bi(V) redox couple also is rejected on the basis of the voltammetric response for cysteine at PbO2 electrodes doped with Al(III), a species that cannot possibly function as an electron-transfer mediator. Data obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy support the conclusion that the Bi(V) sites function for preadsorption of the reactant species in the anodic O-transfer mechanism. This conclusion is believed to be pertinent to the anodic response mechanisms of all organic sulfur compounds at Bi(V)-doped PbO2-film electrodes. The benefit of preadsorption is concluded to result from: (i) desolvation of reactant species, which minimizes the requirement for transfer of O-atoms by an improbable tunneling mechanism; and (ii) the increased residence time of reactant species at the electrode surface.
The promoter of a gene encoding a novel Dictyostelium spore coat protein.

Abstract The cAMP-inducible prespore gene, PL3, encodes a protein which is a novel component of the spore coat. Unlike the well-characterized spore cost proteins (SP60, SP70, and SP96) which are found in the outer layer of the coat, the PL3 gene product is localized to a subregion of the coat beneath the outer proteinaceous layer. Moreover a substantial portion of the PL3 protein is tightly associated with the spore coat and not released under the conditions that led to the identification of the other coat proteins. The promoter for this novel spore coat gene is described. Unlike the other coat-protein gene promoters, it lacks the extensive CA-type elements. It contains two short CA boxes and five prominent G-rich regions. Sequential deletions from the 5′ end of the promoter which remove both CA boxes as well as two of the G-rich regions reduce the level of expression but do not alter the spatial regulation of expression. Despite the sequence differences, the PL3 promoter still confers correct spatial, temporal, and cell type-specific regulation on a reporter gene. Escherichia coli β-galactosidase enzyme activity expressed under the control of this PL3 promoter first appears in randomly isolated cells at the loose mound stage. Because of the sensitivity of the assay, β-galactosidase activity is detectable prior to the appearance of the PL3 protein on Western blots and by immunofluorescence. Later the number of cells staining for β-galactosidase activity and the intensity of staining increases. During tipped mound, slug, and culminant stages, cells expressing β-galactosidase under the control of the PL3 promoter are localized to prespore regions and are spatially coincident with cells expressing the PL3 protein.