cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Aneuploid epididymal sperm detected in chromosomally normal and Robertsonian translocation-bearing mice using a new three-chromosome FISH method.

We present a new method to detect epididymal sperm aneuploidy (ESA) in mice using simultaneous fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with DNA probes specific for mouse chromosomes X, Y and 8. The method was applied to Robertsonian (Rb) translocation (8.14) heterozygotes and homozygotes as well as the chromosomally normal B6C3F1. The sex ratios of sperm did not differ from the expected 1∶1 and the hybridization efficiencies were ≈99.7% for over 60 000 sperm analyzed. Mice heterozygous for Rb (8.14) produced about tenfold higher rates of sperm with chromosome 8 hyperhaploidy than did Rb (8.14) homozygotes or chromosomally normal mice, while frequencies of sperm with hyperhaploidies for chromosomes X and Y were unaffected in all three lines of mice. Hyperhaploid frequencies obtained with the ESA method were consistent with those of the previous testicular FISH method and were validated by published data obtained by conventional cytogenetic analyses (meiotic metaphase II and first cleavage). Thus, the mouse three-chromosome ESA assay together with the previously developed aneuploidy assay for human sperm constitute a promising pair of interspecific biomarkers for comparative studies of the genetic and physiologic mechanisms of the induction and persistence of aneuploidy in male germ cells.
Determination of enantiomeric composition of samples by multivariate regression modeling of spectral data obtained with cyclodextrin guest-host complexes-Effect of an achiral surfactant and use of mixed cyclodextrins.

Abstract The determination of the enantiomeric composition of samples by chemometric modeling of spectral data was investigated for samples of N , N ′-bis-(α-methylbenzyl) sulfamide and tryptophan methyl ester hydrochloride. Multivariate regression models (PLS-1) were developed from spectral data obtained on solutions containing N , N ′-bis-(α-methylbenzyl)sulfamide or tryptophan methyl ester hydrochloride in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate and mixed cyclodextrin host molecules. The regression models were subsequently used to predict the enantiomeric composition of laboratory-prepared test samples of N , N ′-bis(α-methylbenzyl)sulfamide or tryptophan methyl ester hydrochloride. The capability of the models to accurately predict the enantiomeric composition was evaluated in terms of the root-mean-square percent relative error (RMS %R.E.) as calculated from the results obtained with independently prepared validation sets of samples. It was found that the presence of SDS in most cases either had little effect on the predictive ability of the model or it actually reduced the predictive ability of the model. Moreover, it was found that the use of mixed CDs, either in the presence or absence of SDS, reduced the predictive ability of the regression model when compared with results obtained with individual CDs.
Competitiveness and the Market for Central and Eastern European Wines: A Cultural Good in the Global Wine Market

The shifting locus of international wine production reflects the impact of ‘New World’ wines from the Southern hemisphere and the United States. A region which, oenologically, had an historic and traditional advantage over these new sources—the Central and Eastern European countries—has lagged behind these young competitors. This paper examines some recent history of the international wine market and this region's status in it. It suggests an unconventional interpretation of the nature of wine in the marketplace—as a cultural good—and discusses how this understanding of wine might define a market niche not yet served by current producers.
Graph models for PLA folding problems

This paper considers combinatorial optimization models for the problem of reducing the chip area of programmable logic arrays (PLAs) by folding. In particular, we focus on the variable and block folding problems, and we present theoretical optimization models based on the compatibility graph, on the incompatibility graph and on the representative hyper-graph of a PLA.
The use of RT-PCR for prostate-specific antigen assay to predict potential surgical failures before radical prostatectomy: molecular staging of prostate cancer.

Objective To assess the potential role of a recently developed reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), that detects circulating prostate cells in patients with prostate cancer, in the management of clinically localized cancer. Patients and methods A total of 138 men (mean age 62.5 years, range 49–70) scheduled for radical retropubic prostatectomy had an RT-PCR assay before surgery. The results were compared with the final pathological stage of disease, the results from local imaging techniques, serum PSA levels, digital rectal examination (DRE) and Gleason score. Results Enhanced RT-PCR for PSA was the best predictor of potential surgical failures; 70% of patients with positive surgical margins or invasion into the seminal vesicle were identified pre-operatively by a positive RT-PCR assay (odds ratio=12.0, positive predictive value=64%, negative predictive value=87%). RTPCR was able to identify pre-operatively patients with adverse pathology, despite low serum PSA values ( 10 ng/mL), RT-PCR discriminated between potentially curable candidates and those with established extraprostatic disease. Conclusions RT-PCR for PSA adds unique prognostic information when considering patients for radical surgery. The final role for the RT-PCR assay is as yet undefined; however, the ability to detect potential surgical failures pre-operatively using a molecular approach should have a significant impact on the management of patients with prostate cancer.
Increased workload fully activates the blunted IRS-1/PI3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway in atrophied uremic muscle

Muscle wasting in chronic renal failure is associated with increased morbidity and mortality; however, resistance exercise is effective at increasing muscle mass while improving muscle strength and function. To study the mechanism by which this occurs, we compared uremic and control rats where work overload was surgically induced unilaterally in the plantaris muscle. We found that work overload increases muscle insulin-like growth factor-1 and mechano-growth factor expression. This in addition to direct mechanical activation of signaling was likely the cause of the observed increased in the protein levels and phosphorylation of the mediators of these growth factors, the insulin receptor substrate-1/phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway. The mechanical enhancement of signal transduction appeared to be mediated in part by increased signal protein levels and decreased SOCS2 mRNA expression (suppressor of cytokine signaling-2). Despite impaired basal signaling, the work-induced signaling response was similar to that observed in nonuremic rats and produced changes consistent with decreased muscle protein degradation, increased protein synthetic capacity, and an increased number of multinucleated muscle cells. Our studies suggest that these work-induced changes account for the improved uremic muscle mass reaching levels comparable to those seen in normal rats.
Effective precedence constrained scheduling in a make-to-order environment

The make-to-order assembly lines have gradually replaced the traditional mass production assembly lines. These assembly lines follow a 'make-to-order' production policy, which are featured with a short production lead time, small number of working stations and highly skilled workers. In order to maximise the throughput under the resource (machine, labour and time) constraints, the problem of minimising makespan with general precedence constraints is addressed in this paper. A mathematical model of the problem is presented and a new heuristic, genetic job-oriented list scheduling (GJLS) is developed. Computational experiments indicate that the proposed algorithm outperforms the existing Graham's list scheduling (GLS).
The equivalence of two estimators of the fixed-effects logit model

Abstract This note shows that the scale-adjusted maximum likelihood estimator suggested by a result of [ Andersen, 1973 . Conditional inference and models for measuring. Mentalhygiejnisk Forlag, Copenhagen.] is equivalent to the conditional logit estimator of [ Chamberlain, 1980 . Analysis of covariance with qualitative data. Review of Economic Studies 47, 225–238.] for the fixed-effects logit model with two time periods. © 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.
One child's learning: introducing writing with a computer

This is a case study of how one child learned to write in a computer-rich setting. Although computer access did affect her learning significantly, the detail presented here go beyond supporting that claim. They provide a simple example of what a computer-based introduction to writing might be like for other children. We conclude with a short discussion of issues raised by the study.
Transport and scattering mean free paths of classical waves.

Transport, as well as scattering, mean free paths are calculated within the weak-scattering approximation and within a recently developed extension of the well-known coherent-potential approximation for a random arrangement of dielectric spheres. The different theoretical results of the mean free paths are compared with experiments on scattering from dielectric spheres.
Paleoecological investigations of recent lake acidification in northern Florida

Thirty-two northern Florida lakes were analyzed to construct a transfer function relating surface sediment diatom assemblages to lakewater pH (R2=0.89, s.e.=0.34). A paleoecological analysis of sediment cores from six of these lakes indicated that two have become more acidic in the last 50 years. The diatom inferred (DI) pH of L. Barco has declined between 0.56–0.82 in the 1900's and DI ANC (acid neutralizing capacity) by 28–46 μeq l-1. The DI pH of nearby L. Suggs has declined 0.91 pH units and its DI ANC by 19 μeq l-1. The timing of the inferred acidification is synchronous with known increases in emissions of sulfates and nitrates that are associated with acidic precipitation. Also, the increasing accumulation of substances related to emissions from the burning of fossil fuels (e.g., Pb, PAH) co-occurs with the lowering of DI pH in the sedimentary record. However, other processes may have accounted for or contributed to recent lake acidification. For instance, the drawdown of local water tables by human consumption may decrease the inseepage of ANC to seepage lakes. Such an effect would be synchronous with increasing depositions of sulfate. There is also clear evidence that Florida lakes are naturally acidic. Thus, paleoecological results indicate acidic deposition to be at certain contributor, but not necessarily the sole cause, of the recent further acidification of some naturally acidic Florida lakes.
Aluminum-Matrix Aluminum Nitride Particle Composite as a Low-Thermal-Expansion Thermal Conductor

Aluminum-matrix composites containing AIN or SiC particles were fabricated by vacuum infiltration of liquid aluminum into a porous particulate preform under an argon pressure of up to 41 MPa. Al/AIN was superior to Al/SiC in thermal conductivity. At 59 vol.% AIN, Al/AlN had a thermal conductivity of 157 W/m. °C and a thermal expansion coefficient of 9.8 × 10 −-6 ° C −1 (35–100 °C). Al/AlN had similar tensile strength and higher ductility compared to Al/SiC of a similar reinforcement volume fraction at room temperature, but exhibited higher tensile strength and higher ductility at 300–400°C. The ductility of Al/AlN increased with increasing temperature from 22 to 400°C, while that of Al/SiC did not change with temperature. The superior high temperature resistance of Al/AlN is attributed to the lack of a reaction between Al and AIN, in contrast to the reaction between Al and SiC in AI/SiC.
Potato irrigation scheduling in Wisconsin

Utilisation du programme d'irrigation WISP utilise dans l'etat du Wisconsin, en vue de reduire le lessivage et les couts de l'irrigation, directs (par pompage) et indirects (par lessivage des pesticides et des nitrates)
PTP1B Modulates the Association of β-Catenin with N-cadherin through Binding to an Adjacent and Partially Overlapping Target Site *

The nonreceptor tyrosine phosphatase PTP1B associates with the cytoplasmic domain of N-cadherin and may regulate cadherin function through dephosphorylation of β-catenin. We have now identified the domain on N-cadherin to which PTP1B binds and characterized the effect of perturbing this domain on cadherin function. Deletion constructs lacking amino acids 872–891 fail to bind PTP1B. This domain partially overlaps with the β-catenin binding domain. To further define the relationship of these two sites, we used peptides to compete in vitro binding. A peptide representing the most NH2-terminal 8 amino acids of the PTP1B binding site, the region of overlap with the β-catenin target, effectively competes for binding of β-catenin but is much less effective in competing PTP1B, whereas two peptides representing the remaining 12 amino acids have no effect on β-catenin binding but effectively compete for PTP1B binding. Introduction into embryonic chick retina cells of a cell-permeable peptide mimicking the 8 most COOH-terminal amino acids in the PTP1B target domain, the region most distant from the β-catenin target site, prevents binding of PTP1B, increases the pool of free, tyrosine-phosphorylated β-catenin, and results in loss of N-cadherin function. N-cadherin lacking this same region of the PTP1B target site does not associate with PTP1B or β-catenin and is not efficiently expressed at the cell surface of transfected L cells. Thus, interaction of PTP1B with N-cadherin is essential for its association with β-catenin, stable expression at the cell surface, and consequently, cadherin function.
On the classification of integers n that divide ϕ(n)+σ(n)

Abstract The expressions ϕ ( n ) + σ ( n ) − 3 n and ϕ ( n ) + σ ( n ) − 4 n are unusual among linear combinations of arithmetic functions in that they each vanish on a nonempty set of composite numbers. In 1966, Nicol proved that the set A : = { n | ( ϕ ( n ) + σ ( n ) ) / n ∈ N ⩾ 3 } contains 2 a ⋅ 3 ⋅ ( 2 a − 2 ⋅ 7 − 1 ) if and only if 2 a − 2 ⋅ 7 − 1 is prime and conjectured that A contains no odd integers. A 2008 paper by Luca and Sandor completely classifies the elements of A that have three distinct prime factors and observes that Nicol's conjecture holds for numbers with fewer than six distinct prime factors. In this paper we let A K denote the set of n ∈ A with exactly K distinct prime factors and present a computer-implementable algorithm that decides whether Nicol's conjecture holds for a given A K . Using this algorithm, we verify Nicol's conjecture for A 6 and completely classify the elements of A 4 . We prove that all but finitely many n ∈ A 4 have the form 2 a ⋅ 3 ⋅ p 3 ⋅ p 4 , and that all but finitely many n ∈ A 5 are divisible by 6 and not 9. In addition, we prove that every A K is contained in a finite union of sequences that each have the form { p 1 a 1 i ⋯ p k a k i ⋅ u ⋅ w i } i = 1 ∞ , where k ⩾ 1 , p 1 , … , p k are distinct primes, and each a j i as well as the least prime factor of w i go to infinity as i does.
Inanition and the motivation-performance function for the rat

Abstract Ten rats were trained to stand in a small area in front of the magazine of a Skinner box to receive food reinforcement on an FI 30 schedule. Errors, defined as stepping out of the demarcated area, were related to deprivation in a quadratic function, with a minimum at the relatively moderate level of 36 hr deprivation. Body weight was a linear function of deprivation and showed only an insignificant correlation of .19 with performance. The results were interpreted as conclusively diserediting the inanition hypothesis and as being most in favor of the response competition hypothesis.
Raw Materials in the Manufacture of Biotechnology Products: Regulatory Considerations

The Food and Drug Administration's Pharmaceutical cGMPs for the 21st Century initiative emphasizes science and risk-based approaches in the manufacture of drugs. These approaches are reflected in the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidances ICH Q8, Q9, and Q10 and encourage a comprehensive assessment of the manufacture of a biologic, including all aspects of manufacture that have the potential to affect the finished drug product. Appropriate assessment and management of raw materials are an important part of this initiative. Ideally, a raw materials program should strive to assess and minimize the risk to product quality. With this in mind, risk-assessment concepts and control strategies will be discussed and illustrated by examples, with an emphasis on the impact of raw materials on cell substrates. Finally, the life cycle of the raw material will be considered, including its potential to affect the drug product life cycle. In this framework, the supply chain and the vendor-manufacturer relationship will be explored as important parts of an adequate raw materials control strategy.
COMPLEX SURFACE STRUCTURES FROM LEED

The complexity of surface structures solved routinely with low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) has increased dramatically in recent years. This paper describes the evolution of the complexity that has become achievable, provides illustrations of complicated structures solved recently, and discusses the outlook for the future.
Anesthesiology critical care medicine: a fellowship and faculty recruitment program

Abstract Study Objective To review national data on anesthesiology critical care medicine (ACCM) fellowship program enrollment and to describe a program that successfully recruited ACCM fellows and faculty at a single academic medical center. Design An incentive program known as the Mayo Clinic Scholar program, designed to recruit ACCM fellows and faculty, was reviewed. Interviews were conducted to assess the impact of the Mayo Clinic Scholar program. Setting Academic health center. Measurements ACCM fellowship program enrollment data were compared with similar data for critical care medicine fellowship programs in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, pediatrics, and surgery.The results of a program to recruit ACCM fellows and faculty were reviewed. Main Results Only 89 of 147 (60.5%) ACCM fellowship positions available nationally were filled during the 2010-2011 academic year, and only 89 of the 896 (9.9%) critical care medicine fellows anticipated to graduate in 2011 were in ACCM programs. The Mayo Clinic ACCM fellowship enrolled 28 fellows from January 1, 2000 through July 1, 2010 (range 0-6 per yr). Ten of the 28 (35.7%) were United States medical graduates (USMGs) and 6 of the 10 (60.0%) USMGs who were graduates of the Mayo Clinic residency were appointed as Mayo Clinic Scholars. All 6 Mayo Clinic Scholars were retained as ACCM faculty. Only two of the 6 (33.3%) Mayo Clinic Scholars would have completed ACCM training without a Mayo Clinic Scholar appointment. All recommend ACCM training to others and plan to continue to practice ACCM. Conclusions The Mayo Clinic Scholar program effectively recruited ACCM fellows and faculty in a single institution. Incentive-based programs should be considered to support the involvement of anesthesiologists in perioperative medicine.
Comments on "Transient analysis of energy equation of dynamical systems"

The author comments on singularity values in the paper by C. Vibet (see ibid., vol.42, p.217-8, 1999).
Dietary Energy Affecting Growth, Feed Conversion, and Carcass Composition of Holstein Steers

Abstract Holstein steers (six per treatment) were fed rations having three contents of energy. High content of dietary energy produced faster gains, more efficient conversion of dry matter to gain, greater deposition of fat, higher carcass quality grade, and more tender steaks than did low dietary energy. Steaks cooked to lower internal temperatures (60C) were more tender and had less loss of juice than steaks cooked to higher temperatures (64 to 72C).
Graphical methods for robust design of a semiconductor burn-in process

Discrete-event simulation is a common tool for the analysis of semiconductor manufacturing systems. With the aid of a simulation model, and in conjunction with sensitivity analysis and metamodeling techniques, robust design can be performed to optimize a system. Robust design problems often include integer decision variables. This paper shows a graphical approach to robust design that is effective in the presence of discrete or qualitative variables. The graphical robust design methodology was applied to a backend semiconductor manufacturing process. Changes in specific resource capacities and product mix were examined to determine their effect on the level and variance of cycle time and work in process.
Observation of compressional Alfvén eigenmodes (CAE) in a conventional tokamak

Fast-ion instabilities with frequencies somewhat below the ion cyclotron frequency occur frequently in spherical tokamaks such as the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). NSTX and the DIII-D tokamak are nearly ideal for fast-ion similarity experiments, having similar neutral beams, fast-ion to Alfv?n speed vf/vA, fast-ion pressure, and shape of the plasma but with a factor of two difference in major radius. When DIII-D is operated at low field (0.6?T), compressional Alfv?n eigenmode (CAE) instabilities appear that closely resemble the NSTX instabilities. In particular, the mode frequencies, polarization and beam-energy threshold are nearly identical to NSTX. CAE in high-field discharges and emission at cyclotron harmonics are also observed. As on NSTX, the basic stability properties are consistent with the idea that the instability is driven by anisotropy in the fast-ion velocity distribution and is damped predominantly by Landau damping of electrons. The results suggest that these modes might be excited in ITER.
Active mitigation of vibration in switched reluctance motor drives

High levels of torque pulsation and radial vibration continues to be the most impeding factor in application of switched reluctance machines in a wide range of products. Most of the efforts done to the extent of mitigation of these effects have resulted in reduction of efficiency or torque density of the SRM. Active mitigation of vibration is considered as a viable technique in which the typical deficiencies due to current profiling etc. can be minimized while a satisfactory operation in terms of acoustic response is maintained. This paper explores the concept of active vibration control in SRM drives. Sample experimental and simulation results are also offered to validate the claims.
The effects of smokeless cookstoves on peak expiratory flow rates in rural Honduras.

BACKGROUND The use of biomass fuel for cooking in traditional cookstove designs negatively affects respiratory health of communities in developing countries. Indoor pollution affects particularly women and children, who are participating in food preparation. The effects of smokeless cookstove designs on indoor pollution are well documented, but few studies exist to assess the effects of improved stove designs on the respiratory health of community members. METHODS This study uses peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) measurements in a before-and-after format to assess respiratory function of inhabitants of all 30 houses of Buenas Noches in central Honduras. PEFRs are measured before and 6 months after the installation of Justa stoves in people's homes. Health behaviors, respiratory symptoms and fire wood use are evaluated in a door-to-door survey format. RESULTS A total of 137 eligible women and children between 6 and 14 years participated in the study. PEFR improved by 9.9-18.5% (P < 0.001) depending on the participants' exposure to indoor pollution. Health complaints like cough and behaviors like clinic visits did not change with the introduction of smokeless cookstove technology. CONCLUSIONS Smokeless stoves improve respiratory health in an environment of high levels of indoor pollution.
Navigation requirements for autonomous underwater vehicles

The specification and design of a navigation system for use on an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) must be conducted as an integral part of the top-level vehicle design process. This paper addresses the physical characteristics of the navigation system that are likely to have the largest impact on the overall performance of the vehicle. Accuracy requirements are analyzed to match the types and capabilities of equipments that can be included in the navigation subsystem to the desired vehicle task capabilities. Considered among these equipment types are an inertial navigation unit (INU), sonar velocity log (SVL), and acoustic transponder navigation (ATN) system. In general, the outputs of several equipment types need to be combined in order to achieve the desired performance. The expected contributions of the various equipments in an integrated navigation subsystem are identified. In some cases, off-the-shelf equipment is available that will support vehicle requirements. However, most of this equipment was not originally designed for an AUV application. This paper identifies areas where improvements can be made to better support AUV requirements.
Tunable Leaky-Mode MEMS Filters for Multispectral Imaging Applications

When an incident electromagnetic wave is properly coupled to a waveguide's leaky eigenmode by a subwavelength grating, a guided-mode resonance takes place. This phenomenon can manifest itself as sharp, high quality resonances in the reflection spectra. Since these resonances are highly sensitive to the device structural parameters (-grating thickness, period, and filling factor), a tunable resonance can be implemented if one or more of these parameters are suitably varied. In this paper, the micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) concept is applied for tuning the spectral response of resonant filters through mechanical microscale alteration of the grating profile. We provide numerical solutions based on exact electromagnetic models of MEMS-tuned resonance gratings designed with common materials. Computed results for an example tunable element with 6.0 mum period and 2.4 mum thickness show MEMS tuning of ~3.4 mum in the -9-12 mum band with -100 nm resonance linewidth. These elements are promising candidates for MWIR (3-8 mum) and LWIR (8-15 mum) multispectral imaging applications.
Unilateral striatal lesions in the cat disrupt well-learned motor plans in a GO/NO-GO reaching task

&p.1: We examined the changes in learned and spontaneous motor behavior after a unilateral excitotoxin lesion of the neostriatum. Cats were trained to perform a sensory-cued GO/NO-GO reaching task. Success rate, reaction time, movement speed and kinematic patterns were used to characterize motor system properties. In addition, motor properties before and after the lesion were compared by clinical neurological examinations and video tape observations of free-range behavior. We found that in normal animals motor performance in the task was fluent, highly automatic and skillful with consistent patterns from trial to trial and day to day. The striatal lesion resulted in a marked impairment in the animals’ ability to perform the automatic response to the sensory cues in the motor task. In contrast, sensorimotor behavior in contexts apart from the task was altered minimally, with changes that were often difficult to detect. The animals recovered their ability to perform the task gradually, although they never reached prelesion performance levels in up to 24 weeks of evaluation. The animals had difficulty making reaching movements in GO trials and, in NO-GO trials failures to withhold movements were more frequent. Failures were due to a specific inability to execute previously well-learned movements in response to cues and not to an inability to recognize and interpret the cues. The lesion effects were restricted to the automatic motor response to the learned cues, as the animals could make reaching movements to the target without obvious impairment in response to novel stimuli. They also made similar spontaneous movements apart from the motor task that appeared to be unimpaired. The unique motor style and strategies that characterized the behavior of individual animals prior to the lesion were still evident after the lesion, even though they were superimposed on lower success rates and slower movement speeds. Our findings suggest that the basal ganglia facilitate the fluent and rapid execution of sequences of well-learned sensorimotor behavior, but the representations of motor plans are not stored in the basal ganglia. &kwd:words Movement · Basal ganglia · Striatum · Reaction time · Sensory cues&bdy:
Perfectly competitive bilateral exchange without discounting

In a random-matching economy of traders who maximize cumulative consumption (overtaking criterion), the stationary, Markov, Bayesian-perfect equilibrium is studied. At such equilibrium, two results hold: (1) perfect substitutability between current and future consumption implies a no-surplus condition; and (2) by the no-surplus condition, there is a nominal price at which all trades must occur. These results strengthen the seminal results of Ostroy (1973) regarding monetary bilateral exchange in two ways: the incentive compatibility of the equilibrium trading pattern is established and a less roundabout trading pattern enhances welfare by enabling consumption to occur more frequently.
Test Use Among School Psychologists: Past, Current, and Emerging Practices

Current test use with children and youth, principally by school or educational psychologists, is reviewed. Issues discussed include the status of the specialty of school psychology, a brief history of educational and psychological testing, traditional purposes of and common problems associated with test use, and emerging trends. Emphasis is placed on conditions within Europe when possible.
Interdomain side-chain interactions in human γD crystallin influencing folding and stability

Human γD crystallin (HγD-Crys) is a two domain, β-sheet eye lens protein that must remain soluble throughout life for lens transparency. Single amino acid substitutions of HγD-Crys are associated with juvenile-onset cataracts. Features of the interface between the two domains conserved among γ-crystallins are a central six-residue hydrophobic cluster, and two pairs of interacting residues flanking the cluster. In HγD-Crys these pairs are Gln54/Gln143 and Arg79/Met147. We previously reported contributions of the hydrophobic cluster residues to protein stability. In this study alanine substitutions of the flanking residue pairs were constructed and analyzed. Equilibrium unfolding/refolding experiments at 37°C revealed a plateau in the unfolding/refolding transitions, suggesting population of a partially folded intermediate with a folded C-terminal domain (C-td) and unfolded N-terminal domain (N-td). The N-td was destabilized by substituting residues from both domains. In contrast, the C-td was not significantly affected by substitutions of either domain. Refolding rates of the N-td were significantly decreased for mutants of either domain. In contrast, refolding rates of the C-td were similar to wild type for mutants of either domain. Therefore, domain interface residues of the folded C-td probably nucleate refolding of the N-td. We suggest that these residues stabilize the native state by shielding the central hydrophobic cluster from solvent. Glutamine and methionine side chains are among the residues covalently damaged in aged and cataractous lenses. Such damage may generate partially unfolded, aggregation- prone conformations of HγD-Crys that could be significant in cataract.
Electrochemical Patterning and Detection of DNA Arrays on a Two-Electrode Platform

We report a novel method of DNA array formation that is electrochemically formed and addressed with a two-electrode platform. Electrochemical activation of a copper catalyst, patterned with one electrode, enables precise placement of multiple sequences of DNA onto a second electrode surface. The two-electrode patterning and detection platform allows for both spatial resolution of the patterned DNA array and optimization of detection through DNA-mediated charge transport with electrocatalysis. This two-electrode platform has been used to form arrays that enable differentiation between well-matched and mismatched sequences, the detection of TATA-binding protein, and sequence-selective DNA hybridization.
Stationary-Phase Persisters to Ofloxacin Sustain DNA Damage and Require Repair Systems Only during Recovery.

ABSTRACT Chronic infections are a serious health care problem, and bacterial persisters have been implicated in infection reoccurrence. Progress toward finding antipersister therapies has been slow, in part because of knowledge gaps regarding the physiology of these rare phenotypic variants. Evidence shows that growth status is important for survival, as nongrowing cultures can have 100-fold more persisters than growing populations. However, additional factors are clearly important, as persisters remain rare even in nongrowing populations. What features, beyond growth inhibition, allow persisters to survive antibiotic stress while the majority of their kin succumb to it remains an open question. To investigate this, we used stationary phase as a model nongrowing environment to study Escherichia coli persistence to ofloxacin. Given that the prevailing model of persistence attributes survival to transient dormancy and antibiotic target inactivity, we anticipated that persisters would suffer less damage than their dying kin. However, using genetic mutants, flow cytometry, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and persistence assays, we discovered that nongrowing ofloxacin persisters experience antibiotic-induced damage that is indistinguishable from that of nonpersisters. Consistent with this, we found that these persisters required DNA repair for survival and that repair machinery was unnecessary until the posttreatment recovery period (after ofloxacin removal). These findings suggest that persistence to ofloxacin is not engendered solely by reduced antibiotic target corruption, demonstrate that what happens following antibiotic stress can be critical to the persistence phenotype, and support the notion that inhibition of DNA damage repair systems could be an effective strategy to eliminate fluoroquinolone persisters. IMPORTANCE In the absence of resistant mutants, infection reoccurrences can still occur because of persisters, rare bacterial cells that survive antibiotic treatments to repopulate infection sites. Persister survival is attributed to a transient state of dormancy in which a cell9s growth and metabolism are significantly reduced and many essential processes are thought to be inactive. Thus, dormancy is believed to protect persisters from antibiotic-induced damage and death. In this work, we show that in nongrowing populations, persisters to ofloxacin experience the same level of antibiotic-induced damage as cells that succumb to the treatment and that their survival critically depends on repair of this damage after the conclusion of treatment. These findings reveal that persistence to ofloxacin is not engendered solely by reduced antibiotic target corruption and highlight that processes following antibiotic stress are important to survival. We hypothesize that effective antipersister therapies may be developed on the basis of this knowledge.
Responses of Cardiac Protein Kinase C Isoforms to Distinct Pathological Stimuli Are Differentially Regulated

Abstract—Currently at least 11 protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms have been identified and may play different roles in cell signaling pathways leading to changes in cardiac contractility, the hypertrophic response, and tolerance to myocardial ischemia. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that responses of individual PKC isoforms to distinct pathological stimuli were differentially regulated in the adult guinea pig heart. Isolated hearts were perfused by the Langendorff method and were exposed to ischemia, hypoxia, H2O2, or angiotensin II. Hypoxia and ischemia induced translocation of PKC isoforms α, β2, γ, and ζ, and H2O2 translocated PKC isoforms α, β2, and ζ. Angiotensin II produced translocation of α, β2, e, γ, and ζ isoforms. Inhibition of phospholipase C with tricyclodecan-9-yl-xanthogenate (D609) blocked hypoxia-induced (α, β2, and ζ) and angiotensin II–induced (α, β2, γ, and ζ) translocation of PKC isoforms. Inhibition of tyrosine kinase with genistein blocked translocation of ...
TIME-DOMAIN ANALYSIS OF LINEAR HYSTERETIC DAMPING

Two linear-hysteretic-damping models that provide energy dissipation independent of the deformation frequency, are studied in this paper: a hysteretic Kelvin element and a hysteretic Maxwell element. Both models use the Hilbert transform and yield integro-differential equations for the equations of motion of structures when real-valued signals are utilized in the formulation. It is shown that the use of analytic (complex-valued) signals allows the transformation of these integro-differential equations into differential equations with analytic input signals and complex-valued coefficients. These differential equations show both stable and unstable poles. A technique for the solution of these differential equations is presented; it consists of a conventional modal decomposition of the state-space equations and the integration of the differential equations forward in time for the modal co-ordinates associated with stable poles, and backwards in time for the modal co-ordinates associated with unstable poles. Some numerical examples are presented to illustrate the characteristics of the models and the proposed analysis technique.
Hypersensitive response of wheat to the Hessian fly

Hessian fly Mayetiola destructor (Say) larvae are able to obtain food from their host plant without inflicting mechanical damage to the plant surface, apparently by secreting substances which elicit release of nutrients from plant cells surrounding the feeding site. Cells of fully susceptible plants retain their normal appearances, while in resistant plants extensive areas of cellular collapse occur. These responses indicate that hypersensitivity is the basis of wheat's resistance to the Hessian fly. The fly's feeding mechanism more closely resembles that of a pathogen than of a phytophagous insect; correspondingly, both the genetic relationship and resistance mechanism of the host plant to the parasite are of the sorts commonly associated with bacterial and fungal pathogens.
Web-Enhanced GPS

Location-based services like reminders, electronic graffiti, and tourist guides normally require a custom, location-sensitive database that must be custom-tailored for the application at hand. This deployment cost reduces the initial appeal of such services. However, there is much location-tagged data already available on the Web which can be easily used to create compelling location-aware applications with almost no deployment cost. Such tagged data can be used directly in applications as well as to provide evidence in models of activity. We describe three applications that take advantage of existing Web data combined with location measurements from a GPS receiver. The first application, “Pinpoint Search”, finds web pages of nearby places based on GPS coordinates, queries from a Web mapping service, and general Web searches. The second application, “XRay”, uses the mapping service to find businesses in a building by pointing a GPS-equipped electronic compass at the building. The third application is called “Travelogue”, and it builds a map and clickable points of interest to help automatically annotate a trip based on GPS coordinates. Finally, we discuss the use of Web-based data as rich sources of evidence for probabilistic models of a user's activity, including a means for interpreting the explanation for the loss of Web signals as users enter structures.
Preliminary investigation of the impulsive and neuroanatomical characteristics of compulsive sexual behavior

In recent years, there has been increased interest in a clinical syndrome characterized by excessive sexual thoughts, sexual urges, and/or sexual behaviors that has many aspects in common with impulse control disorders. This study provides a preliminary examination of the impulsive aspects of this syndrome, compulsive sexual behavior (CSB). Sixteen male subjects, eight CSB patients and eight non-patient controls, completed psychometric measures of impulsivity and compulsive sexual behavior, performed a behavioral task designed to assess impulse control (Go-No Go task), and underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) procedures. The results indicated that CSB patients were significantly more impulsive; whether measured by psychometric testing or the Go-No Go procedure, than controls. The results also indicate that CSB patients showed significantly higher superior frontal region mean diffusivity (MD) than controls. A correlational analysis indicated significant associations between impulsivity measures and inferior frontal region fractional anisotropy (FA) and MD, but no associations with superior frontal region measures. Similar analyses indicated a significant negative association between superior frontal lobe MD and the Compulsive Sexual Behavior Inventory. Thus, while CSB patients were more impulsive than controls, the DTI results were not consistent with impulse control disorders.
The Skaergaard Layered Series. Part IV. Reaction–Transport Simulations of Foundered Blocks

During the middle stages of crystallization of the Skaergaard Layered Series large numbers of blocks became detached from the Upper Border Series and settled into the mush of crystals on the floor. It has been recognized for some time that these blocks now have compositions and textures that differ markedly from those of the units from which they came. They tend to be more plagioclase rich and seem to have lost mafic components to the surrounding gabbro. Numerical simulations coupling crystallization, melting, and heat and mass transfer for a multicomponent system show how the blocks reacted with the mush in which they were emplaced. Enhanced cooling and crystallization of a compositionally stratified mush adjacent to the blocks resulted in patterns of melt compositions similar to those of layering around the blocks. Volume changes during crystallization and melting induced convection of the interstitial melt leading to changes in the bulk compositions of the blocks and the surrounding mush. Inhomogeneities such as inclusions are likely to facilitate the onset of compositional convection in a chemically stratified solidification zone.
Electrospun chitosan-alginate nanofibers with in situ polyelectrolyte complexation for use as tissue engineering scaffolds.

Electrospun natural biopolymers are of great interest in the field of regenerative medicine due to their unique structure, biocompatibility, and potential to support controlled release of bioactive agents and/or the growth of cells near a site of interest. The ability to electrospin chitosan and alginate to form polyionic complexed nanofibrous scaffolds was investigated. These nanofibers crosslink in situ during the electrospinning process, and thus do not require an additional chemical crosslinking step. Although poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) is required for the electrospinning, it can be subsequently removed from the nanofibers simply by incubating in water for a few days, as confirmed by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared. Solutions that allowed uniform nanofiber formation were found to have viscosities in the range of 0.15–0.7 Pa·s and conductivities below 4 mS/cm for chitosan-PEO and below 2.2 mS/cm for alginate-PEO. The resultant nanofibers both before and after PEO extraction were...
An SLA-oriented capacity planning tool for streaming media services

This paper addresses the problem of mapping the requirements of a known media service workload into the corresponding system resource requirements and accurately sizing a media server cluster to handle the workload. In this paper, we propose a new capacity planning framework for evaluating the resources needed for processing a given streaming media workload with specified performance requirements. The performance requirements are specified in a service level agreement (SLA) containing: i) basic capacity requirements that define the percentage of time the configuration is capable of processing the workload without performance degradation while satisfying bounds on system utilization; and ii) performability requirements that define the acceptable degradation of service performance during the remaining, non-compliant time and in case of node failures. Using a set of specially benchmarked media server configurations, the capacity planning tool matches the overall capacity requirements of the media service workload profile with the specified SLAs to identify the number of nodes necessary to support the required service performance.
The appraisal equivalence hypothesis: Verifying the domain-independence of a computational model of emotion dynamics

Appraisal theory is the most influential theory within affective computing, and serves as the basis for several computational models of emotion. The theory makes strong claims of domain-independence: seemingly different situations, both within and across domains are claimed to produce the identical emotional responses if and only if they are appraised the same way. This article tests this claim, and the predictions of a computational model that embodies it, in two very different interactive games. The results extend prior empirical evidence for appraisal theory to situations where emotions unfold and change over time.
SIGMA tutorial

SIGMA (simulation graphical modeling and analysis) is an interactive graphics approach to discrete event simulation. The author gives a brief introduction to simulation graph modeling with SIGMA. In addition, some recent advances in the SIGMA software are discussed and an example is presented. Among the recent enhancements to SIGMA are graphs for output analysis, ranked lists, and a facility for creating an English description of the simulation graph. >
Surgical Resident Duty-Hour Rules — Weighing the New Evidence

Surgical training has always been hard on residents. During my own residency more than 20 years ago, 100-hour workweeks and in-house call every other night were routine. A resident’s life outside the hospital was simply not a priority. Residency may be even harder on patients. A large body of research has linked sleep deprivation in resident physicians to poor performance in neurobehavioral testing and, more alarmingly, to higher rates of attention failure in patient care.1,2 Reacting to concerns about both resident well-being and patient safety, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) implemented duty-hour reforms in 2003 that . . .