cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IDENTIFICATION OF A NOVEL ACTIN BINDING MOTIF IN SMOOTH MUSCLE MYOSIN LIGHT CHAIN KINASE

Abstract Phosphorylation of the 20-kDa regulatory light chain of myosin catalyzed by a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent myosin light chain kinase is important in the initiation of smooth muscle contraction and other contractile processes in non-muscle cells. It has been previously shown that residues 1–142 of smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase are necessary for high-affinity binding to actin-containing filaments in cells (1). To further localize the region of the kinase required for binding, a series of N-terminal deletion mutants as well as several N-terminal glutathioneS-transferase fusion proteins were constructed. Cosedimentation assays showed that a peptide containing residues 1–75 binds to purified smooth muscle myofilaments. Furthermore, the N-terminal peptide was sufficient for high-affinity binding to actin stress fibers in smooth muscle cells in vivo. Alanine scanning mutagenesis in the fusion protein identified residues Asp-30, Phe-31, Arg-32, and Leu-35 as important for binding in vitro. There are two additional DFRXXL motifs located at residues 2–7 and 58–63. The DFR residues in these three motifs were individually replaced by alanine residues in the full-length kinase. Each of these mutations significantly decreased myosin light chain kinase binding to myofilaments in vitro, and each abolished high-affinity binding to actin-containing filaments in smooth muscle cells in vivo. These results identify a unique structural motif comprised of three repeat consensus sequences in the N terminus of myosin light chain kinase necessary for high-affinity binding to actin-containing filaments.
Unconventional neutron sources for oil well logging

Abstract Americium–Beryllium (AmBe) radiological neutron sources have been widely used in the petroleum industry for well logging purposes. There is strong desire on the part of various governmental and regulatory bodies to find alternate sources due to the high activity and small size of AmBe sources. Other neutron sources are available, both radiological (252Cf) and electronic accelerator driven (D–D and D–T). All of these, however, have substantially different neutron energy spectra from AmBe and thus cause significantly different responses in well logging tools. We report on simulations performed using unconventional sources and techniques to attempt to better replicate the porosity and carbon/oxygen ratio responses a well logging tool would see from AmBe neutrons. The AmBe response of these two types of tools is compared to the response from 252Cf, D–D, D–T, filtered D–T, and T–T sources.
Hybrid lesson study: extending lesson study on-line

Purpose – Lesson study in the USA provides a space for teachers to discuss classroom teaching with a goal of improving student learning. In general, US teachers’ professional lives are constrained by a lack of time for planning and observation. Within a lesson study context, we designed and utilized a web site to support and extend collaboration among teachers of mathematics at 26 school sites across two school districts. The purpose of this paper is to describe the lesson study context and share results of the investigation and affordances of the web site. Design/methodology/approach – Through the use of a survey, discourse analysis, and grounded theory, we examined how teachers used the web site and how best to foster regular and inclusive participation. Findings – The results reveal the web site spans time and distance. A significant percentage of the teachers used the web site for accessing resources, while a smaller fraction of teachers used the web site to discuss pedagogy and students’ mathematical...
Verbalization and Children's Self-Regulated Learning.

This article discusses the idea that overt verbalization helps to develop children's self-regulated learning of cognitive skills. Verbalization can enhance children's attention to task-relevant features. As a type of rehearsal, verbalization may improve coding, storage, and retention of material, and thereby facilitate subsequent retrieval and use. Verbalization can help children maintain a positive task outlook and cope with difficulties. Because verbalization makes salient a systematic approach for improving learning and children's ability to apply it, verbalization also can raise self-efficacy (perceived capabilities). Research is summarized that assesses the effects on children's learning due to verbalizing information to be remembered, modeled actions, and strategies. Future research needs to explore maintenance and generalization of systematic approaches to learning, verbalization of task-specific and general statements, and uses of verbalization in classrooms.
Energy effects on cluster ion distributions : beam expansion and thermochemical studies on mixed clusters of methanol and acetonitrile

Abstract We report the results of joint beam expansion and thermochemical studies on protonated clusters containing hydrogen-bonded chains of methanol and acetonitrile. The cluster distributions show a predominant sequence with the composition H+(CH3OH)n(CH3CN)2, where the solvent shells are completed by blocking groups on both ends. Even though ionization involves large excess energies, the observed cluster distributions are sensitive to thermochemical differences as small as 1–3 kcal/mol.
Antepartum fetal testing: a critical appraisal.

Purpose of reviewRecognition of the fetus at risk for death or damage in utero, quantifying the risk, balancing fetal risk against the risk of neonatal complications from immaturity and determining optimal time and mode of intervention, is a cornerstone of modern perinatal medicine. Antepartum fetal
The relationships between Apocrita wasp populations and flowering plants in Maine's wild lowbush blueberry agroecosystems.

Abstract This was the first study to have surveyed the spatial and temporal structure of Apocrita wasps in lowbush blueberry fields, a unique native agricultural landscape in Maine and eastern Canada. The relative abundances of wasps associated with lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) were investigated in 33 blueberry fields throughout Washington County, Maine, USA. Native wasps were captured during the springs and summers of 1997 and 1998 in Malaise traps erected along a transect in each field. Vegetation sampling was also conducted along these transects to quantify available floral resources. Data indicate the abundance of the total wasp community was positively associated with the abundance of sheep laurel (Kalmia angustifolia L.). Relationships between trap capture of 13 wasp morphospecies and other flowering weeds were also investigated. Most taxa in 1998 were positively associated with one or more of the following flowering plants: bunchberry (Cornus canadensis L.), bush honeysuckle (Di...
ON THE MECHANISM OF CYTOLYSIS IN PARAMECIUM

1. The same agents which cause cytolysis in the sea-urchin egg and the red blood-corpuscle produce also cytolysis in Paramecium. 2. The formation of a membrane is an essential step in this cytolysis The membrane is raised in vesicles by an increase in intracellular osmotic pressure. This pressure is due to the production of some soluble colloid by the action of the cytolytic agent upon the protoplasm. 3. The intracellular change indicated by vesicle-formation renders the cell-wall soluble in the cytolytic agent, and the cell-contents are thus extruded. 4. In complete cytolysis the protoplasm is entirely dissolved. 5. The membranes about both contractile vacuoles and nucleus are probably membranes of precipitation. 6. These membranes resist lipoid solvents to such an extent that they probably contain but little lipoid. To Professor Loeb's kind suggestions is owing anything in this paper which may be of value.
An Immobilized/Soluble Hybrid Catalyst System for Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

A new two-component catalyst system consisting of an immobilized catalyst and a soluble catalyst in ppm quantities was applied to atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). A high conversion of monomer (>90%) was achieved with a predetermined molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn = 1.1−1.3) in the ATRP of methyl methacrylate and methyl acrylate. The immobilized catalyst was removed by a filtration or sedimentation procedure. The casting of the reaction solution afforded clear and colorless polymer films. It was confirmed by the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis that the residual amount of Cu in the resulting polymer was as low as 20 ppm.
Exercise-induced hyponatremia: causes, risks, prevention, and management

Exercise-induced hyponatremia is most commonly associated with prolonged exertion during sustained, high-intensity endurance activities such as marathons or triathlons. In most cases, exercise-induced hyponatremia is attributable to excess free water intake, which fails to replete the sometimes massive sodium losses that result from sweating. The risk of hyponatremia can be lowered by strategies to ensure fluid balance during exercise by maintaining the proper volume and type of fluid intake. Treatment of exercise-induced hyponatremia is based on whether the patient is volume-depleted, euvolemic, or fluid-overloaded. Because therapy must be tailored to volume status, physicians must make this determination before initiating therapy. If hyponatremia is life-threatening, hypertonic saline may be warranted to increase sodium in the extracellular fluid compartment and restore the natural balance.
Melanoma biomarkers: current status and vision for the future.

Melanoma is the leading cause of death by skin cancer in industrialized countries. Identification of tumor markers may help to define molecular pathways involved in melanoma development and progression, and identify patients with early-stage melanoma who would benefit from additional therapies. Larson et al. overview the melanoma biomarkers that are most helpful for predicting patient outcomes, and discuss the biomarkers that have demonstrated prognostic significance independent of primary tumor thickness and other common clinical prognostic indicators. Melanoma is the leading cause of death from skin cancer in industrialized countries. Clinical and histological variables such as primary tumor invasion, ulceration, and lymph node status might fail to identify early-stage disease that will eventually progress. Tumor biomarkers might help to identify patients with early-stage melanoma who are likely to develop advanced disease and would benefit from additional therapies. These biomarkers offer the possibility of improved tumor staging through the molecular detection of microscopic lymph node metastases that are not visible on routine histological examination. We focus on biomarkers localized to the tumor tissue and those of prognostic value. We give an overview of the melanoma biomarkers that are most helpful for prediction of patients' outcomes, and discuss the primary melanoma biomarkers that have been shown to be of prognostic significance independent of primary tumor thickness and other common clinical prognostic indicators. Although such tumor-associated biomarkers are thought to have the greatest potential, a lack of reliable data makes their true clinical utility difficult to determine. We conclude that several biomarkers show promise in early studies; however, additional large-scale studies are warranted. We suggest cautious optimism for the field of melanoma biomarkers, which we expect to be translated into clinical practice over the next few years.
Structural and mechanical properties of advanced polymer gels with rigid side-chains using coarse-grained molecular dynamics

Computational modeling was utilized to design complex polymer networks and gels which display enhanced and tunable mechanical properties. Our approach focuses on overcoming traditional design limitations often encountered in the formulation of simple, single polymer networks. Here, we use a coarse-grained model to study an end-linked flexible polymer network diluted with branched polymer solvent chains, where the latter chains are composed of rigid side-chains or “spikes” attached to a flexible backbone. In order to reduce the entropy penalty of the flexible polymer chains these rigid “spikes” will aggregate into clusters, but the extent of aggregation was shown to depend on the size and distribution of the rigid side-chains. When the “spikes” are short, we observe a lower degree of aggregation, while long “spikes” will aggregate to form an additional secondary network. As a result, the tensile relaxation modulus of the latter system is considerably greater than the modulus of conventional gels and is approximately constant, forming an equilibrium zone for a broad range of time. In this system, the attached long “spikes” create a continuous phase that contributes to a simultaneous increase in tensile stress, relaxation modulus and fracture resistance. Elastic properties and deformation mechanisms of these branched polymers were also studied under tensile deformation at various strain rates. Through this study we show that the architecture of this branched polymer can be optimized and thus the elastic properties of these advanced polymer networks can be tuned for specific applications.
Electromyographic responses to a mechanical perturbation applied during impending arm movements in different directions: one-joint and two-joint conditions.

Directional tuning is a common finding for many physiological features of arm movements and related neuronal activity. We investigated whether the electromyographic response to a brief (30 ms) torque perturbation prior to voluntary movement depends on the direction of the impending movement. Pointing movements with the elbow joint alone and those involving both the shoulder and elbow joints were studied in separate experiments. Target direction was varied between flexion and extension for the one-joint experiments and among four spatial directions for the two-joint experiments. Movement trials in which a perturbation stretched the flexor muscles just prior to the pointing movement were randomly interspersed among unperturbed movement trials in each experiment. A small pre-load ensured some background activity of the flexor muscles. Results were remarkably similar for the one- and two-joint conditions. The short-latency reflex response of the stretched muscles (in a 30–60 ms window after perturbation onset) was not modulated with direction of target-reaching movement in a statistically significant manner, which confirms earlier findings for one-joint movements and extends these to the two-joint condition. Beyond the short-latency window, the perturbation provoked earlier onsets of target-reaching muscle activities for the agonist muscles, whether or not the muscle had been stretched by the perturbation. The onset of the braking activity of the antagonist muscles also occurred earlier in the presence of the brief perturbation prior to movement, irrespective of whether the muscle had been stretched or not. The magnitude of target-reaching muscle activity, in general, was greater for the perturbed trials, though not consistently for all muscles or all directions. These results suggest that, when movement is about to be initiated, in either single- or multi-joint conditions, the long-latency effects of the stretch strongly depend on the intended direction of movement. The dependence is such that the response serves to hasten and augment the intended movement, but not necessarily to oppose the perturbation.
Controlling light with dynamic photonic structures

The introduction of dynamics in nanophotonic structures creates new opportunities for controlling light. Here we show that one can use just two dynamically tuned cavities to capture a light pulse. We also introduce the use of dynamic modulation to create complete optical isolation.
A granular counterpart to the gradient operator

We introduce the linguistic gradient operator, a granular counterpart to the gradient operator in classical calculus. A multiple-input single-output Mamdani fuzzy rulebase is treated as a function in a linguistic state space, defined by the Cartesian product of the antecedent linguistic variables in the rulebase. The value of the consequent linguistic variable is treated as a function in this space, and thus represents the fuzzy rulebase. The linguistic gradient operator takes the consequent function and produces an N-vector of linguistic values, which are approximations to the N first partial derivatives of the consequent function. This vector points in the direction of the greatest local increase of the consequent function, and thus shows how a rule relates to its “neighboring” rules in rule space. Two Examples demonstrate that the linguistic gradient is a linguistic analogue of the classical gradient operator.
Cultural accommodation as method and metaphor.

The author summarizes the cultural accommodation model (CAM) of cross-cultural psychotherapy (F. T. L. Leong & S. H. Lee, 2006). This summary is divided into 2 parts, with the 1st part describing the theoretical development of the CAM as a method of psychotherapy and the research approach underlying it. This section includes a description of the author's program of research in which the development of the CAM, as well as its precursors, is embedded. L. H. Rogler, R. G. Malgady, and 0. Rodriguez's (1989) framework has served as the foundation of the author's program of research on Asian American mental health. In focusing on the 4th stage ofL. H. Rogler et al. 's model, F. T. L. Leong (1996) developed an integrative and multidimensional model of cross-cultural psychotherapy based on C. Kluckhohn and H. A. Murray's (1950) tripartite model. The CAM is an extension of F. T. L. Leong's (1996) integrative multidimensional model. The 2nd part of this article provides some speculation about the development of the CAM as a metaphor for the author's development as a psychotherapist and a psychological scientist.
The reproductive cycles of three species of opossums and other mammals in the Panama Canal Zone.

Data on the reproductive cycles of Didelphis marsupialis, Marmosa robinsoni , and Philander opossum in the Panama Canal Zone are presented, and the reproductive patterns of an additional 42 species of Panamanian mammals representing seven orders are reviewed. The three species of opossums breed seasonally, and females of D. marsupialis, P. opossum , and possibly M. robinsoni are polyestrous. Breeding in D. marsupialis and P. opossum began in late January and in M. robinsoni in late March in 1967. Females of each species are anestrous in October through January or longer in the case of M. robinsoni . Litter size is largest in M. robinsoni and smallest in P. opossum . Adult males of each species probably are reproductively active throughout the year. Considering all 45 species, reproductive activity, as evidenced by the presence of pregnant or lactating females, is highest in March and April (the latter part of the dry season) and lowest in August through November (middle to late wet season). Twenty-three species are known to breed seasonally, and in these species major periods of copulation occur in November and January and major birth peaks in March–April and July–August. In many species, initiation of reproductive activity appears to be stimulated by the cessation of heavy rains. Most species probably produce their young when food resources are highest. There is no evidence that closely related species stagger their breeding seasons to avoid interspecific competition for limited resources.
Comparison of analytical calculations with experimental measurements for polarized light scattering by microorganisms

The consequences of light scattering from both spherical and non-spherical particles on the propagation of light in the ocean were investigated. The scattering from an ensemble of non- spherical micro-organisms is calculated using the coupled-dipole approximation with an orientational average over Euler angles using Gauss-Legendre integration. Mie calculations provide rigorous solutions for spherical particles and are considerably less computer intensive than the coupled-dipole approximation. Furthermore, they have been shown to accurately predict the scattering for marine organisms that are nearly spherical. Scattering matrix elements calculated using the coupled-dipole approximation were compared with those obtained using Mie calculations in the limit as an ellipsoidal object approaches a sphere in order to assess the limits of applicability of the Mie theory to ellipsoidal particles. Experimental measurements of the scattering matrix elements for spherical particles (latex spheres) and ellipsoidal particles (Bacillus subtilis) were used to test the validity of our analytical approach.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Artificial tripeptide scaffolds for self-assembly of heteromultimetallic structures with tunable electronic and magnetic properties

An artificial tripeptide containing pendant pyridine and bipyridine ligands has been synthesized using a solution-phase method analogous to divergent dendrimer synthesis, yielding a palindromic multifunctional peptide chain. When compared to conventional solid-phase peptide synthesis, this method rapidly yields the tripeptide in significantly greater quantities. The pendant pyridine ligands are coordinated with stoichiometric quantities of either [Pt(tpy)]2+ or [Cu(pda)] metal complexes. By addition of a second transition-metal ion, supramolecular structures are formed by chelation of the bipyridine ligands to create cross-links between oligopeptide strands. The resulting heteromultimetallic materials have unique optical, electrochemical, and magnetic properties that can be tuned by the choice of transition-metal ions.
Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy Measurement of Paracellular Channel Conductance in Tight Junctions

Elucidation of epithelial transport across transcellular or paracellular pathways promises to advance the present understanding of ion transport and enables regulation of cell junctions critical to the cell and molecular biology of the epithelium. Here, we demonstrate a new instrumental technique, potentiometric scanning ion conductance microscopy (P-SICM), that utilizes a nanoscale pipet to differentiate paracellular and transcellular transport processes at high spatial resolution. The technique is validated for well-defined polymer membranes and then employed to study wild type and claudin-deficient mutants of Madin-Darby Canine Kidney strain II (MDCKII) cells. Paracellular permeabilities conferred by claudin-2 are captured by P-SICM which demonstrates the utility to monitor apparent conductance at subcellular levels.
Study of Trailing Edge Shield Magnetic Properties for Writer Performance Improvement for Perpendicular Magnetic Recording

Micromagnetic modeling is used to evaluate the effect of trailing edge shield (TES) magnetic properties on the dynamic performance of a writer used in perpendicular magnetic recording with wrapped around shield at air bearing surface. The gradient of the field increased with the increase in the TES saturation flux density and thickness; however the writer bubble width and field decreased as more flux turned toward the TES. The improvement of gradient can be vital for recording as the field can be traded-off until it's just above the media switching field helping form sharp transitions between bits and reduce the bit-error-rate. The reduction in the bubble width enables higher track density. Additionally, the manipulation of the anisotropy in TES can help increase the gradient further, promoted by easier flux flow.
A wavelet-based method for multispectral face recognition

A wavelet-based method is proposed for multispectral face recognition in this paper. Gabor wavelet transform is a common tool for orientation analysis of a 2D image; whereas Hamming distance is an efficient distance measurement for face identification. Specifically, at each frequency band, an index number representing the strongest orientational response is selected, and then encoded in binary format to favor the Hamming distance calculation. Multiband orientation bit codes are then organized into a face pattern byte (FPB) by using order statistics. With the FPB, Hamming distances are calculated and compared to achieve face identification. The FPB algorithm was initially created using thermal images, while the EBGM method was originated with visible images. When two or more spectral images from the same subject are available, the identification accuracy and reliability can be enhanced using score fusion. We compare the identification performance of applying five recognition algorithms to the three-band (visible, near infrared, thermal) face images, and explore the fusion performance of combing the multiple scores from three recognition algorithms and from three-band face images, respectively. The experimental results show that the FPB is the best recognition algorithm, the HMM yields the best fusion result, and the thermal dataset results in the best fusion performance compared to other two datasets.
Hypoxia-Induced Nitration of NMDA Receptor Subunits in the Brain of the Guinea Pig Fetus at Term

Hypoxia-Induced Nitration of NMDA Receptor Subunits in the Brain of the Guinea Pig Fetus at Term
Tissue bound water studies on breast tumors using diffuse optical spectroscopy

Abstract Differences in tissue water state have been measured in normal and malignant breast tissues. Broadband Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy (DOS) has been used to acquire 650-1000 nm absorption spectra of normal and tumor breast tissues from 7 patients in vivo. The absolute values of spectral differences between normalized tissue water spectra and pure water spectra were combined and divided by the number of points in the sum to form the bound water index (BWI). In all subjects, the average BWIs of line scan points were significantly lower in tumor tissues (1.62 r 0.27 x10 -3 ) than normal tissues (3.06 r 0.51 x10 , Wilcoxon Ranked Sum Test z= 0.003 and power=0.98). These resu lts imply that the water in tumors behaves more like free water than the water in normal tissue. Key Words: Bound Water, Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy, Breast Cancer 1. INTRODUCTION Water is an important chromophore which can indi cate physiological and pa thological changes in tissue (1,2). Several optical research groups recognize the importance of water and measured increased water fraction in tumor tissues compared to normal tissues (1-5). Even the water concentration has been shown to have a correlation with cancer progress and tumor size (1). Water in tissues is also being measured routinely by MRI groups by observing the intensity of pixels in T2 weighted images. Measurements of water state can prov ide more details about pathological changes of tissues. For example, cellularity is related to the amount of protein-bound wa ter, which is different from free water. MRI research groups have measured the mobility of diffusing water, and they have observed variations in the Apparent Diffusion Coefficients of water (ADCw) in tumor and normal tissues (6-8). By comparing ADCw to histological data, it has been shown that low ADCw values are correlat ed with cellularity. In this study, we measured water state differen ces in malignant tumor tissues and normal tissues using broadband Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy (DOS). DOS measures absorption an d scattering spectra in cm-thick tissues using a combinatio n of frequency domain and steady-state spectrosc opies.(1,9) Because of increased binding of water molecules to macromolecules such as protein, the water absorption feature at 980nm undergoes broadening and red shifting. We introduce a Bound Water Index (BWI) that quantifies this spectral shift. In order to validate the BWI we report preliminary results from breast cancer patients.
Effect of aryl substitution on the hole mobility of bis-diarylaminobiphenyl-doped polymer composites

Hole mobilities in substituted N, N'-bis-(m-tolyl)-N-N'-diphenyl-1,1'-biphenyl-4,4'-diamine (TPD) derivatives doped in polystyrene (PS), were analyzed by the time-of-flight technique to determine the effect of altering the geometric and electronic structure of TPD. Data were collected as a function of applied field and temperature to yield the energetic and positional disorder parameters defined in the disorder formalism. The impact of the molecular dipole moment on transport properties was also evaluated. The larger molecular dipole moments of the derivatives lead to an increase in the energetic disorder, which contributes to their lower mobilities. However, the dipolar disorder contribution was found to account only partially for the large differences in mobility.
Pelvic Floor Trauma and Its Relationship to Pelvic Organ Prolapse

As the US population continues to age, the impact of pelvic floor trauma and the sequelae of these injuries will continue to be a common place for the practicing gynecologist. In this review, the authors will highlight pertinent pelvic floor muscular anatomy, explain basic pelvic floor biomechanics, identify mechanisms of pelvic floor birth injury, discuss pelvic floor muscle recovery and birth injury sequelae, review methods of birth injury prevention, and specify future directions of birth related pelvic floor injury research.
An exercise in constructing multi-phase communication protocols

Many real-life protocols can be observed to go through different phases performing a distinct function in each phase. We present a multi-phase model for such protocols. A phase is formally defined to be a network of communicating finite state machines with certain desirable correctness properties; these include proper termination, and freedom from deadlocks and unspecified receptions. A multi-function protocol is constructed by first constructing separate phases to perform its different functions. We discuss how to connect these phases together to implement the multi-function protocol such that the resulting network of communicating finite state machines is also a phase (i.e. it possesses the desirable properties defined for phases). A high-level session control protocol modeled after one in IBM's Systems Network Architecture is discussed, and constructed as a multi-phase protocol.
Using monitoring and modeling to define the hazard posed by the reactivated Ferguson rock slide, Merced Canyon, California

Rapid onset natural disasters such as large landslides create a need for scientific information about the event, which is vital to ensuring public safety, restoring infrastructure, preventing additional damage, and resuming normal economic activity. At the same time, there is limited data available upon which to base reliable scientific responses. Monitoring movement and modeling runout are mechanisms for gaining vital data and reducing the uncertainty created about a rapid onset natural disaster. We examine the effectiveness of this approach during the 2006 Ferguson rock slide disaster, which severed California Highway 140. Even after construction of a bypass restoring normal access to the community of El Portal, CA and a major entrance to Yosemite National Park, significant scientific questions remained. The most important for the affected public and emergency service agencies was the likelihood that access would again be severed during the impending rainy season and the possibility of a landslide dam blocking flow in the Merced River. Real-time monitoring of the Ferguson rock slide yielded clear information on the continuing movement of the rock slide and its implications for emergency response actions. Similarly, simulation of runout deposits using a physically based model together with volumes and slope steepness information demonstrated the conditions necessary for a landslide dam-forming event and the possible consequences of such an event given the dimensions of potential rock slide deposits.
Performance Characterization of a Microscale Hydrogen Combustor Recuperator and Oil Heat Exchanger

Experiments on a novel design of a microscale hydrogen combustor heat exchanger (μCHX) are presented. The experimental study demonstrates proof of concept for the design and examines the effect of varying selected fluidic and geometric conditions on the overall efficiency of the μCHX. A unit cell consisting of a combustion channel, a recuperator channel and an oil heat exchange channel is tested. This unit cell device has the potential to be scaled up to a reactor in the tens of kilowatts range required for practical heating applications. Combusted gases flow back through the device in a cross-flow configuration between the combustion channel and the oil channel, preheating the inlet gas stream and transferring heat to the oil. Platinum has been selectively deposited on the stainless steel inner wall of the combustion channel to facilitate heterogeneous combustion of hydrogen and air. The performance of the μCHX is characterized based on a global efficiency, defined as the ratio of the energy transferred to the oil stream compared to the energy rate of the supplied hydrogen gas. The effects of residence time, equivalence ratio, and average oil temperature, have been investigated. Hydrogen conversion rates in excess of 95 percent were achieved for residence times between 20–25 ms. Efficiencies in excess of 90 percent were obtained for equivalence ratios greater than 0.5 and for average oil temperatures between 63 °C and 105 °C. Experiments were also performed on two different lengths of catalyst with a higher efficiency being demonstrated by the catalyst with the longer length.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Human Herpes simplex encephalitis (cellular events).

Summary Electron microscopic demonstration of herpes viral particles in cerebral tissues obtained at autopsy was easily accomplished. Analysis of the structural abnormalities in this case offers support for the proposed mechanisms of cellular injury in herpes simplex encephalitis. Interference with synthesis of nucleic acids and glycoproteins which has been suggested by in vitro studies correlates well with the structural abnormalities of endoplasmic reticulum cisternae and changes in nuclear membranes, described in the case reported herein.
Acid Neutralization by Marine Cylinder Lubricants Inside a Heating Capillary: Strong/Weak-Stick Collision Mechanisms

Base nanoparticles are present in marine cylinder lubricants (MCLs) for controlling cylinder corrosive wear by neutralizing combustion-generated acids. A portion of the surfactants stabilizing these nanoparticles may have dynamic properties, upon which strong/weak-stick collisions are proposed to drive the interaction between base particles and acid drops in oil media. Neutralization of sulfuric acid droplets (150−200 μm in diameter) by MCL samples (with a base number of BN = 70 mg KOH/g oil) was performed inside a heating-capillary microreactor at 23−27, 110−140, and 140−170 °C. The progress of reactions was recorded in real time through a video-microscopy system and quantified by image analysis. Among four directly observed reaction phenomena, three had never been seen in previous research. These reaction behaviors support the theory of strong/weak-stick collisions and supplement our knowledge to help us better understand the acid neutralization in oil and to propound new strategies for improving the ac...
Molecular genetics of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 : Principles and possible biotechnology applications

The cyanobacteriumSynechocystis sp. PCC 6803 is readily amenable to targeted mutagenesis: Foreign DNA is taken up spontaneously, and after uptake DNA can be integrated into the organism's genome by homologous recombination. Using appropriate DNA constructs for transformation, specific genes in the organism can be interrupted, deleted, or replaced by modified gene copies. The organism can grow under a number of different conditions, ranging from photoautotrophic to fully heterotrophic modes, making genetic modifications that alter fundamental processes such as photosynthesis and/or respiration feasible. For example, deletion of photosystem I leads to an obligate (photo)heterotrophic strain in which photosystem II-generated electrons appear to be consumed by respiratory processes, whereas deletion of photosystem II leads to an obligate (photo)heterotrophic strain in which cyclic electron flow around photosystem I appears to remain active. A major advantage ofSynechocystis sp. PCC 6803 is that its entire genome has been sequenced (by S. Tabata and co-workers), opening many avenues to address basic and applied research problems. For example, genes can be introduced, modified or deleted, and hypotheses regarding the function of an open reading frame can be tested by deletion of this open reading frame. Methods to modify genes are numerous. In addition to site-directed mutagenesis, novel molecular genetic approaches including ‘targeted random mutagenesis’, combinatorial mutagenesis and introduction of hybrid genes have come of age and have proven to be very powerful tools in protein engineering. These approaches have been utilized primarily in this strain to study photosynthesis, but applications of this technology, including pathway engineering, alterations of substrate specificity of enzymes and introduction of tolerance to a variety of stresses, are equally feasible in relation to more applied aims. For optimal utilization of the potential of theSynechocystis sp. PCC 6803 system, however, an increased emphasis toward understanding the biochemistry and molecular physiology of cyanobacteria will also be critically important.
Gender and support for conventional and unconventional political behaviors of pro-life activists

Abstract Previous research suggests women are less tolerant than men of the political expressions of others due to differences in life experiences, political interest, religiosity, and group affect. Controlling for these factors, we still find women to be slightly less tolerant of the conventional political activities of pro-life protesters. We find this difference remains because women judge such activities both under the norms of tolerance and evaluations of the legitimacy of political protest. Men only judge the conventional political activities of pro-life activists under the norm of tolerance. Men and women both reject unconventional political protest by these activists, since both men and women judge such actions under the standards of protest.
Gathering Feedback from Early-Career Faculty: Speaking with and Surveying Agricultural Faculty Members about Research Data

In spring 2013, the Life Sciences Data Services Librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign gave a data management presentation to early-career, agricultural faculty members participating in a selective program designed to help them succeed in the tenure process. After the presentation, the participants were invited to complete an online survey that included questions on how well informed and prepared they feel about funding agencies’ data requirements, what data challenges they face, and how the library can help with new or improved services in this area. The presentation discussion and survey responses suggested value in offering data training specifically for agricultural graduate students and research assistants and compiling examples of data management plans from successful grant proposals. Despite the small number of participants, the feedback provides an interesting glimpse into data management from the perspective of early-career faculty.
Effects of feeding distillers dried grains with solubles to broilers from 0 to 28 days posthatch on broiler performance, feed manufacturing efficiency, and selected intestinal characteristics

This study evaluated the effect of 2 levels (0 vs. 8%) of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in a starter broiler diet (0 to 14 d; 45 replicates/treatment) after these same birds were subsequently fed a grower diet (14 to 28 d) with either 0, 7.5, 15, 22.5, or 30% DDGS (9 replicates/treatment). Ross×Ross 308 male broilers were used in this experiment, and evaluation criteria consisted of feed mill parameters, broiler growth, relative liver weight, ileal viscosity, and cecal content count of Clostridium perfringens and Escherichia coli analyzed by both selective media and real-time PCR. Increased inclusion of DDGS resulted in a nonlinear response for production rate (P<0.05), conditioner energy usage (P<0.01), and pellet mill energy usage (P<0.05). Increasing DDGS resulted in a linear decrease in pellet quality (P<0.001) and an increase (P<0.001) in total fines. Inclusion of DDGS decreased (P<0.001) energy usage at the pellet mill and decreased (P<0.05) bulk density of the diets. The DDGS levels fed during the starter phase (0 vs. 8%) had no effect on the broilers at 14 or at 28 d of age. Increasing DDGS inclusion levels during the grower phase resulted in a linear decrease (P<0.001) in BW gain and liver relative weight (P<0.001). A DDGS starter×grower interaction (P<0.05) was observed for feed consumption, in which birds that consumed no DDGS during the starter phase exhibited a decrease in feed consumption with the higher inclusion levels of DDGS during the grower phase, whereas birds that received 8% DDGS during the starter phase were unaffected by DDGS inclusion level in the grower phase. Feed conversion, mortality, ileal viscosity, and cecal C. perfringens and E. coli concentrations were unaffected by DDGS level in the grower diet. The feed intake response suggests a beneficial effect of exposing broiler chicks to DDGS if inclusion levels of 22.5% or higher are to be fed after 14 d of age. However, the data suggest that the young broiler can be negatively affected with inclusion levels of 15% DDGS or higher up to 28 d of age.
Anomalous resonances in 29Si and 27Al NMR spectra of pyrope ([Mg,Fe]3Al2Si3O12) garnets: effects of paramagnetic cations.

In oxide and silicate materials, particularly naturally-occurring minerals with contents of iron oxides greater than a few percent, paramagnetic impurities are well-known to broaden MAS NMR peaks, decrease relaxation times, and even cause overall loss of signal intensity. However, detection of resolved, discrete peaks that are shifted in frequency by nearby unpaired electron spins is rare in such systems. We report here high-resolution 27Al and 29Si spectra for synthetic and natural samples of pyrope garnet ([Mg,Fe]3Al2Si3O12), the latter containing up to 3.5 wt% FeO. For both nuclides, spectra contain anomalous NMR peaks at frequencies that are 25 to 200 ppm from normal ranges, possibly through pseudocontact shifts induced by paramagnetic cations. Quantitation of peak areas suggests that signals from nuclides with such cations in their first shell may be broadened enough to be unobservable, while those with paramagnetics in their second cation shells may be substantially shifted. Overall spin–lattice relaxation rates are greatly enhanced by such impurities, and shifted resonances relax much faster than the unshifted main peaks. A high symmetry crystal structure (in this case cubic), which limits the number of different cation–cation distances in each shell, combined with a relatively low (non-cubic) symmetry for the sites hosting the magnetic cations, may be needed to readily detect such features.
Acanthamoeba keratitis: A clinicopathologic case report and review of the literature

The immune response elicited by corneal Acanthamoeba infection remains incompletely understood. The infected cornea removed from a patient with Acanthamoeba keratitis during therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Heavy infiltration of neutrophils and, to a lesser extent, macrophages was observed throughout the cornea with both cell types in direct apposition to Acanthamoeba parasites. While T and B cells were identified in the corneal stroma, none were seen in direct proximity to Acanthamoeba parasites. Natural killer (NK) cells were absent from the cornea. These results demonstrate that neutrophils and macrophages of the innate immune system predominate in the host response against Acanthamoeba infection of the human cornea, confirming the relevance of animal models of Acanthamoeba keratitis that recapitulate these findings. Lymphocytes appear to be excluded from regions of the cornea containing Acanthamoeba parasites, despite the presence of a corneal lymphocytic response in this case, suggesting inhibition of lymphocyte chemotaxis toward the parasite.
Perceptions of Infant/Toddler Temperament in Three Child Care Settings.

The relationships among different types of infant and toddler child care (at home care, family day care home and day care center) and perceived temperament were investigated. Subjects in this study included mothers, fathers and supplementary caregivers (where applicable) of 64 infants and toddlers, aged 5‐22 months from middle to upper middle class homes. Parents and supplementary caregivers (where applicable) completed the Carey Infant Temperament Questionnaire. ANOVAs were used to assess differences of temperament perceptions between the three child care groups. There were no significant differences between the groups of parents in their perceptions of the nine temperament characteristics or overall temperament. However, caregivers from day care centers perceived the temperament of children in their care as significantly more difficult (p = 0.002) than caregivers of children in family day care homes.
Lysophospholipid receptors in vertebrate development, physiology, and pathology

Lysophospholipid (LP) research has experienced a period of renaissance with the discovery of the lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptors in the late 1990s. Vertebrate LP receptors regulate embryogenesis, vascular development, neurogenesis, uterine development, oocyte survival, immune cell trafficking and inflammatory reactions. LP signaling is important in cancer, autoimmunity and inflammatory diseases. Research on LP biology has contributed to the development of a first-generation S1P receptor modulator that has entered phase III clinical trials for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Further basic research on LP signaling is anticipated to lead to novel therapeutic tools to combat various human diseases.
C. elegans cell cycles: invariance and stem cell divisions

The adult Caenorhabditis elegans nematode, a small roundworm, has a precisely defined number of somatic cells that create organs that are also found in larger animals, including intestine, muscles, skin, an excretory system and a primitive brain. Every cell has a defined role in this sophisticated, but tiny animal. Therefore, stringent control of the cell cycle is required to produce the almost invariant cell lineage that generates the C. elegans somatic body plan. The proliferation of germ cells is regulated differently, and occurs within a stem cell niche.
Clinical engineering cost-effectiveness measurements in the USA.

Clinical engineering in the USA encompasses corrective maintenance, preventative maintenance and managing the interfaces and use of biomedical equipment. Changes in hospital practices have created a need for performance standards against which the cost-effectiveness of the service can be evaluated, 30 variable factors which complicate the generation of such standards are reviewed. Anticipated activities include establishing measurement databases, determining the factors which have the greatest import, devising the standards and creating mandatory validation of changes to the equipment or to themodus operandi to meet the standards.