cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GONIODOMIN, A NEW ANTIBIOTIC FROM A DINOFLAGELLATE

A new antifungal substance, goniodomm, has been isolated from a marine dinoflagellate, Goniodoma sp. collected in Puerto Rico. The molecular formula, C43H58O11, has been established for this compound. Physical and chemical data indicate the presence of five hydroxyl groups, a lactone ring, four ether linkages and a dihydrogeranyl side chain in this molecule. Goniodomin strongly inhibits Cryptococcus, Trichophyton, and other fungi, but shows little or no activity against bacteria.
Statistical measures for workload capacity analysis

A critical component of how we understand a mental process is given by measuring the effect of varying the workload. The capacity coefficient (Townsend & Nozawa, 1995; Townsend & Wenger, 2004) is a measure on response times for quantifying changes in performance due to workload. Despite its precise mathematical foundation, until now rigorous statistical tests have been lacking. In this paper, we demonstrate statistical properties of the components of the capacity measure and propose a significance test for comparing the capacity coefficient to a baseline measure or two capacity coefficients to each other.
Distributed mechanics of the canine right ventricle: effects of varying preload.

Abstract Fundamental questions in the mechanics of the right ventricle (RV) include: what are the distributions of diastolic and systolic strains across the RV epicardium and how do these strains change with increasing preload? Arrays (approximately 4 × 4 cm) of 25 to 30 lead markers were sutured to the epicardium of the RV anterior free wall in 6 open-chest, anesthetized dogs. Biplane cineradiography (16 mm, 120 fps) was used to track marker positions throughout the cardiac cycle as loading conditions were altered by intravenous volume infusion. Continuous two-dimensional nonhomogeneous deformations were estimated across the region by fitting high-order finite element surfaces to the three-dimensional marker coordinates in successive cine frames. End-systolic strains referred to end-diastole did not change with increasing preload, but did exhibit considerable longitudinal variation, e.g. the principal strain associated with maximal shortening (E1) was more than twice as great nearer the apex (E1 = −0.18 ± 0.08) than in more basal (E1 = −0.09 ± 0.05) regions. However, large amounts of lengthening occurred during diastolic inflation. End-diastolic extensional strains referred to an unloaded configuration were moderate at low pressure (E2 = 0.13 ± 0.08) but increased to large values at high preloads (E2 = 0.28 ± 0.11). End-diastolic strains also showed considerable longitudinal variation, i.e. near the base lengthening (E2 = 0.31 ± 0.13) tended to be much greater than near the apex (E2 = 0.15 ± 0.12). These results indicate that both diastolic sarcomere lengths and systolic sarcomere shortening increase in proportion to diastolic loading leaving end-systolic sarcomere strains unchanged.
Seizures in Medically Complex Patients

Seizures are not an uncommon complication of medical conditions and should not be ascribed simply to "multifactorial" causes. Although many interacting factors may contribute to a lowered threshold for seizures, a careful systems-oriented search usually yields specific factors that are of primary importance. Not all medically complex patients with seizures have persistent or irreversible processes that lead to recurrent seizures or a need for maintenance antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Because AEDs contribute to the potential for drug interactions, side effects, and toxicities in situations already encumbered with significant polypharmacy, the decision not to initiate such therapy can be even more important than selecting the best agent, best route of administration, and best dose from a growing list of AEDs.
An improved method for purification of the cold-insoluble globulin of human plasma (Clg)

Abstract Modifications of the Mosesson and Umfleet method [Mosesson, M. W., and Umfleet, R. A. (1970) J. Biol. Chem.245, 5728–5736.] for purification of the cold-insoluble globulin of human plasma (CIg) are described which result in a much higher recovery than formerly obtained.
Kant, Reichenbach, and aprioricity

Reconstruction de la position neo-kantienne defendue par H. Reichenbach, selon qui la connaissance scientifique contient deux composantes distinctes, l'une formelle, issue de l'esprit ou la raison, l'autre de contenu, fournie par le monde sensible. Reichenbach soutenait toutefois que la theorie de la relativite rendait intenable l'analyse kantienne des elements rationnels comme synthetiques a priori. L'A. propose certains raffinements de la reinterpretation par Reichenbach de la notion d'aprioricite et suggere d'assimiler l'aprioricite aux presuppositions formelles des lois empiriques quantitatives ou « presuppositions de mesure »
Early Stage Efficacy and Toxicology Screening for Antibiotics and Enzyme Inhibitors

The rise in organisms resistant to existing drugs has added urgency to the search for new antimicrobial agents. Aspartate β-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (ASADH) catalyzes a critical step in an essential microbial pathway that is absent in mammals. Our laboratory is using fragment library screening to identify efficient and selective ASADH inhibitors. These preliminary agents are then tested to identify compounds with desired antimicrobial properties for further refinement. Toward this end, we have established a microplate-based, dual-assay approach using a single reagent to evaluate antibiotic activity and mammalian cell toxicity during early stage development. The bacterial assay uses nonpathogenic bacteria to allow efficacy testing without a dedicated microbial laboratory. Toxicity assays are performed with a panel of mammalian cells derived from representative susceptible tissues. These assays can be adapted to target other microbial systems, such as fungi and biofilms, and additional mammalian cell lines can be added as needed. Application of this screening approach to antibiotic standards demonstrates the ability of these assays to identify bacterial selectivity and potential toxicity issues. Tests with selected agents from the ASADH inhibitor fragment library show some compounds with antibiotic activity, but as expected, most of these early agents display higher than desired mammalian cell toxicity.
Communicating Social Health Perceptions of Wellness at Work

An estimated 78% of U.S. employees say that work is their biggest source of stress. The effects of stress often result in employees taking sick days and rising workers compensation claims. Consequently, companies are developing wellness campaigns to address the problems arising from stress. Physical and mental health predominate in these programs with little attention paid to employees’ social health—the quality of their network of professional and personal relationships. This research examines employees’ perceptions of social health in one organization that has committed itself to workplace wellness. The results reveal three patterns or processes of social health: building camaraderie with peers, communing with superiors, and reconnecting with family. All processes of social health at work are negotiated through communication within organizational and personal communities. A Model of Working Well is offered as a foundation for futureresearchonorganizationalhealthideologiesandindividualhealthidentities.
Urban waterways: changing historical uses and users in a southwestern desert city

This study traces the changing historical uses of irrigation canals and documents current activities along the canals in a rapidly urbanizing section of the Phoenix metropolitan area in the State of Arizona in the southwestern United States. The Highline and Western Canals, in an area of South Phoenix, provide a case study for understanding the role of the canals as their surroundings change from agricultural land use to an urban context. Reviews of land use changes, archival data, and photographs; interviews with local leaders; and canal user surveys offer a historical picture of the area, describe the characteristics of today's canal users, and provide a context for planning of the canal system. This study serves as a pilot project for further research about the users and historical and current uses of canals that run through urbanizing cities. Survey findings indicate that two-thirds of the canal way users are male. Sixty percent of the respondents are in the 30- to 49-year old age group. The most frequent activity noted on the canal path is bicycling, accounting for approximately four-fifths of all activity, while other activities observed on the canal paths include walking, jogging, and horseback riding. Statistical analysis suggests that the gender of the respondent is directly related to his or her safety concerns, regardless of the activity involvement, with almost four times as many women being concerned about personal safety as men. A key finding of the survey was that almost 60% of the canal users have resided in the same dwelling for more than ten years, suggesting the opportunity to involve these long-term residents in canal planning activities. The historical picture offered in this study, along with data about present canal uses and users, can provide planners with a clearer picture of the urban system that surrounds these irrigation canals. Their potential as an amenity for urban communities can be better realized if planners take into account their history and their present uses.
Gravity Deflections Of Lightweighted Mirrors

Two 20-in-diameter lightweight fused-silica mirrors, one having a single arch configuration and the other a double arch configuration, were tested interferometrically at their centers of curvature in both a face-up and face-down support mode. By subtracting the wavefront errors in these two support modes, the gravity deflections were determined in spite of some residual figure error. It is found that the single arch mirror, supported horizontally on three points, has about half the total deflection of the double arch design. The single arch mirror is twice as stiff azimuthally as the double arch, but radially the double arch has four times the stiffness of the single arch. If a more uniform azimuthal support were provided for the double arch, its deflections would be expected to improve significantly.
6-Mercaptopurine for children newly diagnosed with Crohn's disease.

Addition of 6-MP to a regimen of corticosteroids significantly lessened the need for prednisone and improved maintenance of remission. 6-MP should be part of the initial treatment regimen for children with newly diagnosed moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease.
Transfection of a myc gene as a means of generating infinite life span human fibroblast strains

Human fibroblasts in culture have never been found to transform spontaneously into immortal cells. In an effort to generate an infinite life span cell strain from foreskin-derived normal diploid fibroblasts, we transfected the cells with a plasmid carrying a v-myc oncogene linked to theneo gene, or with a control vector carrying theneo gene, and selected drug-resistant clones. A clone that expressed the v-myc protein was propagated to the end of its life span, with periodic cryogenic storage of the progeny. The population went into crisis at the same time as cells from the control population and eventually senesced. However, while the cells were senescing, viable-appearing clones were noted. The cells of these clones continued to multiply, very slowly at first but eventually at a faster rate. Analysis showed that these cells have a diploid karyotype that has remained stable throughout more than 200 population doublings since their sibling cells senesced. Molecular analysis showed that the infinite life span cells are, indeed, derived from the cells used for transfection, and that they continue to express the v-myc protein.
Kinetochore structure and its role in chromosome orientation during the first meiotic division in male D. melanogaster

Abstract An electron microscopic investigation of kinetochore structure during the first meiotic division in male Drosophila melanogaster is presented. The data suggest that the structure that is responsible for initial microtubule attachment and chromosome orientation is a single, bilaminar hemisphere on each half-bivalent. Following the initial attachment this structure undergoes morphogenesis to a double-disc structure that reflects the underlying duality of sister chromatids in the half-bivalent. Thus these data support Darlington's idea that sister chromatids disjoin to the same spindle pole because they share a single kinetochore. Additionally, these data suggest that the meiotic mutations ord and mei-S332 sometimes cause premature "doubling" of the kinetochore region though, as discussed, possibly for a trivial reason.
Visual compatibility of vasopressin with other injectable drugs.

Vasopressin is a peptide hormone that is released by the hypothalamus in response to decreases in blood pressure and blood volume.[1][1] Previously, the most common therapeutic use for vasopressin was the treatment of variceal hemorrhage.[2][2] This practice was abandoned because vasopressin caused
Domain Deformation Mapping: Application to Variational Mesh Generation

The purposes of this article are, first, to expose the mathematical similarities between variational mesh generation and hyperelasticity theory and, second, to show how elements and tools of hyperelasticity theory can be employed for analysis and practical construction of domain deformation mappings utilized in variational mesh generation.
An overview of United States synchrotron radiation facilities

Abstract The activities of synchrotron radiation facilities in the United States over the past year are summarized as are several issues of general concern when instrumenting facilities.
Symmetry-breaking induced transport in the vicinity of a magnetic island.

It is shown that in the vicinity of a magnetic island, the symmetry of the equilibrium magnetic-field strength $B$ is broken due to the finite width of the islands. The magnitude of this broken symmetry is of the order of $(\ensuremath{\delta}B/B{)}^{1/2}$, where $\ensuremath{\delta}B$ is the perturbed magnetic-field strength. This leads to enhanced plasma transport. The symmetry-breaking induced-transport flux in tokamaks with islands is calculated.
A study of 17O via 3He bombardment of 14C

Abstract Angular distributions and excitation functions have been measured for the 14 C(τ, τ) 14 C reaction and for the 14 C(τ, α) 13 C reactions leading to the ground and first three excited states of 13 C for bombarding energies of from 2 to 7 MeV. In addition, excitation functions were measured for the outgoing deuteron channel to the ground state of 15 N, and the outgoing proton channels leading to the ground and first three excited states of 16 N for bombarding energies of 3 to 5 MeV. Three new levels in 17 O are established from these data. These levels occur at 21.7±0.1, 22.1±0.1 and 23.0±0.1 MeV in 17 O and, on the basis of a two-level analysis of the α-channel data and an optical-model-plus-resonance (OMPR) analysis of the elastic data, are assigned J π values of 5 2 + , 7 2 − and 1 2 + respectively. Recently reported measurements of the 14 C(τ, γ 0 ) 17 O cross section are in agreement with these results. These levels are compared with the corresponding states presently known in 17 F at similar energies.
On The Validity And Techniques Of Temperature And Emissivity Measurements

The measurement of temperature and emissivity of objects is of significant importance in science, industry, and other areas. A lingering question regarding the validity of temperature and emissivity values determined using two-color ratio radiometric measure-ments has been answered. Although generally valid, certain spectral-band configurations can produce ambiguous results. General guidance in the selection of the spectral bands to maximize the sensitivity of the ratio with respect to temperature is presented. Several techniques to measure the emissivity of materials are discussed along with representative experimental results.© (1988) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Lateral-diffusion couples studied by transmission electron microscopy

Abstract A method is described for making self-supporting lateral-silicide diffusion couples for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations. The lateral growth of Ni and Pd silicides is compared. Also, a comparison is made between two different methods of preparing the NiSi couples. These diffusion couples are annealed in situ in a TEM heating holder and studied using conventional TEM, high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and microdiffraction.
Bone as a site of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes

Background Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance in various insulin target cells, such as hepatocytes, myoblasts and adipocytes [1]. The recent realization that the osteoblast is an insulin target cell involved in the control of whole-body glucose homeostasis [2] suggests the possibility that impaired insulin signaling in osteoblasts contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes.
Holographic neurocomputer utilizing laser diode light source

We describe a laser diode-based optoelectronic implementation of artificial neural networks which utilizes real-time holography in photorefractive crystals. The use of a laser diode light source reduces the system size and power requirements. The holographic material is rhodium- doped BaTiO3 which has enhanced sensitivity at the laser-diode wavelength of 830 nm. A balanced coherent-detection method is used to represent bipolar optical neurons and weights. In addition, by distributing each neuron weight among a set of spatially and angularly distributed gratings using beam fanning, Bragg degeneracy and its associated inter-neuron optical crosstalk is virtually eliminated. The structure of the neural network is programmable and we have implemented a variety of neural networks including backpropagation and Kohonen-style self-organizing maps with up to 10,000 neurons and performance of up to 108 weights processed per second during learning and readout. We also discuss weight decay in photorefractive materials, specifically its relative effects in the neural network and data storage domains.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effects on eye movements of a GABA agonist and antagonist injected into monkey superior colliculus

Injection of muscimol, a GABA agonist, into the superior colliculus of awake monkeys produces saccades to visual targets in the movement field of colliculus cells near the injection site that have longer latency and shortened amplitude. Bicuculline, a GABA antagonist, leads to irrepressible saccades towards the movement field. These results are consistent with a tonic inhibition by the substantia nigra on the superior colliculus mediated by GABA which is reduced at the time of saccade initiation.
Investigation of the [Sm{N(SiMe3)2}2] Reducing System in THF. Rate and Mechanistic Studies1

The reductant [Sm{N(SiMe3)2}2] was examined by cyclic voltammetry and UV−vis spectroscopy. Rate constants and activation parameters for the reduction of 1-iodobutane, 2-butanone, and methylacetoacetate by [Sm{N(SiMe3)2}2] were measured in THF by stopped-flow absorption decay experiments. Comparison with SmI2 and SmI2−HMPA shows that the redox potential of [Sm{N(SiMe3)2}2] is intermediate between the SmI2-based reductants, yet it reduces alkyl iodides and ketones at a faster rate than the powerful combination of SmI2 and HMPA. The activation data for reduction of alkyl iodides and ketones by [Sm{N(SiMe3)2}2] are consistent with highly ordered transition states having low activation barriers. All of these results taken together suggest that the mechanism of reduction of alkyl iodides and ketones by [Sm{N(SiMe3)2}2] has more inner-sphere character than reduction by SmI2 or Sm−(HMPA) complexes. The change in the ET mechanism is attributed to the unique structure of the [Sm{N(SiMe3)2}2] complex.
Isoform-selective thiazolo[5,4-b]pyridine S1P1 agonists possessing acyclic amino carboxylate head-groups

Abstract Replacement of the azetidine carboxylate of an S1P1 agonist development candidate, AMG 369, with a range of acyclic head-groups led to the identification of a novel, S1P3-sparing S1P1 agonist, (−)-2-amino-4-(3-fluoro-4-(5-(1-phenylcyclopropyl)thiazolo[5,4-b]pyridin-2-yl)phenyl)-2-methylbutanoic acid (8c), which possessed good in vivo efficacy and pharmacokinetic properties. A 0.3 mg/kg oral dose of 8c produced a statistically significant reduction in blood lymphocyte counts 24 h post-dosing in female Lewis rats.
Isolation and Characterization of Mycophenolic Acid-resistant Mutants of Inosine-5′-monophosphate Dehydrogenase

Mycophenolic acid (MPA) is a potent and specific inhibitor of mammalian inosine-monophosphate dehydrogenases (IMPDH); most microbial IMPDHs are not sensitive to MPA. MPA-resistant mutants of human IMPDH type II were isolated in order to identify the structural features that determine the species selectivity of MPA. Three mutant IMPDHs were identified with decreased affinity for MPA The mutation of Gln277 --> Arg causes a 9-fold increase in the Ki of MPA, a 5-6-fold increase in the Km values for IMP and NAD, and a 3-fold decrease in kcat relative to wild type. The mutation of Ala462 --> Thr causes a 3-fold increase in the Ki for MPA, a 2.5-fold increase in the Km for NAD, and a 1.5-fold increase in kcat. The combination of these two mutations does not increase the Ki for MPA, but does increase the Km for NAD 3-fold relative to Q277R and restores kcat to wild type levels. Q277R/A462T is the first human IMPDH mutant with increased Ki for MPA and wild type activity. The third mutant IMPDH contains two mutations, Phe465 --> Ser and Asp470 --> Gly. Ki for MPA is increased 3-fold in this mutant enzyme, and Km for IMP is also increased 3-fold, while the Km for NAD and kcat are unchanged. Thus increases in the Ki for MPA do not correlate with changes in Km for either IMP or NAD, nor to changes in kcat. All four of these mutations are in regions of the IMPDH that differ in mammalian and microbial enzymes, and thus can be structural determinants of MPA selectivity.
Demonstration of exoplanet detection using an infrared telescope array

Context. Technology is being developed for the characterization and detection of small, Earth-size exoplanets by nulling interferometry in the mid-infrared waveband. While high-performance nulling experiments have shown the possibility of using the technique, to achieve these goals, nulling has to be done on multiple beams, with high stability over periods of hours. To address the issues of the perceived complexity and difficulty of the method, a testbed was developed for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPF-I) project which would demonstrate four beam nulling and faint exoplanet signal extraction at levels traceable to flight requirements. Containing star and planet sources, the testbed would demonstrate the principal functional processes of the TPF-I beam-combiner by generating four input beams of star and planet light, and recovering the planet signature at the output. Aims. Here we report on experiments designed with traceability to a flight system, showing faint exoplanet signal detection in the presence of strong starlight. The experiments were designed to show nulling at the flight level of ≈10 −5 , starlight suppression of 10 −7 or better, and detection of an exoplanet at a contrast of 10 −6 compared to the star. This performance level meets the flight requirements for the parts of the detection process that can be demonstrated using a monochromatic source. To achieve these results, the testbed would have to operate stably for several hours, showing control of disturbances at levels equivalent to the flight requirements. Methods. A test process was designed which would show that the necessary performance could be achieved. To show reproducibility, the tests were run on three separate occasions, separated by several days. The tests were divided into three main parts which would show first, starlight suppression, second, a realistic faint exoplanet signal production, and finally, exoplanet signal detection in the presence of the starlight. Results. A number of data sets were acquired showing the achievement of the required performance. The data reported here show nulling at levels between about 5.5 and 8.5 × 10 −6 , starlight suppression between 8.4 × 10 −9 and 1.4 × 10 −8 , and detection of planet signals with contrast to the star between 3.8 ×10 −7 and 4.4 ×10 −7 . The signal to noise ratios for the detections were between 14.0 and 26.9. These data met all the criteria of the demonstration, showing reproducible stable performance over several hours of operation. Conclusions. These data show the successful execution, at flight-like performance levels, of almost the whole exoplanet detection process using a four beam, nulling beam-combiner.
Ontogeny and autoregulation of androgen receptor mRNA expression in the nervous system

Androgens and the androgen receptor (AR) both play critical roles for the development of the male phenotype. To investigate the roles of androgens in the developing nervous system, we examined the AR messenger RNA distribution by in situ hybridization. Our results indicate that AR transcripts were detectable in male mouse embryos at embryonic day 11 (E11). Intensive AR labeling appears in the neuroepithelium of brain vesicles and spinal cord, as well as in the reproductive organs. During E15–E16, new and strong AR labeling appeared in the cortex of cerebrum and hippocampus. Specific AR signals were also present in the brain areas known for hormonal control of copulatory behavior and mediating sensory processing. Interestingly, many ganglia were found to express AR mRNA at E15–E16. These novel AR-expressing sites include the dorsal root, sympathetic, and celiac ganglia, as well as the opthalmic nerve of trigeminal ganglion. Sex dimorphism of AR expression in brain was also observed during E15–E16. Postnatally, brain and spinal cord can respond to circulating androgen levels by modifying their AR gene expression, but the ganglia cannot. Together, these data suggest androgens may have a great influence on the development and maintenance of the nervous system through the AR.
Which forces drive North America

Understanding the mechanism of plate tectonics is one of the most important problems in the geosciences. Are the tectonic plates pulled and pushed from the side, as the Orowan-Elsasser model suggests, or does mantle convection play an active role in driving the plates? This question can be addressed by studying the deformation of deep continental roots. The application to North America shown here indicates that the deeper mantle moves at a higher velocity than the North American plate and that the mantle plays an important role in driving the plates. I suggest that this finding (1) provides a natural explanation for why the motion of North America slowed down dramatically during the past 100 m.y. and (2) predicts that North American motion will eventually come to a halt.
An unusual blood sequestering tapeworm (Sanguilevator yearsleyi n. gen., n. sp.) from Borneo with description of Cathetocephalus resendezi n. sp. from Mexico and molecular support for the recognition of the order Cathetocephalidea (Platyhelminthes: Eucestoda)☆

Sanguilevator yearsleyi n. gen., n. sp. and Cathetocephalus resendezi n. sp. are described from the Broadfin shark, Lamiopsis temmincki, in Malaysian Borneo and Carcharhinus leucas in Mexico, respectively. The new genus is unusual in its possession of internal chambers and channels in its scolex that appear to house extensive quantities of host white and red blood cells, respectively. Histology reveals an extremely intimate association between host tissue and the surface of the apical pad of the scolex. Positive staining with periodic acid-Schiff of the surface of the pad of the scolex and the linings of the chambers and channels suggests that an adhesive substance may be produced in these regions. However, explanations for how and why host blood cells come to reside within the scolex remain elusive. Cathetocephalus resendezi n. sp. is distinctive in the form of the papillae in the papillate band of the scolex and also in the inconspicuous nature of the rugose base of the scolex. Scanning electron microscopy of both new taxa as well as Cathetocephalus thatcheri, Cathetocephalus australis and an undescribed species of Cathetocephalus collected from Carcharhinus amboinensis in Australia, suggests that the papillae surrounding the pad of the scolex are of significant taxonomic utility in distinguishing among species in these groups. Parsimony and Bayesian analyses of sequence data (766 bases of 18S rDNA and 405 bases of 28S rDNA) generated from ethanol preserved specimens of C. thatcheri and S. yearsleyi, when compared with equivalent data available for 40 cestode species in GenBank, resulted in trees that support previous propositions that Cathetocephalus should be placed in the order Cathetocephalidea. The results suggest that Sanguilevator should also be considered to belong to this order.
Structures of human MAP kinase kinase 1 (MEK1) and MEK2 describe novel noncompetitive kinase inhibition

MEK1 and MEK2 are closely related, dual-specificity tyrosine/threonine protein kinases found in the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Approximately 30% of all human cancers have a constitutively activated MAPK pathway, and constitutive activation of MEK1 results in cellular transformation. Here we present the X-ray structures of human MEK1 and MEK2, each determined as a ternary complex with MgATP and an inhibitor to a resolution of 2.4 A and 3.2 A, respectively. The structures reveal that MEK1 and MEK2 each have a unique inhibitor-binding pocket adjacent to the MgATP-binding site. The presence of the potent inhibitor induces several conformational changes in the unphosphorylated MEK1 and MEK2 enzymes that lock them into a closed but catalytically inactive species. Thus, the structures reported here reveal a novel, noncompetitive mechanism for protein kinase inhibition.
Catalytic effects of activated carbon and surfactants on bioleaching of cobalt ore

Abstract The effects of activated carbon and/or surfactants on the bioleaching behavior of cobalt ore have been investigated in this paper. It was demonstrated that activated carbon and surfactants (Tween-20 and Tween-80) can significantly promote the dissolution rate of carrollite, either individually or in combination when coupled with ZY101 bacteria strain. The cobalt leaching efficiency increased from 71.3% to 90.8% when 1.0 g/L activated carbon was added, and such an improvement was ascribed to the galvanic interaction between activated carbon and carrollite. In addition, the leaching efficiency of cobalt increased from 71.3% to 92.4% by 0.1 g/L Tween-20 or to 93.2% by 0.1 g/L Tween-80, by changing the surface condition of the mineral and accelerating the bio-oxidation of formed elemental sulfur. When both activated carbon and surfactant were added, the leaching efficiency of cobalt increased by more than 22%, and meanwhile the leaching time decreased by more than 30%. It is shown that the catalytic effect of the combined catalyst was much more significant than that when only using a single catalyst. A similar trend was observed in the case of elemental copper extraction during the bioleaching process.
The Effects of Biography on the Divorce Adjustment Process

Abstract In an attempt to investigate whether certain key biographical factors differentially effect the three stages of the divorce adjustment process, 88 recently separated clients were studied during an 8-week divorce group and at 3 and 6 months post-group follow-ups. The results indicate that no one biographical factor studied statistically significantly effected the divorce adjustment process consistently over time, but that different biographical factors ‘kicked in and out’, differentially effecting the divorce adjustment process at various points in time.
A brief history of the terms climate and climatology

The paper traces the origins of the terms climate and climatology in the English language. The term climate has a 600-year history, but only came into widespread scientific use about 150 years ago. Climatology began to find wide usage in the mid-late 19th century. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
A Comparison of Teachers' Responses to Dynamic and Traditional Assessment Reports:

Teachers trained in one of two highly contrasting models of education for preschool children rated psychoeducational assessment reports on two scales designed to tap report characteristics and expectations for the examinee's learning potential. One-half of the teachers were trained in the traditional DISTAR model; the other half were trained in the Coged model. One-half of the teachers of each background read a report based on a traditional psychoeducational report; the other half read a report based on a dynamic assessment report. Neither type of report was rated higher for its contributions to program planning. Several interactions between teacher training and report type were obtained. We conclude that the usefulness of an assessment report depends on a number of factors including type of assessment conducted, the contents of the report, and the theoretical perspective of the consumer of the report.
MAKING PLANNING THEORY: A RETROSPECTION

(1984). MAKING PLANNING THEORY: A RETROSPECTION. Urban Geography: Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 255-261.
A learning-based approach for automated quality assessment of computer-rendered images

Computer generated images are common in numerous computer graphics applications such as games, modeling, and simulation. There is normally a tradeoff between the time allocated to the generation of each image frame and and the quality of the image, where better quality images require more processing time. Specifically, in the rendering of 3D objects, the surfaces of objects may be manipulated by subdividing them into smaller triangular patches and/or smoothing them so as to produce better looking renderings. Since unnecessary subdivision results in increased rendering time and unnecessary smoothing results in reduced details, there is a need to automatically determine the amount of necessary processing for producing good quality rendered images. In this paper we propose a novel supervised learning based methodology for automatically predicting the quality of rendered images of 3D objects. To perform the prediction we train on a data set which is labeled by human observers for quality. We are then able to predict the quality of renderings (not used in the training) with an average prediction error of roughly 20%. The proposed approach is compared to known techniques and is shown to produce better results.
Mirrored anodized dielectric for reliable electrowetting

Anodized dielectrics in a mirrored arrangement are proposed and evaluated for the parallel-plate electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) configuration. As valve metal oxides with current rectifying effects, anodized dielectrics previously could only be used for EWOD under a restricted range of voltages. However, in a mirrored configuration, one side of the anodized dielectric pair is expected to always be under the correct bias to restrict current. Both the mirrored and typical configurations were tested with current leakage measurements on anodized alumina samples under cycles of negative and positive bias and a range of electric fields. The mirrored configuration was effective in limiting current leakage over all voltages applied.
Lifetime Marital History and Mortality After Age 50

Objectives: This article examines the relationship between lifetime marital history and mortality after age 50. Method: Data are drawn from the Health and Retirement Study birth cohort of 1931 to 1941. The analysis utilizes three measures of marital history: number of marriages, proportion time married, and age at first marriage. Results: Three or more marriages and a lower proportion of adult life spent married are each associated with a higher hazard of dying after age 50 for both men and women even after controlling for current marital status and socioeconomic status. Smoking behavior accounts for part of the relationship of marital history and status with mortality. Discussion: Research on marital status and health should consider marital history as well as current status. Two topics are particularly important: examining the relationship in different cohorts and disentangling the potentially causal role of health behaviors such as smoking.
Vertical gastrectomy for morbid obesity in 216 patients: report of two-year results

The vertical gastrectomy (VG) is the restrictive part of the technically difficult biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch operation (DS). The VG was originally conceived of as an independent operation—the first stage of a two-stage DS that would reduce mortality and morbidity in the high-risk superobese because of a shorter operating time and no anastomoses. This article presents two-year data after VG. Laparoscopic VG was performed in a nonrandomized fashion in obese patients that met the NIH criteria for bariatric surgery. By using 5–7 firings of 45–60-mm linear 3.5-mm GI staplers along a 32-Fr bougie, a greater-curvature gastrectomy is performed and a 60–80-ml gastric tube is created. VG was compared to adjustable Lap-Band® placement, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RGB), and DS. Between November 2002 and August 2005, 216 patients underwent VG. The mean age was 44.7 years (range = 16–64) and 173 (80%) were female. The mean preoperative weight and body mass index (BMI) was 302 ± 77 lbs and 49 ± 11 kg/m2, respectively. Of the 216 patients, 5 (2.3%) had a BMI > 80 kg/m2, 6 (2.8%) had a BMI of 70–80 kg/m2, and 25 (11.6%) had a BMI of 60–70 kg/m2. The mean operative time was 66 ± 11 min (range = 45–180) and the mean length of hospital stay was 1.9 ± 1.2 days. Complications occurred in 20 (6.3%) patients (vs. 7.1% after Lap-Band). Leaks occurred in 3 (1.4%) VG patients, reoperations were performed in 6 (2.8%), and no conversions to open or deaths occurred. Weight loss on par with the DS and RGB was achieved with just the VG alone. The VG operation is able to achieve significant weight loss comparable to the RGB and DS operations but with the low morbidity profile similar to that of Lap-Band placement.
Female Suicide Bombers in Iraq

The US-led invasion of Iraq unleashed a never-before-witnessed flood of suicide attacks totally over 900 to date (a world record) which have killed over 10,000 since 2003. In recent years, the groups using suicide terrorism in Iraq have faced hardened targets and difficult-to-cross checkpoints which they have responded to by a dramatic increase in sending female suicide bombers on foot, who conceal their bombs under their long robes. Senders use women because they more easily cross security checkpoints and are not in leadership positions and are, therefore, expendable. Would-be bombers often have relationships with such groups prior to the bombings and are highly vulnerable to psychological exploitation when bereaved, widowed, or otherwise traumatized. These women are, in many cases, motivated by trauma and revenge and go to their targets unaccompanied, which may signify high motivational states. In some cases, coercion and trickery is involved. Preventing female suicide attacks involves minimizing local ...
Building high assurance human-centric decision systems

Many future decision support systems will be human-centric, i.e., require substantial human oversight and control. Because these systems often provide critical services, high assurance is needed that they satisfy their requirements. This paper, the product of an interdisciplinary research team of experts in formal methods, adaptive agents, and cognitive science, addresses this problem by proposing a new process for developing high assurance human-centric decision systems. This process uses AI (artificial intelligence) methods--i.e., a cognitive model to predict human behavior and an adaptive agent to assist the human--to improve system performance, and software engineering methods--i.e., formal modeling and analysis--to obtain high assurance that the system behaves as intended. The paper describes a new method for synthesizing a formal system model from Event Sequence Charts, a variant of Message Sequence Charts, and a Mode Diagram, a specification of system modes and mode transitions. It also presents results of a new pilot study investigating the optimal level of agent assistance for different users in which the agent design was evaluated using synthesized user models. Finally, it reviews a cognitive model for predicting human overload in complex human-centric systems. To illustrate the development process and our new techniques, we describe a human-centric decision system for controlling unmanned vehicles.
Disparate dysfunction of skeletal muscles located near and distant from burn site in the rat.

This study tested the hypotheses that burn-induced change in muscle function varies at sites local and distant from burn and is related to changes in expression of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) and muscle mass. In anesthetized rats, approximately 4% burn was inflicted over the tibialis anterior muscle of one limb. The contralateral leg served as control. In another study, a approximately 45% body surface area burn was produced on the trunk; controls were body sham-burned rats. The evoked twitch tensions of tibialis anterior muscles in both legs were measured together with AChR proteins and their transcripts. Compared with the contralateral leg, absolute tensions in the burned leg declined at days 1, 4, and 7 without loss of muscle mass so that tension per unit wet muscle mass (specific tension) decreased; at day 14, the tension decreased with muscle atrophy so that specific tension was unchanged. Membrane AChRs and/or the immature subunit transcript, AChRgamma messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) increased at days 4, 7, and 14, and both were inversely related to evoked tension (r =.43, P <.01 and r =.61, P <.0001, respectively). There was a direct correlation between AChR and AChRgamma mRNA (r =.82, P <.001), suggesting that the upregulated AChRs may contain the immature gamma-subunit isoform. After approximately 45% body burn, AChRs and mRNA did not change and the evoked tensions did not decline, but there was relative loss of muscle mass at days 7 and 14 so that specific tension increased. Burn trauma initially causes weakness of muscles directly under the burn, and this weakness may be partially related to increased expression of immature AChRs and later to muscle atrophy.
Legal and extralegal factors in attorney recommendations of pretrial diversion

This study used the uncertainty avoidance perspective to examine several legal and extralegal factors deemed to be important for prosecutors and defense attorneys in an adult defendant’s initial referral to pretrial diversion. Findings indicated that previous community supervision was ranked highly by both attorney groups and the defendant’s adult criminal record, pending cases, and the police report were ranked higher in importance by prosecutors. The defendant’s mental health, drug history, and community ties were viewed as significant extralegal factors in referral to diversion. The authors also examine perceptions of diversion revocations. Consistent with their role, prosecutors were generally less tolerant of offender failures than defense attorneys, particularly for offenders on diversion for prostitution and drug offenses. Prosecutors and defense attorneys in this study, however, responded similarly to technical violations for use of illegal drugs, failure to report, failure to complete treatment, ...
On the achievable rate of the additive Gaussian noise channel with noisy feedback

Communications systems operating over additive Gaussian noise channels with no feedback or ideal channel output feedback are now well studied. However, these set-ups model extreme cases and fail to provide much insight into more practical feedback systems. Therefore, in this paper, a noisy feedback communication system is considered. We study the application of linear multi-dimensional coding of the feedback and data signal. Upper bounds on the achievable rate for our set-up, that are functions of the open-loop capacity and ideal feedback capacity, are derived.
Chemical Sensing: An Approach to Biological Molecular Mechaisms Using Difference Spectroscopy

Stimulation of preparations of rabbit olfactory epithelium with aqueous solutions containing the odorants linalool or inalyl isobutyrate, or both, initiates molecular changes that can be monitored by a specific decrease in absorbance at 267 nanometers. This change in absorbance appears to be associated with a change in macromolecular conformation which is initiated by formation of a complex involving the stimulant molecules.
Resuscitation of preterm neonates by using room air or 100% oxygen.

OBJECTIVE. In this study of preterm neonates of 32 weeks, we prospectively compared the use of room air versus 100% oxygen as the initial resuscitation gas. METHODS. A 2-center, prospective, randomized, controlled trial of neonates with gestational ages of 23 to 32 weeks who required resuscitation was performed. The oxygen group was initially resuscitated with 100% oxygen, with decreases in the fraction of inspired oxygen after 5 minutes of life if pulse oxygen saturation was 95%. The room air group was initially resuscitated with 21% oxygen, which was increased to 100% oxygen if compressions were performed or if the heart rate was 100 beats per minute at 2 minutes of life. Oxygen was increased in 25% increments if pulse oxygen saturation was 70% at 3 minutes of life or 80% at 5 minutes of life. RESULTS. Twenty-three infants in the oxygen group (mean gestational age: 27.6 weeks; range: 24 –31 weeks; mean birth weight: 1013 g; range: 495–2309 g) and 18 in the room air group (mean gestational age: 28 weeks; range: 25–31 weeks; mean birth weight: 1091 g; range: 555–1840 g) were evaluated. Every resuscitated patient in the room air group met rescue criteria and received an increase in the fraction of inspired oxygen by 3 minutes of life, 6 patients directly to 100% and 12 with incremental increases. Pulse oxygen saturation was significantly lower in the room air group from 2 to 10 minutes (pulse oxygen saturation at 3 minutes: 55% in the room air group vs 87% in the oxygen group). Heart rates did not differ between groups in the first 10 minutes of life, and there were no differences in secondary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS. Resuscitation with room air failed to achieve our target oxygen saturation by 3 minutes of life, and we recommend that it not be used for preterm neonates. Pediatrics 2008;121:1083–1089
Effects of Gravity on the Velopharyngeal Structures in Children Using Upright Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Objective: The influence of gravity on the velopharyngeal structures in children is unknown. The purpose of this study is to compare the velopharyngeal mechanism in the upright and supine positions while at rest and during sustained speech production in children between 4 and 8 years old. Methods: A 0.6 Tesla open-type, multipositional magnetic resonance imaging scanner was used to image subjects in the upright and supine positions. The scanning protocol included a T2 fluid attenuation inversion recovery and an oblique coronal turbo spin echo scan with short scanning durations (7.9 seconds) to enable visualization of the velopharyngeal anatomy during rest and production of sustained /i/ and /s/. Results: The magnetic resonance imaging protocol used for this study enabled successful visualization of the velopharyngeal anatomy in the sagittal and oblique coronal planes at rest and during sustained phonation of /i/ and /s/. Positional differences demonstrated a small nonsignificant (P > .05) variation for ve...