cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of photo-crosslinking reagents for protein kinase-substrate interactions.

The identification of relevant protein kinase–protein substrate partners remains a serious challenge on a genome-wide scale. The design and synthesis of a photo-activatable nucleotide reagent to crosslink protein kinases with their substrates is described in which an azido group is appended to the γ-phosphoryl and purine moieties of ATP. In the absence of UV, compounds of this class were shown to act as competitive inhibitors versus ATP and non-competitive inhibitors versus peptide substrate for the protein tyrosine kinase Csk, suggesting that they can form a ternary complex with kinase and protein substrate. In vitro experiments with protein kinases indicate the bifunctional reagent can induce covalent protein–protein crosslinking that is dependent on UV irradiation. That significant kinase–substrate crosslinking occurs is suggested by the fact that this crosslinking is competitively inhibited by ATP. The crosslinked adducts can be readily cleaved by phosphodiesterase which supports the model for crosslinking and provides a simple method to deconvolute the linked protein partners.
Early assessment of psychological risk factors: On the role of husband/father during pregnancy and in the early postnatal period

The earliest phases of the mother-infant relationship may markedly be influenced, for better or worse, by the emotional availability of the father. In our contemporary Western societies young expectant couples are often isolated psychologically. It is suggested that if such circumstances exist and the mother also has psychological risk factors stemming from her past history and/or from her experience with the pregnancy and delivery, the husband's ability to fulfill some special mothering functions toward his wife would tip the balance between adequate coping or manifest disturbance in the mother—infant relationship.
Numerical simulations of the profile properties of undeformed first-year sea ice during the growth season

A model is presented for estimating salinity profiles for the first-year sea ice during the growth season, in which ice growth equations were coupled with salt entrapment and brine drainage relations to obtain the relationship between the initial ice salinity and the ice-growth velocity and seawater salinity, as well as the subsequent drainage of brine from the ice. The results obtained were found to be in reasonable agreement with field observations in that they showed characteristic C-shaped profiles similar to natural profiles. The average ice salinity values were also in reasonable agreement with field data. The predicted ice property profiles give composite plate properties that are significantly different from bulk property estimates that would result by assuming that sea ice could be represented as a homogeneous plate.
History in the computer science curriculum

IFIP Working Group 9.7 (History of Computing) is charged with not only encouraging the preservation of computer artifacts, the recording of the memoirs of pioneers, and the analysis of the downstream impact of computer innovations, but also on the development of educational modules on the history of computing. This paper presents an initial report on the study of the history of computing and informatics and preliminary proposals for the inclusion of aspects of the history of computing and informatics in the curriculum of university and college students.
Successful Kidney Transplantation from a Donation After Cardiac Death Donor With an Ileal Conduit

Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for those affected by end-stage renal disease. Consent for organ donation continues to be one of the greatest challenges to transplanting more patients waiting for a life-saving transplant. In an attempt to increase the donor pool for patients on kidney transplant waiting lists, transplant surgeons and physicians have expanded their acceptance criteria to include expanded criteria donors, donation after cardiac death donors, as well as those donors who present unique technical challenges to organ recovery. Here we report a successful kidney transplant from a kidney donor who died from cardiac causes and who previously underwent an ileal conduit for a neurogenic urinary bladder secondary to a spinal cord injury.
First-order correction for the scintillation index and correlation of intensity function

In a previous paper [ J. Opt. Soc. Am. A2, 2133 ( 1985)] we calculated the scintillation index (intensity variance) for plane-wave propagation, using the zero-order approximation of the two-scale method. Here we perform a similar calculation adding the first-order correction. We also include results for the correlation of intensities by both the zero-order and the first-order corrections. Our calculations include an inner-scale effect only for the scintillation index. The effect of including the first-order correction is to raise σI by approximately 5–11% at its peak value. There is little change in the normalized form of the correlation of intensity function. The results are compared with the results of recent studies by Martin and Flatte [ Appl. Opt.27, 2111 ( 1988)].
An Efficient and Inexpensive Ultrasonic Nebulizer for Atomic Spectrometry

A new and inexpensive batch-type ultrasonic nebulizer which is based on a common room humidifier has been developed. The aerosol generation rate is shown to be much higher than that of pneumatic nebulizers and hence the detection capabilities of ICP and microwave plasma-AES are significantly enhanced when they are combined with this new nebulization system. Under optimal conditions the stability and precision of the system are comparable with those of commercial ultrasonic nebulizers.
Autonomic stimulation of short circuit current in swine trachea.

Abstract Autonomic stimulation of ionic fluxes was studied in tracheal epithelium of weanling swine by measuring short circuit current (I sc ) in an Ussing chamber. Basal currents were predominantly secretory since 0.1 mM diphenylamine 2-carboxylic acid (DPC) reduced currents by twice as much as did 10 μM amiloride. Both acetylcholine (ACh) and isoproterenol (ISO) produced a sustained increase in I sc , with the EC 50 for ISO being 149 nM and for ACh being 500 nM. In both cases, the induced currents were predominantly secretory since 10 μM amiloride had little effect on either agonist-induced ▵I sc whereas DPC inhibited the ISO- and ACh-induced ▵I sc 's by 30% and 47%, respectively. However, responses to ACh and ISO could be distinguished on three grounds. [1] An anatomic gradient existed, with smaller responses to agonists being observed towards the distal trachea. The ISO-induced currents showed a steeper gradient than the ACh-induced currents. [2] In single tissue samples, the size of the ISO-induced ▵I sc was not correlated with the size of the ACh-induced ▵I sc . [3] The magnitude of the ▵I sc induced by ACh was unaffected by a concomitant stimulation of I sc by ISO. Thus, ACh- induced secretion was independent of ISO-induced secretion, and likely occurred in different cell types.
Segmentation and enhancement of digital copies using a new fuzzy clustering method

In this paper, we introduce a new system to segment and label document images into text, halftoned images, and background using a modified fuzzy c-means (FCM) algorithm. Each pixel is assigned a feature vector, extracted from edge information and gray level distribution. The feature pattern is then assigned to a specific region using the modified fuzzy c-means approach. In the process of minimizing the new objective function, the neighborhood effect acts as a regularizer and biases the solution towards piecewise-homogeneous labelings. Such a regularization is useful in segmenting scans corrupted by scanner noise.
Lightweight Composite Mirror Analysis And Testing

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory InterDisciplinary Model for precision composite structures is described along with the HAVOC composite computer code used to study laminate mirror facesheets. The composite mirror panel thermal behavior is described in addition to structural and optical characteristics. Environmental mirror performance testing and performance test/prediction correlation are covered.
The effects of organic toxicants on methane production and hydrogen gas levels during the anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge

Abstract Batch serum bottle assays were conducted to examine the response of the anaerobic digestion process to inhibition induced by the pulse addition of four organic toxicants [chloroform, bromoethanesulfonic acid (BES), trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) and formaldehyde]. The impact that increasing levels of inhibition of methane production had on hydrogen response and volatile fatty acid (VFA) accumulation were examined. All of the toxicants, with the exception of formaldehyde, appeared to elicit similar hydrogen response patterns and VFA accumulations for similar levels of inhibition. Results indicate that both the hydrogen and acetate catabolizing methanogenic populations were inhibited to approximately the same extent by chloroform, BES, and TCAA. Severe inhibition of methane production (>70% reduction of methane produced compared to controls) resulted in a rapid accumulation of hydrogen in the gaseous headspace. When inhibition was less severe, hydrogen accumulated to levels only slightly above controls. Based on these preliminary results, there appears to be some limits on the potential of using hydrogen as an early warning indicator of process upset. Results do indicate, however, that monitoring hydrogen in consert with conventional process indicators should improve digester monitoring and may provide more rapid indication of process upsets due to toxic shocks.
Community oriented residential care: The state of the art

Over the last several years there has been an interesting and significant debate over the relative merits of foster home care as opposed to institutional care for children. Recently several writers have argued that institutional group care, when properly facilitated, should be regarded with less negativism than in the past (Wolins & Piliavin, 1964; Ferguson, 1966; Wolins, 1965). Indeed, the rate of breakdown in foster care as well as the difficulties of finding foster family homes for children provide new impetus for the reconsideration of the residential care as a placement alternative (Dinnage & Keller-Pringle, 1967, p. 5). It is important, then, to consider ways in which the programs of institutions can be improved. One of the major trends has been toward community oriented care. As the one group whose work touches every aspect of youngsters' lives in an institution, child care workers are particularly well situated to stimulate, encourage, and monitor movement in this direction.
Perinatal mortality in a large perinatal center: Five-Year review of 31,000 births

The perinatal mortality rate for 30,928 babies born at Medical Center Hospital, San Antonio, Texas, between 1978 and 1982, was 20.3/1,000 births. Neonatal and fetal mortality rates were, respectively, 10.1/1,000 live births and 10.4/1,000 births. Exclusion of babies who weighed less than 500 gm yielded adjusted fetal, neonatal, and perinatal mortality rates of, respectively, 9.2, 9.8, and 17.9. Birth weight-specific mortality rates were calculated by groups of 250 gm birth weight for all neonates and by increments of 100 gm for babies who weighed 500 to 1,499 gm. Male infants, intrauterine growth-retarded babies, and babies whose mothers were less than 15 years old contributed more deaths than would be expected from the characteristics of the obstetric population. Presumptive cause of fetal death was unknown in 32%, fetal anoxia in 21%, maternal pathologic conditions in 20%, inappropriate fetal growth in 13%, congenital malformations in 8%, and systemic fetal infections in 6%. Leading presumptive causes of neonatal death were immaturity (29%), congenital malformations (18%), hemorrhages (16%), and systemic infections (10%). Hyaline membrane disease and necrotizing enterocolitis contributed, respectively, 7% and 6% of deaths. Past and future trends of perinatal mortality are discussed.
Building robust appearance models using on-line feature selection

In many tracking applications, adapting the target appearance model over time can improve performance. This approach is most popular in high frame rate video applications where latent variables, related to the objects appearance (e.g., orientation and pose), vary slowly from one frame to the next. In these cases the appearance model and the tracking system are tightly integrated, and latent variables are often included as part of the tracking system's dynamic model. In this paper we describe our efforts to track cars in low frame rate data (1 frame / second), acquired from a highly unstable airborne platform. Due to the low frame rate, and poor image quality, the appearance of a particular vehicle varies greatly from one frame to the next. This leads us to a different problem: how can we build the best appearance model from all instances of a vehicle we have seen so far. The best appearance model should maximize the future performance of the tracking system, and maximize the chances of reacquiring the vehicle once it leaves the field of view. We propose an online feature selection approach to this problem and investigate the performance and computational trade-offs with a real-world dataset.
Substrate Induction of Nitrate Reductase in Barley Aleurone Layers

Nitrate induces the formation of nitrate reductase activity in barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Himalaya) aleurone layers. Previous work has demonstrated de novo synthesis of alpha-amylase by gibberellic acid in the same tissue. The increase in nitrate reductase activity is inhibited by cycloheximide and 6-methylpurine, but not by actinomycin D. Nitrate does not induce alpha-amylase synthesis, and it has no effect on the gibberellic acid-induced synthesis of alpha-amylase. Also, there is little or no direct effect of gibberellic acid (during the first 6 hr of induction) or of abscisic acid on the nitrate-induced formation of nitrate reductase. Gibberellic acid does interfere with nitrate reductase activity during long-term experiments (greater than 6 hr). However, the time course of this inhibition suggests that the inhibition may be a secondary one. Barley aleurone layers therefore provide a convenient tissue for the study of both substrate- and hormone-induced enzyme formation.
Application of the complex Poynting theorem to diffraction gratings

The complex Poynting theorem has been used to study power flow and energy storage for the case in which a plane wave (polarization wherein the electric field is in the plane of incidence) is scattered from a generally lossy, anisotropic, non-Hermitian diffraction grating. The full electromagnetic fields of the diffraction grating system were specified, and, in applying the complex Poynting theorem to the grating system, a full calculation of the diffraction efficiency, the electromagnetic (electric and magnetic) energy, and the real, reactive, dissipative, and evanescent power of the grating was made. A step profile grating was used to test numerical examples, and, in all cases considered, the complex Poynting theorem was obeyed to a high degree of numerical accuracy. In the study the effects that anisotropy and lossiness of the grating system had on the complex power of the system were illustrated. A comparison of the complex power that resulted from scattering from diffraction gratings composed of Hermitian and non-Hermitian anisotropic materials was numerically studied.
Common functional pathways for texture and form vision: A single case study

A single case study of a patient, D.M., with a lesion in the region of the right occipito-temporal gyrus is presented. D.M. had well-preserved language and general cognitive abilities. Colour discrimination, contrast sensitivity, gross depth perception, spatial localization, and motion appreciation were within normal limits. On the evaluation of perceptual abilities, he failed to identify two-dimensional shapes from stereoscopic vision, motion, and texture although in all cases he was able to identify the rough area subtended by the shape. These findings are considered in relation to the current anatomical-physiological functional models of vision and it is suggested that D.M.'s deficits provide evidence for the existence in man of a functional pathway involved in the computation of texture and fine aspects of shape, which is distinct from the pathways involved in motion and stereopsis processing on one hand and colour and coarse aspects of form on the other hand. The hypothesis advanced here is that D.M.'s specific impairment occurs at a stage of visual processing at which details relating to a particular stimulus are assembled in proper local spatial relationships, although they are still not yet appreciated as parts of a shape.
An Empirical Examination of the Factors that Influence the Mix of Cash and Oncash giving to Charity

Taxpayers are able to deduct from taxable income charitable contributions made in either cash or noncash forms. This study examines how the different tax prices of cash and noncash charitable gifts affect the mix of cash and noncash charity, using data from a balanced panel of taxpayers that allows panel data estimation techniques to account for any individual specific effects that may influence the mix of contributions. The article finds that taxpayers are quite responsive in their charitable giving mix to changes in the tax prices. An increase in the relative price of noncash to cash gifts leads to a significant decrease in the proportion of gifts in the noncash form, with an elasticity that often exceeds -1.0.
Sputtered metal oxide broken gap junctions for tandem solar cells

Abstract Broken gap metal oxide tunnel junctions have been created for the first time by sputtering. Using a ceramic ZnO–SnO2 target and a reactively sputtered copper target we deposited ZnSnO3 and Cu2O for the n-type and p-type layers, respectively. The band edges and work functions of these materials are suitable for favorable alignment with the bands of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) for a tandem CIGS-based solar cell applications. Total junction specific resistivities under 1 Ω-cm2 have been achieved with Ohmic current–voltage (I–V) characteristics pointing to a broken gap band alignment. Low temperature I–V measurements confirmed the lack of traps at the interface despite other measurements pointing to an interface where bands overlap. Cu2O films contained copper inclusions, but they were shown, by conductive atomic force microscopy, not to be the dominant paths for conduction across the junction. Post-deposition annealing of junctions demonstrated thermal stability up to 300 °C, and the ability to improve conduction and influence device material’s electron affinity by rapid thermal anneal (RTA). Optical transmission over 78% below a band gap of 2.4 eV was attained for as-deposited films.
Intimate enemies: The politics of peacetime alliances

(1997). Intimate enemies: The politics of peacetime alliances. Security Studies: Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 156-193.
Oligomeric interactions provide alternatives to direct steric modes of control of sugar kinase/actin/hsp70 superfamily functions by heterotropic allosteric effectors: inhibition of E. coli glycerol kinase.

Abstract Unlike those for monomeric superfamily members, heterotropic allosteric effectors of the tetrameric Escherichia coli glycerol kinase (EGK) bind to only one of the two domains that define the catalytic cleft and far from the active site. An R369A amino acid substitution removes oligomeric interactions of a novel mini domain-swap loop of one subunit with the catalytic site of another subunit, and an A65T substitution perturbs oligomeric interactions in a second interface. Linked-functions enzyme kinetics, analytical ultracentrifugation, and FRET are used to assess effects of these substitutions on the allosteric control of catalysis. Inhibition by phosphotransferase system protein IIAGlc is reduced by the R369A substitution, and inhibition by fructose 1,6-bisphosphate is abolished by the A65T substitution. The oligomeric interactions enable the heterotropic allosteric effectors to act on both domains and modulate the catalytic cleft closure despite binding to only one domain.
Wear of Graphite Surface by Punching and Planing

THE wearing process has been studied in detail on graphite basal plane surfaces rubbed by metallic micro-probes while being observed with a microscope having epi-illumination. When the graphite was smooth and flat, the probe under very light force could be passed repeatedly over the graphite without damage. Under increasing normal force, however, the surface showed a few sharp shadow lines extending away from the contact region, and these were interpreted as boundaries of stress or dislocation within the crystal.
On rigid inclusions of minimum stress concentration

Abstract T he three-dimensional problem of finding the shape of minimum stress concentration for a rigid inclusion imbedded in an elastic matrix is analyzed and solved. The matrix extends to infinity, filling the space exterior to the inclusion. Loading consists of uniform stress applied at infinity, so that in the absence of the inclusion the medium would be homogeneously stressed. The optimum inclusions are found to be ellipsoidal in shape, and conditions on the loading are found under which these ellipsoids can be rigorously proven to be optimal.
Safety effectiveness of centerline rumble strips in Kansas

The occurrence of roadway departure crashes is a serious problem in the United States. These types of crashes correspond to approximately 40% of all crashes in the United States, and their estimated annual cost is $100 billion. The objective of this study was to quantify the safety effectiveness of center line rumble strips (CLRS) in Kansas. CLRS are raised or grooved patterns installed on the center of two-lane, undivided, rural highways to prevent mainly cross-over crashes, more specifically head-on and sideswipe in opposite direction types of crashes. In this study, 29 sections of highways with two patterns of CLRS (rectangular and football) were analyzed, totaling more than 590 km. The naive and the empirical Bayes before-and-after methods were applied and compared. Results showed that following the installation of CLRS, total crashes judged to be correctable by CLRS were reduced by approximately 29%. Correctable crashes involving fatalities and injuries were reduced by approximately 34%. Cross-over crashes were reduced by approximately 67%. Run-off-the-road crashes were reduced by 19%. All comparisons except for run-off-the-road crashes were statistically significant. The two methods applied presented statistically similar results. There was no statistical differences between results from sections with rectangular or football shaped CLRS.
Recent Spatial Restructuring in Zhujiang Delta, South China: A Study of Socialist Regional Development Strategy

Abstract China's agricultural reforms and open door policy adopted since 1978 have had impact on the country's economic structure, population characteristics, and urban development. This paper examines the spatial implications of such changes in the light of the development of Zhujiang Delta located in the coastal region of South China. Market-oriented agricultural production, rural industrialization, migration of surplus farm labor, and the spread of small towns in the rural areas are some of the consequences of the reforms and are placed in the perspective of the coreperiphery theory of regional development. It is argued that the hybrid “center-downward”and “periphery-upward”approach in spatial development was adopted because it was politically more adaptable to the Chinese objectives of economic development, which continue to uphold Marxism, Maoism and Communist Party leadership. Through careful control of the destination of the rural migrants in conjunction with the policy of small town development, C...
Inverse Chemical Vapor Deposition: A Novel Single Stage Synthesis of Highly Reflective and Conductive Silvered Polymeric Films

Highly reflective and surface conductive flexible polyimide films have been prepared by the incorporation of silver(I) acetate and 1,1,1-trifluoro-2,4-pentanedione into a dimethylacetamide solution of the poly(amic acid) formed from 3,3‘,4,4‘-benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride and 4,4‘-oxydianiline. Thermal curing of the silver(I)-containing poly(amic acid) leads to cycloimidization of the polyimide precursor with concomitant silver(I) reduction, yielding a reflective and conductive silver surface approaching that of the native metal. The metalized films retain the essential mechanical and thermal properties of the parent film. Films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, tapping mode atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and conductivity, reflectivity, thermal, and mechanical measurements.
Nitrogen dioxide and ozone as factors in the availability of lead from lead-based paints.

Lead-based paint remains a pervasive problem in U.S. cities, and an increasing problem in the developing world where it is still manufactured and used. Little attention has focused on the factors t...
Birth Order and Persistence Following Direct and Vicarious Reinforcement on Different Schedules

Summary A comparative analysis of responses to extinction of first and later born college males was conducted, varying richness of reinforcement schedule (variable ratio 20% vs. 80%); type of reinforcement (direct vs. vicarious); and whether statements made by the model during his “acquisition” were persistence-relevant or not. Seventy-two S s operated electronic apparatus by choosing one of four manipulanda. Birth order-related differences occurred only under the 20% schedule. Firstborns, more than later borns, persisted when reinforcement was direct and when a model showed persistent behavior and made persistence-relevant remarks about it. They were less persistent than later borns when the model made persistence-irrelevant remarks.
Do endocrine treatments for breast cancer have a negative impact on lipid profiles and cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women

Although cardiovascular disease occurs infrequently in premenopausal women, the incidence increases dramatically after menopause. Endocrine agents used to treat postmenopausal women with breast cancer further reduce estrogen levels and have the potential to adversely affect lipid metabolism, although the relevance of this to cardiovascular risk remains uncertain. Until recently, the standard endocrine treatment for breast cancer was tamoxifen, which appears to have a generally favorable effect on lipid parameters, although this does not translate into cardioprotective effects. The third-generation aromatase inhibitors (AIs), including anastrozole, have recently emerged as alternatives for the treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone-sensitive breast cancer. Anastrozole, currently the only AI with established long-term safety data in the adjuvant setting, results in significantly fewer thromboembolic and cerebrovascular events compared with tamoxifen, and a similar incidence of ischemic cardiovascular events. However, the effects of other AIs on lipid values are variable, and any relationship with cardiovascular events in long-term studies is currently unknown.
Variation in friction coefficient with tool wear

Abstract The acceleration component resulting from flank wear alone is isolated from vertical tool vibration signals collected by an accelerometer mounted safely away from the cutting process. The friction force and friction coefficient are computed from this component to show that they decrease at the initial stages of wear, reach a minimum near the critical wear, and increase again. Empirical models are proposed and estimated with the computed values. The importance of these models in predicting the coefficient in the hazardous region of large wear, from data collected in the safe region below critical wear, is delineated. Possible mechanisms for this behavior based on the current theories of friction and wear are discussed.
A tentative typology of romance historical grammars

Abstract This exploratory essay applies the typological method to the classification, not of languages, but of diachronic linguistic analyses, most of which may be subsumed under the traditional label of “historical grammar”. In this pilot study the material tends to be limited to Romance, but the method, after certain adjustments, lends itself to discernibly wider application. The purpose of the inquiry is to establish a number of frequently recurrent distinctive features whose varying constellations — some of them fairly unusual or even potential rather than real — are apt to characterize, with formulaic brevity, the peculiar slant of each such diachronic study. The full bibliographic clues to those researches which have here deserved mention — not infrequently, oblique or parenthetic — have been assembled in a Supplement.
Tukey-like pairwise comparisons among proportions

A Quick BASIC microcomputer program for conducting Tukey-Like pairwise comparisons on k independent sample proportions is described. It was written on a 386 SX and can accommodate applications involving equal or unequal sample sizes.
Dynamic and Semi-Dynamic Programming Equations for Optimal Control of Certain Distributed Systems

The problem of optimal control of an elliptic system is parametrized by a family of retracts of the boundary of the system domain, and dynamic programming is applied.
Morbidity associated with abdominocentesis — a prospective study

Summary Abdominocentesis is performed routinely in the assessment of the equine colic patient; however, the incidence of complications from this procedure has not been firmly established. Specific information was solicited from cases at the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (UFVMTH) whenever abdominocentesis was performed: 1) person performing tap (student, resident or faculty); 2) instrument used; 3) site and number of taps performed and 4) characteristics of fluid obtained (if any). Clinical records were reviewed to determine antibiotic usage, clinical or surgical diagnosis and evidence of bowel or body wall damage subsequent to abdominocentesis. Enterocentesis occurred in 7 cases of 124 (representing 188 abdominocentesis attempts) and resulted in peritonitis in 2 horses and abdominal wall cellulitis in one. All 7 were found to have distended bowel at the time of abdominocentesis on the basis of rectal palpation or surgery performed immediately after abdominocentesis. The peritonitis in 2 horses was resolved with antibiotic therapy (penicillin and gentamycin) as was the abdominal wall cellulitis following both broad spectrum antibiotic usage and local hydrotherapy. No greater risk of enterocentesis was associated with students. Use of needles vs teat cannulas resulted in a very slightly greater rate of enterocentesis (5.7% vs 3.1%) (no significant difference). We conclude that there is a slight risk for abdominocentesis in horses with distended bowel.
The Calmodulin-dependent Phosphodiesterase Gene PDE1C Encodes Several Functionally Different Splice Variants in a Tissue-specific Manner

We report here the identification of cDNAs for three new mouse PDE1C splice variants and the characterization of their kinetics, regulation by Ca2+, sensitivities to inhibitors, and tissue/cellular expression patterns. Sequence analysis indicated that these three cDNAs (PDE1C1, PDE1C4, and PDE1C5), together with our previously reported PDE1C2 and PDE1C3, are alternative splice products of the PDE1C gene. The results from RNase protection analysis and in situ hybridization indicated that the expression of the different PDE1C splice variants is differentially regulated in a tissue/cell-specific manner. Particularly, high levels of PDE1C mRNAs were found in the olfactory epithelium, testis, and several regions of mouse brain such as cerebellar granule cells. All of these splice variants have similar kinetic properties, showing high affinities and approximately the same relative Vmax values for both cAMP and cGMP. However, they responded to Ca2+ stimulation differently. In addition, they show different sensitivities to the calmodulin-dependent phosphodiesterase inhibitors, KS505a and SCH51866. Substrate competition experiments suggested the presence of only one catalytic site on these PDE1C isozymes for both cAMP and cGMP. In summary, these findings suggest that the PDE1C gene undergoes tissue-specific alternative splicing that generates structurally and functionally diverse gene products.
Watching proteins move using site-directed spin labeling

Site-directed spin labeling of proteins has proven to be a practical means for determining secondary structure and its orientation; surfaces of tertiary interactions; inter-residue distances; chain topology and depth of a given side chain from the membrane/aqueous surface in membrane proteins; and local electrostatic potentials at solvent-exposed sites. Moreover, the mobility of a side chain together with its solvent-accessibility may serve to uniquely identify the topographical location of specific residues in the protein fold. Future spectral analysis should permit a quantitative estimation of the contribution of backbone flexibility to the overall side-chain dynamics.The ability to time-resolve the structural features mentioned above makes SDSL a powerful approach for exploring the evolution of structure on the millisecond time scale. We anticipate future applications to the study of protein folding both in solution and in chaperone-mediated systems.
Influence of acidulant identity on the effects of pH and acid resistance on the radiation resistance of Escherichia coli O157:H7

Abstract The effects of pH (4.0–5.5), acid identity (acetic, citric, lactic, malic, and hydrochloric), and the induction of pH-dependent stationary phase acid resistance on the radiation resistance of E. coli O157:H7 Ent-C9490 was studied using cells grown in Tryptic Soy Broth with and without dextrose (induced and non-induced to acid resistance) and then resuspended in brain–heart infusion broth containing 5 g/l of an organic acid and acidified with concentrated hydrochloric acid. After treatment with gamma radiation, the number of survivors was determined by plating on brain–heart infusion agar (injured and non-injured cells) and MacConkey agar (non-injured cells), and the data used to calculate radiation D -values. The induction of pH-dependent stationary phase acid resistance consistently provided the enterohemorrhagic E. coli strain cross-protection from subsequent irradiation, increasing radiation D -values by 1.2–3.3-fold, depending on the organic acid present. The radiation resistance of E. coli varied with acid identity, but was largely unaffected by pH within the range examined. The results indicate that induction of cross-protection resulting from induction of acid resistance is a factor that should be considered to accurately determine the radiation dose needed to inactivate enterohemorrhagic E. coli in foods.
Matrix Metalloproteinaes and Bone Metastasis

The degradation of stromal and epithelial extracellular matrices (ECM) is partly mediated by a family of zinc-dependent endopeptidases, the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which have the potential to cleave virtually all structural ECM components and thus are major mediators of extracellular proteolysis in normal and pathological conditions. In humans, the MMP family comprises at least 25 closely homologous multidomain enzymes that share common structural and functional features. Overall, the MMP family has evolved to include both secreted and plasma membrane-tethered members, thus conferring the MMPs with the ability to mediate proteolytic events at both the cell surface and in the immediate peri-cellular milieu. With few exceptions, MMPs comprise four basic domains: a signal peptide, a propeptide domain, a catalytic domain and a C-terminal domain known as the hemopexin-like domain. The propeptide domain is a short stretch of residues containing the conserved PRCG(V/N)PD, which maintains the enzyme in its inactive, zymogen state (referred here as pro-MMP) until its proteolytic removal, via the so-called “cysteine switch” (Nagase, 1999). A cysteine residue within the propeptide domain occupies a coordination site of the catalytic zinc to maintain enzyme latency (Becker et al., 1995; Van Wart and Birkedal-Hansen, 1990). The catalytic domain of MMPs contains two zinc ions, which are important for either structural or catalytic competence, and at least one calcium ion. The catalytic zinc ion is coordinated to three histidine residues, and it is necessary for MMP proteolytic activity (Bode et al, 1994; Salowe et al., 1992). All MMPs, except MMP-7 and MMP-26, contain a hemopexin-like domain, which is connected to the catalytic domain via a hinge region. Depending on the type of MMP, the hemopexin-like domain plays a role in substrate binding and interactions with tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), which affect MMP substrate recognition, zymogen activation and inhibition of activity. Structurally, the hemopexin-like domain has an ellipsoid shape, composed of a four-bladed s -propeller structure (). In the case of the zymogenic form of the gelatinases, the hemopexin-like domain can bind TIMPs, a family of endogenous MMP inhibitors, with proMMP-2 binding TIMP-2, TIMP-3, and TIMP-4 and pro-MMP-9 binding TIMP-1 and TIMP-3 (Baker et al., 2002). For a long time, the significance of the binding of TIMPs to the latent form of the gelatinases was not understood because the zymogens are devoid of enzymatic activity. It turned out that in the case of pro-MMP-2, binding of TIMP-2 plays a role in zymogen activation by MT-MMPs (described below).
Psychological Predictors of Sexual Behaviors Related to AIDS Transmission

This study was designed to assess the differential value of several psychological variables with regard to predicting safe-sex behavior. A sample of 94 male and 179 female undergraduate students, ranging in age from 16 to 66 years, were surveyed about sexual issues related to safe-sex practices. The survey included scales measuring participants' knowledge of transmission of AIDS, self-perception of safe-sex communication, fear and concern about AIDS, attitudes toward AIDS victims, and self-report of risky behavior. Several interesting relationships among predictor variables were found. For instance, favorable attitudes toward AIDS victims were positively correlated with knowledge about AIDS transmission, perceived communication with partners about safe sex, and fear of acquiring AIDS. However, only two predictor variables were independently predictive of self-reports of risky sexual behavior; specifically, fear about AIDS transmission was positively correlated with risky behavior, while communication was ...
Reproductive correlation and mean–variance scaling of reproductive output for a forest model

We analyse the mean-variance scaling of reproductive output for a previously published forest model. The model relates individual reproductive effort and pollen limitation to the degree of synchrony in reproduction throughout a forest. We show that the exponent of Taylor's power law reflects the degree of synchrony of reproduction because it indicates the covariance of reproductive behavior. Further, we are able to relate the three components of masting, individual variability, population variability and synchrony in reproductive output, using Taylor's power law. Therefore Taylor's power law can be used as a synoptic index of masting.
Selective costimulation modulation with abatacept: a look at quality-of-life outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives To highlight the importance of improving quality of life (QoL) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to provide a summary of the QoL benefits provided by abatacept in patients who have an inadequate response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and/or tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists. Methods A literature search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and BIOSIS databases was performed using the terms "abatacept," "cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4)" and "ORENCIA ® ," with the coindexing terms: "abatacept," "CTLA-4," and "ORENCIA ® ." Only articles presenting primary data on QoL outcomes from randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials of abatacept were included in the review. Results The literature search initially yielded 220 articles. A total of 8 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria described above and are reviewed here. In clinical trials to date, abatacept treatment has been shown to improve QoL in patients who have an inadequate response to traditional DMARDs and TNF antagonists. Conclusions Improvements in QoL are rated by patients as 1 of the most important benefits of an effective treatment; however, inclusion of QoL measurements in clinical trials as a measure of efficacy is a relatively recent event. Abatacept has been shown to alleviate both the physical and the emotional/social burdens that RA imposes on the patient, including improvements in day-to-day activity and reducing sleep problems and fatigue in patients with RA who have an inadequate response to DMARDs and/or TNF antagonists.
The Preference for and Tolerance of the Intensity of Exercise Questionnaire: A psychometric evaluation among college women

Individuals differ in the intensity of exercise that they prefer and the intensity that they can tolerate. We examined the psychometric properties of the Preference for and Tolerance of the Intensity of Exercise Questionnaire (PRETIE-Q; Ekkekakis, Hall, & Petruzzello, 2005: Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 27, 350 - 374). A sample of 601 college women (mean age 20 years) completed the PRETIE-Q and the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire. Both the Preference and the Tolerance scale were internally consistent (alpha coefficients of 0.89 and 0.86, respectively), with all items making positive contributions. A confirmatory factor analysis showed that model fit was reasonable. Both Preference and Tolerance were related to the frequency of participation in strenuous exercise and the total leisure-time exercise score. The PRETIE-Q appears to be an internally consistent and structurally valid measure, with a broad range of possible applications in exercise science.
Acoustic-based pitch-accent detection in speech: Dependence on word identity and insensitivity to variations inword usage

Past work has produced fairly accurate automatic pitch-accent detectors, but it has often been noted that the accent class of a word is highly dependent on word identity, with some words and word types usually being accented and others not. We argue that a good accent detector should not only have high overall accuracy, but also be able to distinguish between accented and unaccented variants of the same word. We report on experiments with several classifiers trained on a hand-labeled corpus, using a large set of acoustic features. Results show that while the classifiers have a high overall accuracy, they perform disappointingly on words with atypical accent status or whose prior accent status is more uncertain. We further report on attempts to improve the performance on these sub-tasks via feature selection and engineering of the training set.
Maximum estimates for oblique derivative problems with right hand side in L p , p n

If u is a solution of the second order elliptic differential equation Lu=f in some Lipschitz domain in ℝn, we estimate the maximum of u in terms of some oblique derivative prescribed on the boundary of the domain and in terms of the Lp norm of f with p<n.
Spontaneously adsorbed monolayer films: fabrication, characterization, and application of monolayers of alkanethiol and sulfur-bearing cyclodextrin derivatives

1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION 3 PART I. SPONTANEOUSLY ADSORBED MONOLAYERS OF ALKANETHIOLS ON GOLD AND SILVER SURFACES: FABRICATION, STRUCTURE, AND INTERFACIAL PROPERTIES 5 ABSTRACT 6 INTRODUCTION 7 EXPERIMENTAL 11 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 22 CONCLUSIONS 82 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 84 REFERENCES 856 INTRODUCTION 7 EXPERIMENTAL 11 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 22 CONCLUSIONS 82 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 84 REFERENCES 85 PART IL MOLECULAR RECOGNITION BY SPONTANEOUSLY ADSORBED MONOLAYERS OF SULFUR-BEARING CYCLODEXTRIN DERIVATIVES ON GOLD AND SILVER SURFACES 90 ABSTRACT 9
The effect of redundant contextual stimuli on autoshaping the pigeon’s keypeck

Three experiments investigated the effect of contextual and trial stimulus lighting conditions on keypeck autoshaping in pigeons. White illumination of a response key before food presentation readily produced keypecking in a brightly lit chamber but failed to do so in a chamber without house illumination (Experiments I and III). Keypecking in a darkened cubicle progressively increased and the facilitatory effect of a houselight decreased as the keylight stimulus was varied from a color change (Experiment II) to a feature change (Experiment III). These findings support a “cue localization” hypothesis of autoshaping. according to which reinforcement signals select specific behaviors for expression and direct these behaviors toward the source of stimulation. This account was extended to superstitious and operant conditioning situations.
Intrauterine devices at six months: does patient age matter? Results from an urban family medicine federally qualified health center (FQHC) network.

Background: Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) can address high rates of unintended pregnancy among adolescents in the United States by increasing access to intrauterine devices (IUDs) in underserved settings. Despite national guidelines endorsing adolescent use of IUDs, some physicians remain concerned about IUD tolerance and safety in adolescents. Therefore we compared adolescents and adults in a family physician staffed FQHC network with regard to (1) IUD postinsertion experience, (2) device discontinuation, and (3) sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study among women Results: We included 684 women (27% adolescents, 73% adults). During the 6-month postinsertion period, 59% of adolescents and 43% of adults initiated IUD-related clinical contact after insertion, most commonly for bleeding changes and pelvic or abdominal pain. There were no significant differences between groups in IUD expulsion or removal or STI rates. Conclusions: Urban FQHC providers may anticipate that, compared with their adult IUD users, adolescents will initiate more clinical follow-up visits after insertion. Both groups will, however, have similar clinical concerns about, reasons for, and rate of device discontinuation and low STI rates.
The Effect of Water Restriction on Chicks Fed Different Levels of Molasses

Abstract PREVIOUS reports from this Station (Rosenberg, 1954a, b; 1955; and Rosenberg and Palafox, 1956) have shown that poultry can tolerate fairly high levels of molasses, good growth and egg production being obtained with levels as high as 34.5 percent molasses in the ration. However, the accompanying increase of moisture in the droppings, although in itself apparently not harmful to poultry, aggravated the problems of fly control and egg soilage. Unpublished results obtained at this laboratory have shown a very high positive correlation between water consumption and water excreted in the droppings. Preliminary studies by Maxwell and Lyle (1957) showed that wet droppings could be prevented in hens housed in individual wire pens by restricting the water intake to three 15-minute periods per day. No harmful effects were noted from this treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine whether water restriction could reduce the moisture of droppings from chicks …