cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression of the major capsid protein of human papillomavirus type 11 in Saccharomyces cerevisae

The major capsid protein L1 of papillomaviruses expressed recombinantly or in infected cells has the intrinsic ability to form virus-like particles (VLPs) which display conformational epitopes necessary to elicit high-titered, virus-neutralizing antibodies. We have shown previously that the L1 gene of human papillomavirus type 6a (HPV6) can be expressed efficiently in Saccharomyces cerevisae (Sc) as VLPs. However, when we attempted to express the L1 gene cloned from the closely related HPV11 in yeast, few VLPs were observed in crude lysates. The lower expression level of HPV11 L1 protein was found to result from a truncation of the HPV11 L1 mRNA. Since sequence requirements for transcriptional termination in yeast are still unclear, the HPV6 L1 gene was used as the basis for the complete synthetic reconstruction of the entire 1506-bp HPV11 L1 gene. Expression of this HPV6/11 hybrid L1 gene in yeast resulted in predominantly full-length L1 mRNA and a > 7-fold increased level of production of HPV11 VLPs compared to that expressed by the wild-type HPV11 L1 gene. The VLPs were shown to display the conformational epitopes important to elicit virus-neutralizing antibodies.
Thermoregulation in women during uncompensable heat stress

Abstract 1. 1|The purpose of this investigation was to quantify heat exchange in women during exercise under conditions of uncompensable heat stress. The women were studied in the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. 2. 2|The average exercise time was 52 ± 13 minutes, end exercise mean body temperature was 38.4 ± 0.4° C , and end exercise heart rate was 169 ± 14 b min −1 during these follicular phase experiments. 3. 3|Net heat flow ( M sk ) during exercise averaged 193 ± 30 W m −2 , the change in body temperature was 0.03 ± 0.01° C min −1 , evaporative heat loss through the clothing ( E cl ) averaged 139 ± 46 W m −2 , which was 45 ± 14% of the sweating rate. 4. 4|Women exercising during uncompensable heat stress during the early follicular phase of their menstrual cycles exercised for a similar duration as that predicted for men by our Institute's heat strain model. Currently, we do not generalize these conclusions to all phases of the menstrual cycle.
A robot laboratory for teaching artificial intelligence

There is a growing consensus among computer science faculty that it is quite difficult to teach the introductory course on Artificial Intelligence well [4, 6]. In part this is because AI lacks a unified methodology, overlaps with many other disciplines, and involves a wide range of skills from very applied to quite formal. In the funded project described here we have addressed these problems by" Offering a unifying theme that draws together the disparate topics of AI;" Focusing the course syllabus on the role AI plays in the core computer science curriculum; and" Motivating the students to learn by using concrete, hands-on laboratory exercises.Our approach is to conceive of topics in AI as robotics tasks. In the laboratory, students build their own robots and program them to accomplish the tasks. By constructing a physical entity in conjunction with the code to control it, students have a unique opportunity to directly tackle many central issues of computer science including the interaction between hardware and software, space complexity in terms of the memory limitations of the robot's controller, and time complexity in terms of the speed of the robot's action decisions. More importantly, the robot theme provides a strong incentive towards learning because students want to see their inventions succeed.This robot-centered approach is an extension of the agent-centered approach adopted by Russell and Norvig in their recent text book [11]. Taking the agent perspective, the problem of AI is seen as describing and building agents that receive perceptions as input and then output appropriate actions based on them. As a result the study of AI centers around how best to implement this mapping from perceptions to actions. The robot perspective takes this approach one step further; rather than studying software agents in a simulated environment, we embed physical agents in the real world. This adds a dimension of complexity as well as excitement to the AI course. The complexity has to do with additional demands of learning robot building techniques but can be overcome by the introduction of kits that are easy to assemble. Additionally, they are lightweight, inexpensive to maintain, programmable through the standard interfaces provided on most computers, and yet, offer sufficient extensibility to create and experiment with a wide range of agent behaviors. At the same time, using robots also leads the students to an important conclusion about scalability: the real world is very different from a simulated world, which has been a long standing criticism of many well-known AI techniques.We proposed a plan to develop identical robot building laboratories at both Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore Colleges that would allow us to integrate the construction of robots into our introductory AI courses. Furthermore, we hoped that these laboratories would encourage our undergraduate students to pursue honors theses and research projects dealing with the building of physical agents.
A Red Cy3-Based Biarsenical Fluorescent Probe Targeted to a Complementary Binding Peptide

We have synthesized a red biarsenical fluorescent probe, AsCy3, with good photostability, low pH sensitivity, high absorbance, and good quantum yield. It is directed specifically to a small tetracysteine peptide binding motif, Cy3TAG (CysCysLysAlaGluAlaAlaCysCys), in the presence of other tetracysteine tags. This new probe provides a FRET partner to biarsenical dye FlAsH, making this discovery an important step toward a whole toolkit of colored probes directed to different small peptide motifs.
Chemistry of electron-rich conjugated polyenes VI. A comparative study of the rates and mechanism of [4 + 2]-cyclo-additions between alkoxy-1,3-butadienes and β,β-dicyanostyrenes

The kinetics of [4 + 2] cycloadditions in several solvents have been studied for reactions between ring-substituted β,β-dicyanostyrenes (2a–j) and a series of methoxybutadienes (1a–e), differing in electron-donating properties, conformational preference and polarity. All reactions studied gave linear Hammett plots with positive p values when log k/k0 values were plotted against σ+ substituent constants. Solvent effects appeared to be small. The results have been discussed on the basis of differences in the HOMO-LUMO interaction and in conformational factors for differing pairs of reactants. In this way more detailed insight has been obtained into variations in the nature (olefin-like or product-like) and polarity of the transition state of these reactions.
Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and hydrologic mixing in a subtropical riverine estuary, southwest Florida, USA

Physical and chemical parameters were measured in a subtropical estuary with a blind river source in southwest Florida, United States, to assess seasonal discharge of overland flow and groundwater in hydrologic mixing. Water temperature, pH, salinity, alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), δ18O, and δ13CDIC varied significantly due to seasonal rainfall and climate. Axial distribution of the physical and chemical parameters constrained by tidal conditions during sampling showed that river water at low tide was a mixture of freshwater from overland flow and saline ground-water in the wet season and mostly saline groundwater in the dry season. Relationships between salinity and temperature, δ18O, and DIC for both the dry and wet seasons showed that DIC was most sensitive to seawater mixing in the estuary as DIC changed in concentration between values measured in river water at the tidal front to the most seaward station. A salinity-δ13CDIC model was able to describe seawater mixing in the estuary for the wet season but not for the dry season because river water salinity was higher than that of seawater and the salinity gradient between seawater and river water was small. A DIC-δ13CDIC mixing model was able to describe mixing of carbon from sheet flow and river water at low tide, and river water and seawater at high tide for both wet and dry seasons. The DIC-δ13CDIC model was able to predict the seawater end member DIC for the wet season. The model was not able to predict the seawater end member DIC for the dry season data due to secondary physical and biogeochemical processes that altered estuarine DIC prior to mixing with seawater. The results of this study suggest that DIC and δ13CDIC can provide additional insights into mixing of river water and seawater in estuaries during periods where small salinity gradients between river water and seawater and higher river water salinities preclude the use of salinity-carbon models.
Premature sexual activity, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases: the pediatrician's role as a counselor.

Physicians providing preventive and primary health care for schoolaged patients are frequently confronted with difficult problems that stem from premature sexual activity among these young people. In this paper a brief description of the scope and potential costs, both human and societal, of these problems is given as background for discussion of the pediatrician9s role as counselor and educator in their prevention and management. The high frequency of sexual experience among school-aged girls and boys and the potential devastation that may result from the emerging epidemic of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), in combination with the pattern of multiple sex partners among adolescents, lend added urgency to the consideration of preventing these problems. PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY, ABORTION, AND CHILDBEARING The problems associated with pregnancy and childbirth among adolescents have attracted public concern and controversy since the middle 1970s when the number of births to American teenagers reached its peak. However, even though the number of births in this age group has declined as a result of the legalization of abortion and a decline in the number of teenagers in the population, the likelihood of pregnancy has declined much less, particularly among adolescents, younger than 18 years, and among the youngest teenagers. Among girls 15 years of age and younger, the pregnancy rate has been fairly stable and, among those who are white, it has continued to increase.
Is thioridazine retinopathy progressive? Relationship of pigmentary changes to visual function.

Thioridazine toxicity has been described as a 9progressive chorioretinopathy9, but this designation can be misleading. During the first year after thioridazine exposure retinal pigmentation evolves from a granular to a patchy or nummular appearance. However, visual function and the electroretinogram typically improve during this period. Some cases may show chorioretinal atrophy and functional loss many years later, but there is little evidence for ongoing drug-related progression. Late atrophy may represent degeneration of cells that were injured subclinically at the time of initial drug exposure. Although thioridazine toxicity produces an evolving pigmentary disturbance, functional changes must be monitored independently of fundus appearance.
The comparative anatomy of the lips and labial villi of vertebrates

An attempt is made to define lips, and on Danforth's interpretation of homology, homologous lips are found at certain stages of development in some representatives of all classes of vertebrates. The primary lips characteristic of selachians, after the maxillary and premaxillary bones have developed within the territory of the upper lip (toadfish, cod), may disappear (trout, Spelerpes), accompanied by a forward migration of the lower jaw. The secondary lips of higher forms are first indicated in certain teleosts and amphibians. Lips vary in structure to accord with their physiological functions, whether sensory, prehensile, or adhesive. Lips of the cod are highly sensory; those of the tadpole and of grazing animals, in different ways, are notably prehensile; the lips of petromyzon and the vampire, having abundant villi, are most effectively adhesive. Therefore, the smaller villi of the lips of suckling animals are presumably for tight adhesion to the nipple. The opossum and rat, however, nurse before their lips have developed. No free macroscopic villi are found on human lips, but there is a zone of thick epithelium tending to form villi. Such a zone is shown to be a widespread feature of vertebrate lips.
Synaptic effects of cannabinoids: complexity, behavioral effects, and potential clinical implications.

The discovery of (−)-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9 THC) as the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis (marijuana), the cloning of the cannabinoid receptors CB1R and CB2R, and the identification of the endocannabinoids as their endogenous ligands has stimulated extensive research on the role of the cannabinoid system in synaptic regulation in the CNS. The 2 major endocannabinoids in the nervous system are 2-arachydonoyl glycerol (2-AG) and N -arachidonoyl ethanolamide (also known as anandamide). They are lipid mediators that are released from neurons on demand in response to excitatory synaptic activity. Endocannabinoids function primarily as retrograde messengers that inhibit neurotransmitter release via presynaptic CB1Rs, which are distributed primarily in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic and to a lesser extent glutamatergic and other presynaptic terminals. Retrograde endocannabinoid signaling participates in several mechanisms of short- and long-term plasticity (depression) of inhibitory and excitatory synapses. Endocannabinoids may also act via postsynaptic CB1Rs and, in the case of anandamide, also transient receptor potential, vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) channels. Endocannabinoids also mediate interactions among neurons and different types of glial cells, regulating not only synaptic plasticity but also inflammatory responses in the CNS. By all these mechanisms, endocannabinoids affect the activity of neuronal networks involved in cognition, emotion, addiction and feeding behavior, motor control, and pain processing and participate in the mechanism of neuroprotection. The cannabinoid system thus provides a potential therapeutic target, with consequent increased interest in the use of cannabis for management of selected neurologic conditions. All these topics have been the subject of several comprehensive reviews.1–8
Implementing and Assessing Library Reference Training Programs

Comprehensive assessments have shown that academic library users prefer a welcoming environment that provides the opportunity for self-sufficiency. Libraries need to meet these expectations and improve the quality of library reference by creating a comprehensive training program for librarians, staff, and students. This article will review standards for reference training in academic libraries with a focus on one-desk service points and consider best practices for planning, implementing, and assessing training programs for staff, students, and librarians.
Advances in robotic prostatectomy

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) has emerged as an important treatment option for localized prostate cancer. As such, methods to improve instrumentation, technique, outcomes, and cost require continued investigation. For example, a recently introduced four-armed robotic system has limited the need for bedside assistants, while an enhanced understanding of pelvic anatomy as visualized robotically has led to valuable modifications in operative technique. Increased surgeon experience has decreased perioperative morbidity, and has resulted in short-term pathologic and functional outcomes that compare favorably with open radical prostatectomy. Meanwhile, quality-of-life studies using validated instruments are helping to define the time course of patient recovery. Nevertheless, costs associated with robotic surgery remain daunting. As the follow-up of patients treated with RALP matures, future studies, ideally with a prospective, randomized design, will be needed to establish the long-term oncologic efficacy of the procedure and to evaluate the overall advantages of RALP compared with open surgery.
Direct transfer of NADH between alpha-glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase: fact or misinterpretation?

Abstract Following the criticism by Chock and Gutfreund [Chock, P.B. & Gutfreund, H. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85, 8870-8874], that our proposal of direct transfer of NADH between glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (alpha-glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase, alpha-GDH; EC 1.1.1.8) and L-lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; EC 1.1.1.27) was based on a misinterpretation of the kinetic data, we have reinvestigated the transfer mechanism between this enzyme pair. By using the "enzyme buffering" steady-state kinetic technique [Srivastava, D.K. & Bernhard, S.A. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 4538-4545], we examined the mechanism (random diffusion vs. direct transfer) of transfer of NADH between rabbit muscle alpha-GDH and pig heart LDH. The steady-state data reveal that the LDH-NADH complex and the alpha-GDH-NADH complex can serve as substrate for the alpha-GDH-catalyzed reaction and the LDH-catalyzed reaction, respectively. This is consistent with the direct-transfer mechanism and inconsistent with a mechanism in which free NADH is the only competent substrate for either enzyme-catalyzed reaction. The discrepancy between this conclusion and that of Chock and Gutfreund comes from (i) their incorrect measurement of the Km for NADH in the alpha-GDH-catalyzed reaction, (ii) inadequate design and range of the steady-state kinetic experiments, and (iii) their qualitative assessment of the prediction of the direct-transfer mechanism. Our transient kinetic measurements for the transfer of NADH from alpha-GDH to LDH and from LDH to alpha-GDH show that both are slower than predicted on the basis of free equilibration of NADH through the aqueous environment. The decrease in the rate of equilibration of NADH between alpha-GDH and LDH provides no support for the random-diffusion mechanism; rather, it suggests a direct interaction between enzymes that modulates the transfer rate of NADH. Thus, contrary to Chock and Gutfreund's conclusion, all our experimental data compel us to propose, once again, that NADH is transferred directly between the sites of alpha-GDH and LDH.
Osmotic stress sensitizes sterol-free phospholipid bilayers to the action of Amphotericin B

We have tested the ability of Amphotericin B to form ion channels/defects in osmotically stressed large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) using pyranine fluorescence detected ion/H+ exchange. We found that sterol-free LUV exhibit greatly increased sensitivity to AmB channel formation in the soluble oligomer state (> 0.5 μM) under modestly hypoosmotic conditions (< 100 ΔmosM). These vesicles are completely insensitive under isoosmotic conditions. The related antibiotics, Amphotericin B methyl ester and Nystatin showed almost no activity under hypoosmotic conditions in the absence of sterol. This difference may be attributable to differences in solution oligomeric states. Experiments with KCl and CaCl2, internal buffers demonstrate that these sterol-free AmB membrane disruptions are highly selective for monovalent cations (K+) over anions (Cl−), ruling out massive lysis or unselective membrane defects caused by osmotic pressure. Thus, AmB seems to be acting as a ‘molecular harpoon’, an express ion coined to describe substances which can selectively target osmotically stressed, strained or highly curved membranes. These results may provide a rationale for AmB's reported anti-HIV activity and reported activity against sterol-free small unilamellar vesicles (highly curved membranes) as well as the reduced activity of liposomal drug delivery systems toward cholesterol-containing and sterol-free membranes (fewer soluble oligomers).
Design Flood Impacts on Evaluating Dam Failure Mechanisms

ABSTRACT The implementation of the Probable Maximum Flood as the basis for the inflow design flood for evaluating dam safety has shown that existing analysis procedures and methods are inadequate. A collaborative team from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Colorado State University Pacific Gas and Electric Co., the Electric Power and Research Institute, and HDR Engineering, Inc., has identified three critical areas for additional dam safety research. Research programs are currently ongoing to investigate (a) erosion protection and energy dissipation on embankment faces and spillways subjected to overtopping, (b) erosion at the foundation and abutments of dams from overtopping, and (c) embankment dam breach mechanics. Brief descriptions of each program are presented along with early project findings.
RY scuti: Infrared and radio observations of the mass-loss wind of a massive binary star system

We report infrared (IR) imaging, IR photometry, IR spectroscopy, optical/IR photopolarimetry, and Very Large Array (VLA) radio observations of the peculiar binary star RY Scuti. These observations provide an unprecedented view of the detailed spatial structure of the equatorial mass-loss wind of a massive, luminous, 'overcontact' binary system. The binary star (0.43 AU separation) is surrounded by a flattened equatorial disk with an outer radius of approximately = 3 x 10(exp 16) cm (2000 AU) that emits strongly in the IR and radio. The inside of the disk is ionized and emits free-free radiation from hydrogen and 12.8 micrometers forbidden-line emission from (Ne II); the outside of the disk emits thermal radiation from silicate dust. Radio continuum emission is also produced in a compact H II region surrounding the binary. The dust may have a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) component. We use a rudimentary geometric model in which the thermal IR and radio emission from the disk are assumed to arise in a pair of concentric toroidal rings to estimate the physical properties of the disk. The mean radius of the ionized gas toroid is approximately = 1.3 x 10(exp 16) cm (870 AU), and the mean radius of the dust toroid is approximately = 2.2 x 10(exp 16) cm (1470 AU). RY Scuti has a small intrinsic polarization, with the electric vector perpendicular to the equatorial disk, that is probably caused by electron scattering from hot gas close to the central binary. We conclude that neon in the nebula is overabundant with respect to hydrogen and helium by a factor of between 1.6 and 10. Our IR/radio image data suggest that the circumstellar disk is part of an extensive radiation driven mass-loss outflow that is strongly confined to the equatorial plane of the binary system. The sharp spatial separation of the outer dust torous from the inner ionized gas torus confirms earlier suggestions that dust formation in the circumstellar ejecta of very hot stars must occur in regions that are shielded from the hard radiation field.
Efficacy of Perimed® antibacterial system on established gingivitis (I). Clinical results

A 6-month, double-blind controlled study was conducted on 101 subjects to determine the effect of Perimed antibacterial system, containing povidone-iodine (PVP-I) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), on established gingivitis. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of 4 treatment groups: PVP-I/H2O2, PVP-I/H2O, H2O2/H2O or H2O. Gingivitis was assessed by the papillary bleeding score (PBS) and plaque by a modified Quigley-Hein plaque index (PI) at baseline, 3, 12 and 24 weeks. The average baseline PBS and PI for the 4 groups ranged from 2.16-2.31 and 2.87-2.90, respectively. After baseline evaluation, subjects received a supra-gingival scaling and a subgingival irrigation with their respective rinse. Daily rinses were supervised and subgingival irrigation was repeated every 3 weeks. Duncan's multiple range test determined which groups differed from each other. The mean PI at 24 weeks was lower than at baseline in all groups. PVP-I had the lowest PI at all time points. The mean PBS at 24 weeks was 1.48 for PVP-I, 1.62 for H2O2, 1.88 for H2O and 1.34 for PVP-I/H2O2, a reduction from baseline of 31%, 27%, 18%, and 38% respectively. The difference between the PBS for PVP-I/H2O2 and H2O control was significant at each evaluation. There was a 70% reduction in sites with PBS greater than or equal to 3 for PVP-I/H2O2 between baseline and 24 weeks compared to a 34% decrease in the H2O group. It was concluded that the use of Perimed could be a beneficial adjunctive treatment for the prevention and control of gingivitis when used with routine oral hygiene procedures.
Identification of a novel cyanobacterial group as active diazotrophs in a coastal microbial mat using NanoSIMS analysis

N2 fixation is a key process in photosynthetic microbial mats to support the nitrogen demands associated with primary production. Despite its importance, groups that actively fix N2 and contribute to the input of organic N in these ecosystems still remain largely unclear. To investigate the active diazotrophic community in microbial mats from the Elkhorn Slough estuary, Monterey Bay, CA, USA, we conducted an extensive combined approach, including biogeochemical, molecular and high-resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) analyses. Detailed analysis of dinitrogenase reductase (nifH) transcript clone libraries from mat samples that fixed N2 at night indicated that cyanobacterial nifH transcripts were abundant and formed a novel monophyletic lineage. Independent NanoSIMS analysis of 15N2-incubated samples revealed significant incorporation of 15N into small, non-heterocystous cyanobacterial filaments. Mat-derived enrichment cultures yielded a unicyanobacterial culture with similar filaments (named Elkhorn Slough Filamentous Cyanobacterium-1 (ESFC-1)) that contained nifH gene sequences grouping with the novel cyanobacterial lineage identified in the transcript clone libraries, displaying up to 100% amino-acid sequence identity. The 16S rRNA gene sequence recovered from this enrichment allowed for the identification of related sequences from Elkhorn Slough mats and revealed great sequence diversity in this cluster. Furthermore, by combining 15N2 tracer experiments, fluorescence in situ hybridization and NanoSIMS, in situ N2 fixation activity by the novel ESFC-1 group was demonstrated, suggesting that this group may be the most active cyanobacterial diazotroph in the Elkhorn Slough mat. Pyrotag sequences affiliated with ESFC-1 were recovered from mat samples throughout 2009, demonstrating the prevalence of this group. This work illustrates that combining standard and single-cell analyses can link phylogeny and function to identify previously unknown key functional groups in complex ecosystems.
Parameters Governing the Formation of Photopolymerized Silica Sol–Gel Monoliths in PDMS Microfluidic Chips

Although polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic chips provide an alternative to more expensive microfabricated glass chips, formation of monolithic stationary phases in PDMS is not a trivial task. Photopolymerized silica sol–gel monoliths were fabricated in PDMS-based microfluidic devices using 3-trimethoxysilylpropylmethacrylate and glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane. The monolith formation was optimized by identifying a suitable porogen, controlling monomer concentration, functional additives, salts, porogen, wall attachment methods, and rinsing procedures. The resulting monoliths were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy, image analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and separation performance. Monoliths functionalized with boronic acid ligands were used for the separation of cis-diol containing compounds both in batch mode and in the microfluidic chip.
Rupture Mechanics of Vimentin Intermediate Filament Tetramers

Together with the globular proteins, microtubules and microfilaments, intermediate filaments are one of the three major components of the cytoskeleton in eukaryotic cells. They consist of a dimeric coiled-coil building block, assembled in a very precise, hierarchical fashion into tetramers, forming filaments with characteristic dimensions on the order of several micrometers. Here we focus on the theoretical analysis of the deformation mechanics of vimentin intermediate filaments, a type of intermediate filament expressed in leukocytes, blood vessel endothelial cells, some epithelial cells, and mesenchymal cells such as fibroblasts. The main contribution of this paper is the study of the rupture mechanics of intermediate filament tetramers, representing an assembly of two dimers, by utilizing a statistical Bell model adapted to describe the rupture dynamics of intermediate filaments. Possible deformation mechanisms, including interdimer sliding and uncoiling of the dimer, are illustrated in light of the in...
Modulation of Glioma Cell Migration and Invasion Using Cl− and K+ Ion Channel Blockers

Human malignant gliomas are highly invasive tumors. Mechanisms that allow glioma cells to disseminate, migrating through the narrow extracellular brain spaces are poorly understood. We recently demonstrated expression of large voltage-dependent chloride (Cl−) currents, selectively expressed by human glioma cells in vitro and in situ(Ullrich et al., 1998). Currents are sensitive to several Cl− channel blockers, including chlorotoxin (Ctx), (Ullrich and Sontheimer, 1996; Ullrich et al., 1996), tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA), and tamoxifen (Ransom and Sontheimer, 1998). Using Transwell migration assays, we show that blockade of glioma Cl− channels specifically inhibits tumor cell migration in a dose-dependent manner. Ctx (5 μm), tamoxifen (10 μm), and TEA (1 mm) also prevented invasion of human glioma cells into fetal rat brain aggregates, used as an in vitro model to assess tumor invasiveness. Anion replacement studies suggest that permeation of chloride ions through glioma chloride channel is obligatory for cell migration. Osmotically induced cell swelling and subsequent regulatory volume decrease (RVD) in cultured glioma cells were reversibly prevented by 1 mm TEA, 10 μmtamoxifen, and irreversibly blocked by 5 μm Ctx added to the hypotonic media. Cl− fluxes associated with adaptive shape changes elicited by cell swelling and RVD in glioma cells were inhibited by 5 μm Ctx, 10 μmtamoxifen, and 1 mm TEA, as determined using the Cl−-sensitive fluorescent dye 6-methoxy-N-ethylquinolinium iodide. Collectively, these data suggest that chloride channels in glioma cells may enable tumor invasiveness, presumably by facilitating cell shape and cell volume changes that are more conducive to migration and invasion.
Studies on an interaction among serum protein, materials containing intrinsic factor and vitamin B12.

An interaction among serum protein, materials containing intrinsic factor, and vitamin B12 has been described. Not all serum proteins combine more vitamin B12 in the presence of materials containing intrinsic factor than in the absence of such materials, but only those that migrate in an electric field as α2- or β-globulin. The increased combining activity of serum protein in the presence of materials containing intrinsic factor is many times greater than was observed if the binding capacities of serum and materials containing intrinsic factor were determined separately and added together. The data indicate that a factor that is present in serum of normal individuals and, also to a lesser extent in serum from patients with pernicious anemia, is responsible for the B12 combining reaction.
Feedback strategies for shared control in dexterous telemanipulation

Shared control represents a middle ground between supervisory control and traditional bilateral control in which the remote system can exert control over some aspects of the task while the human operator maintains access to low-level forces and motions. Our telemanipulation system includes tactile, force and motion sensors that allow the slave to regulate grasp forces and impart rolling motions to a grasped object. We describe a set of experiments designed to determine whether shared control can improve the ability of an operator to handle objects delicately and to determine what combinations of force, visual and audio feedback provide the best level of performance and operator sense of presence. The results demonstrate the benefits of shared control and the need to choose carefully the types and methods of direct and indirect feedback.
AGGREGATE TOUGHNESS/ABRASION RESISTANCE AND DURABILITY/SOUNDNESS TESTS RELATED TO ASPHALT CONCRETE PERFORMANCE IN PAVEMENTS

Numerous tests have been developed that empirically characterize aggregate without, necessarily, having a strong relationship to the performance of the final products incorporating these aggregates. This seems to be particularly true for aggregate toughness and abrasion resistance and durability and soundness. Toughness/abrasion resistance and durability/soundness tests for characterizing aggregate used in asphalt concrete were identified and evaluated, and those test methods that best correlate with field performance were determined. Based on a review of literature and specifications, laboratory tests for characterizing aggregate toughness/abrasion resistance and durability/soundness were selected. Sixteen aggregate sources with poor to good performance histories were identified for evaluation with the selected suite of tests. Performance histories of pavements containing these aggregates in asphalt concrete layers were established through personal contacts with state transportation agencies and performance evaluation questionnaires. Aggregate properties from laboratory tests were correlated with field performance. The micro-deval and magnesium sulfate soundness tests provide the best correlations with field performance of asphalt concrete and are recommended for characterizing aggregate toughness/abrasion resistance and durability/soundness.
Teaching Imitation to Young Children with Disabilities: A Review of the Literature.

Imitation is a primary means through which children learn new skills. Most children learn to imitate without being taught but some children with disabilities fail to develop or use imitation in the absence of direct instruction. The importance of teaching imitation to children with disabilities has been acknowledged, with studies appearing as early as the 1960s. Although recent studies regarding the nature of imitative abilities in children with disabilities have been published, relatively few intervention studies exist. The purpose of this review was to synthesize the literature on teaching young children with disabilities to imitate. Four distinct intervention types emerged. Suggestions for improving interventions include using specific prompting strategies; embedding instruction across activities; teaching imitation of multiple, salient models; and using reinforcing behaviors and materials. Future research is needed on questions regarding instructional sequence, effective instructional practices, and m...
Learning in and beyond school gardens with cyber-physical systems

This design-based research study considers the learner-generated design and refinement of a school garden. We report one enactment of the Connected Gardening project in order to illuminate and understand how a fourth-grade class organizes and refines its garden plot using observations of the physical environment and evaluations of data from a networked digital probe. By examining the ways individuals, materials, and activities influence, and are influenced by, one another, our qualitative analysis characterizes interplay among an ecosystem, a garden and graphical representations of environmental indicators in real time and over time. We consider the novel affordances of such a cyber-physical systems for supporting participatory culture within yet beyond school classrooms.
Prevention of the incubation of cocaine seeking by aerobic exercise in female rats.

Background Recent research has demonstrated that aerobic exercise can attenuate craving for drugs of abuse and reduce escalation and reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior in animal models. The present study examined the effects of aerobic exercise on the development of the incubation of cocaine-seeking behavior or the progressive increase in cocaine seeking over a protracted withdrawal period from cocaine self-administration.
Chaotic behavior in probabilistic cellular neural networks

Experiments conducted in brains by electroencephalographic and magnetoencephalographic techniques reveal widespread coherent oscillations. The oscillations over multiple frequency bands overlap and result in signals with broad spectra. Previous studies showed that various frequencies can be modeled by probabilistic cellular automata with coupled inhibitory and excitatory interactions. In this work we show that coupled oscillator layers can create broad-spectrum chaotic oscillations with power spectral densities over long times segments converging to Brown noise features. Models of cortical neurodynamics provide an interpretation of the observed phenomena.
Analysis of performance variation using query expansion

Information retrieval performance evaluation is commonly made based on the classical recall and precision based figures or graphs. However, important information indicating causes for variation may remain hidden under the average recall and precision figures. Identifying significant causes for variation can help researchers and developers to focus on opportunities for improvement that underlay the averages. This article presents a case study showing the potential of a statistical repeated measures analysis of variance for testing the significance of factors in retrieval performance variation. The TREC-9 Query Track performance data is used as a case study and the factors studied are retrieval method, topic, and their interaction. The results show that retrieval method, topic, and their interaction are all significant. A topic level analysis is also made to see the nature of variation in the performance of retrieval methods across topics. The observed retrieval performances of expansion runs are truly significant improvements for most of the topics. Analyses of the effect of query expansion on document ranking confirm that expansion affects ranking positively.
Brown's Syndrome in the absence of an intact superior oblique muscle

Brown's Syndrome was initially described as a superior oblique tendon sheath syndrome-a short anterior tendon resulting in a restricted elevation of the globe in the nasal field. Brown believed that a congenital paralysis of the inferior oblique muscle resulted in this secondary shortening of the anterior sheath of the superior oblique tendon. The definition of Brown's Syndrome has changed over time. It is currently defined as the inability to elevate the eye in the adducted position, both actively and passively on force duction testing, and can be acquired. The pathophysiology of acquired Brown's Syndrome may involve an abnormality of the superior oblique trochlea/tendon complex. However, it may also result from other causes unrelated to the superior oblique tendon or muscle, such as tumors of the superior nasal orbit, inferior orbital mechanical restriction, or an inferiorly displaced lateral rectus muscle and pulley. We present two cases in which a Brown's Syndrome was diagnosed after the superior oblique muscle had been disinserted or removed.
Pressure Filtration of Monosized Colloidal Silica

The research described herein is directed at establishing an enhanced understanding of the basic processing behavior of uniform fine ceramic powders. Monosized colloidal silica has been used as a model system to determine the effects of the processing conditions on consolidation behavior (particle packing) during pressure filtration from aqueous suspensions. In this study, 0.3 and 0.6 μm SiO2 powders were pressure filtered (20–40 psi) to determine the effects of the solids loading and state of dispersion on the green density, cake permeability, specific cake resistance, microstructural uniformity, and pore size distribution of the SiO2 green bodies. Pressure filtration from aqueous dispersions with increased solids loading resulted in lowered green densities, decreased specific cake resistance (to fluid flow), αc, increased permeability, Kc, and increased median pore size. Similar effects were observed when green bodies were formed from low pH (agglomerated) as opposed to high pH (dispersed) aqueous suspensions. Pressure filtration of monosized colloidal silica produced green bodies with uniform (non-ordered) particle arrangements.
Noise in Negative-Resistance Amplifiers

Negative-resistance amplifiers that consist of a noisy negative resistance imbedded in a lossless three-terminal-pair linear network to make a two-port amplifier are analyzed. It is shown that Haus and Adler's noise measure M_{e} , is not constrained to lie between two eigenvalues of a noise matrix, as is the case for bona fide two-port amplifiers. Instead, it is always equal to its optimum value, and is independent of the (lossless) imbedding network used. As a corollary of this, the noise figure of such an amplifier fails to equal its optimum value only insofar as the exchangeable gain is not high. The single value of noise measure may be computed from any simple lossless circuit at hand, or else from the exchangeable noise power of the noisy negative resistance.
Effect of solid-solid phase transformations on elastic constitutive relations

A two-dimensional (2D) Ginzburg-Landau (GL) theory for temperature induced phase transformations in single crystals is extended to incorporate the effects of mechanical and thermal (expansion or dilatational) strain effects. This extension of the GL theory allows the single crystal GL model to be implemented into polycrystalline homogenization schemes. The proposed model is capable of examining the interactions of applied mechanical loading states and phase transformation processes within single crystals.
Liquid crystal polymer based MEMS capacitive pressure sensor

Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) based capacitive pressure sensors are typically fabricated using silicon micromachining techniques. In this paper, novel Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) based capacitive pressure sensors, fabricated using printed circuit processing techniques, are reported. LCP exhibits good dimensional stability, material flexibility, high chemical resistance, and extremely low moisture absorption, which make it suitable for MEMS applications. Each sensor consists of an LCP substrate, an LCP spacer layer with circular holes, and top LCP layer. The portion of the top LCP layer located above the circular hole of the spacer layer serves as the circular diaphragm of the pressure sensor. A typical pressure sensor with a diaphragm radius of 1.6 mm provides a net capacitance change of 0.18 pF for an applied pressure in the range of 0-70 kPa. Hundreds of such sensors can be batch fabricated cost effectively using existing flexible printed circuit technology.
On sampling-based approximate spectral decomposition

This paper addresses the problem of approximate singular value decomposition of large dense matrices that arises naturally in many machine learning applications. We discuss two recently introduced sampling-based spectral decomposition techniques: the Nystrom and the Column-sampling methods. We present a theoretical comparison between the two methods and provide novel insights regarding their suitability for various applications. We then provide experimental results motivated by this theory. Finally, we propose an efficient adaptive sampling technique to select informative columns from the original matrix. This novel technique outperforms standard sampling methods on a variety of datasets.
Fate of selenate and selenite metabolized by Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

Cultures of a purple nonsulfur bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, amended with ∼1 or ∼100 ppm selenate or selenite, were grown phototrophically to stationary phase. Analyses of culture headspace, separated cells, and filtered culture supernatant were carried out using gas chromatography, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy-mass spectrometry, respectively. While selenium-amended cultures showed much higher amounts of SeO32− bioconversion than did analogous selenate experiments (94% uptake for SeO32− as compared to 9.6% for SeO42−-amended cultures from 100-ppm solutions), the chemical forms of selenium in the microbial cells were not very different except at exposure to high concentrations of selenite. Volatilization accounted for only a very small portion of the accumulated selenium; most was present in organic forms and the red elemental form.
Towards Integrating Advanced Database Concepts Into Accounting

This paper provides a review of several recently developed, advanced database technologies which could dramatically affect current accounting practice. These technologies are discussed in the context of a proposed taxonomy along four specified dimensions. The paper also provides a description of each of these technologies and an associated table of key concepts as well as a definition or description. The paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each of these newer technologies and their applicability to the accounting function in companies. Where appropriate, concrete examples of accounting applications for these technologies are provided.
The Pandorinellina? boucoti lineage (Lochkovian, Devonian, conodonts)

Pandorinellina? boucoti (Klapper) is based on material from the Lochkovian-Pragian (Devonian) section at Royal Creek, Yukon Territory, Canada, where it is found with species of the pesavis and sulcatus Zones. The species is also a rare element in the late Lochkovian-early Pragian faunas in the Toquima Range, central Nevada, where it is found within the same zones. Pandorinellina? boucoti has been recovered from 17 beds in sequence at the IK IV section in the McMonnigal Limestone and shows a morphologic change from a Pa element with a simple blade, small lateral lobes, and an enlarged triangular anterior denticle to a Pa element with ornamented pillars surmounting both platform lobes. The simple blade form is present in beds IK IV 21-16. The next overlying bed yields specimens with a single pillar-like enlargement of the larger platform lobe and a slight swelling on the smaller platform lobe. The following beds (IK IV 14-6) have only morphotypes with the pillar-like enlargement on both platform lobes. This morphologic change effectively divides the upper pesavis Zone into two segments in the IK IV section. The rarity of this species, however, will probably limit the usefulness of the lineage in refined biostratigraphy and the sequence of morphotypes needs to be verified in other areas. Nevertheless, where present, P.? boucoti should improve the accuracy of correlation in the late Lochkovian and early Pragian.
Radical cystectomy with or without prior irradiation in the treatment of bladder cancer

This is a summary presentation on certain aspects of an experience with the use of radical cystectomy with or without prior irradiation in the treatment of selected patients with bladder cancer at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.