cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Teacher with a Learning Disability: Legal Issues and District Approach.

This case study focuses on a teacher who discloses a learning disability to her Principal. Given the teacher’s challenges in retention of her content material, the district is faced with how to handle the personnel situation of an employee with a disability. This case raises questions of how to balance the needs and interests of students with the employee’s rights under the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Enhanced allosteric regulation of threonine deaminase and acetohydroxy acid synthase from Escherichia coli in a permeabilized-cell assay system.

Abstract A permeabilized-cell technique for rapid assay of enzyme activity has revealed enhanced allosteric regulation of both threonine deaminase (L-threonine hydrolyase (deaminating), EC 4.2.1.16) and acetohydroxy acid synthase (acetolactate pyruvate-lyase (carboxylating), EC 4.1.3.18) in Escherichia coli K-12. In the permeabilized cell assay threonine deaminase exhibited a higher Hill coefficient for inhibition by l -isoleucine, and acetohydroxy acid synthase exhibited a hypersensensitivity to allosteric inhibition by l -valine when compared to studies on crude extracts. We propose that these effects reflect the in situ microenvironments of both enzymes. Preliminary evidence further indicates that acetohydroxy acid synthase may loosely associate with the cell membrane.
Psychological Factors and Outcome of Electrode Implantation for Chronic Pain

The utility of using psychological assessments as a basis for predicting pain relief after electrode implantation is examined. Two raters independently reviewed the functional pain protocols of chronic pain patients who were candidates for deep brain (n = 13) or spinal cord (n = 17) electrode implants and predicted whether each would have a good or poor treatment response. At follow-up, five deep brain (39%) and four spinal cord (24%) patients were classified as having good responses to treatment. Predictions of outcome based on psychological data were accurate for 80% of the patients. These results suggest that functional pain assessment is useful as a part of preimplantation screening and emphasize the importance of psychological factors in the outcome of treatment for chronic pain.
Registration of OCT fundus images with color fundus photographs based on blood vessel ridges

This paper proposes an algorithm to register OCT fundus images (OFIs) with color fundus photographs (CFPs). This makes it possible to correlate retinal features across the different imaging modalities. Blood vessel ridges are taken as features for registration. A specially defined distance, incorporating information of normal direction of blood vessel ridge pixels, is designed to calculate the distance between each pair of pixels to be matched in the pair image. Based on this distance a similarity function between the pair image is defined. Brute force search is used for a coarse registration and then an Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm for a more accurate registration. The registration algorithm was tested on a sample set containing images of both normal eyes and eyes with pathologies. Three transformation models (similarity, affine and quadratic models) were tested on all image pairs respectively. The experimental results showed that the registration algorithm worked well. The average root mean square errors for the affine model are 31 µm (normal) and 59 µm (eyes with disease). The proposed algorithm can be easily adapted to registration for other modality retinal images.
SU-GG-I-22: Measurement and Correction of Sagging Shifts in KV Cone-Beam CT From An On-Board Imaging System

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of sagging on mechanical isocenter accuracy and image quality of kV cone‐beam CT(CBCT) and to develop a pre‐processing algorithm for removing these effects from on‐board‐imaging (OBI). Method and Materials: OBI sagging shifts were measured by scanning a cubical phantom with a 2 mm metal marker. The metal marker was aligned with radiation isocenter and its position was tracked in cone‐beam projections using normalized cross‐correlation image registration algorithm of kV CBCT system. The position of the marker was determined by 650 projections of a CBCT scan over an angular range from 0°–360°. To remove sagging shifts, projections were corrected to reconstructCBCTimages using Feldkamp back projection. The marker center of the cubical phantom in the corrected CBCTreconstructed images was used to determine OBI isocenter. The CATPHAN from phantom lab was used to compare image quality parameters such as blurring, uniformity and linearity for CBCTimages before and after OBI sagging shift corrections. Results: We found that sagging affects localization accuracy of the OBI isocenter and image quality in CBCT. The marker position shifts about ± 2 mm over 360° range due to sagging and this produces about 1.4 mm isocenter shift in CBCTreconstructed from projections before correction for sagging. CBCT numbers vary by about 1% in full‐fan scans and up to 3.5% in half‐fan scans. Blurring and spatial distortion artifacts are produced in CBCT before correction of OBI sagging shifts. Conclusion: Sagging of the kV OBI system produces a systematic isocenter shift of CBCT. Further, sagging shifts lead to image artifacts such as spatial distortion, blurring, degradation of soft tissue contrast, position resolution, variation in CBCT number linearity and uniformity. Correction of OBI sagging in cone‐beam projections prior to CBCTreconstruction provides more accurate isocenter localization and improves image quality.
Selection for Longevity Confers Resistance to Low-Temperature Stress in Drosophila melanogaster

One theory of the evolution of longevity says that improvement in life span is dependent on an increased ability to resist environmental stresses of all kind. Selective breeding of Drosophila melanogaster populations for longevity has demonstrably increased life span and also altered a number of other traits, such as resistance to starvation, desiccation, and ethanol fumes, and the ability to sustain longer flight. While the exact physiologic basis of some of these traits is not yet fully understood, at least some are known to derive from the properties of metabolic substrates of glycolysis. Improvement in those characters can depend partially, therefore, on altered stores of metabolites created from glycogen. Based on the known general relationship of some traits and the suspected basis in metabolism of others, we examine the possibility here that increased life span is accompanied by other traits that also confer physiologic resistance to stress. Specifically, we test the prediction that long-lived populations of fruit flies should be more resistant to low (prefreezing) and freezing temperature extremes. Both selected and control populations were found to be susceptible to prefreezing (1.5 degrees C) and freezing temperatures (0 degree C) here, but adults and pupae of the long-lived populations generally survived better in both situations, and at all durations of exposure. The resistance of individuals improved with acclimatization, but was superior in the long-lived populations whether thermal decline was rapid or stepwise. Cold resistant, long-lived populations also had significantly higher in vitro levels of glycerol, a cryoprotectant metabolite produced from glycogen. However, while adults and pupae of long-lived stocks were more resistant to cold, larvae of those stocks were more sensitive and survived relatively poorly at every length of exposure and acclimation. This surprising result implies that larvae maintain lower levels of cryoprotectant substances. Upon becoming pupae, however, stage-specific capabilities for environmental resistance and long life emerge. This conclusion agrees with a prior study of these stocks indicating that the uptake and use of nutrients in developing larvae are restricted in long-lived populations.
On maximum-principle-satisfying high order schemes for scalar conservation laws

We construct uniformly high order accurate schemes satisfying a strict maximum principle for scalar conservation laws. A general framework (for arbitrary order of accuracy) is established to construct a limiter for finite volume schemes (e.g. essentially non-oscillatory (ENO) or weighted ENO (WENO) schemes) or discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method with first order Euler forward time discretization solving one-dimensional scalar conservation laws. Strong stability preserving (SSP) high order time discretizations will keep the maximum principle. It is straightforward to extend the method to two and higher dimensions on rectangular meshes. We also show that the same limiter can preserve the maximum principle for DG or finite volume schemes solving two-dimensional incompressible Euler equations in the vorticity stream-function formulation, or any passive convection equation with an incompressible velocity field. Numerical tests for both the WENO finite volume scheme and the DG method are reported.
Dissipation and Leaching Potential of Selected Pharmaceutically Active Compounds in Soils Amended with Biosolids

Biosolids land application is an important pathway introducing pharmaceuticals into the environment. In this work, laboratory column and dissipation experiments were performed using soils of varying properties in order to study the fate and transport of pharmaceutical residues introduced by the land application of biosolids. For experimentation, five pharmaceutical compounds (carbamazepine, diphenhydramine, fluoxetine, diltiazem, and clindamycin) and two metabolites (carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide and norfluoxetine) commonly found in biosolids were selected. Leaching experiments indicate that the selected pharmaceuticals have low mobility in tested soils. However, small portions of the applied pharmaceuticals were recovered in the leachates, likely attributed to sorption to dissolved organic matter. Dissipation experiments show that carbamazepine, diphenhydramine, and fluoxetine were persistent in soils, whereas the dissipation of diltiazem and clindamycin was affected by redox conditions and soil properties.
Banded Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for the treatment of morbid obesity

Abstract Background Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) is the most effective treatment for morbid obesity. The additional benefit of placing a nonadjustable band around the pouch remains to be determined. The objective of this study was to compare outcomes between banded and nonbanded LRYGB patients in a single bariatric center. Methods A matched cohort analysis was performed between patients who had undergone banded and nonbanded (standard) LRYGB. In the banded bypass cohort, an 8 F, 6.5 cm silastic ring was placed around the proximal gastric pouch. Both cohorts were matched for age, body mass index (BMI), and anastomotic technique. Endpoints included percentage excess weight loss (%EWL), postoperative morbidity, and band-related complications. Results Between January 2007 and July 2010, 134 banded LRYGB were performed (55% female, mean age 45 years). They were compared with a matched cohort of 134 concurrent nonbanded LRYGB patients (67% female, mean age 45.4 years). Mean preoperative BMI was 54.6 and 52.8 kg/m 2 , respectively ( P = .084). At 24 months postoperatively, the average %EWL was 58.6% in banded bypass patients and 51.4% in the nonbanded group ( P = .015). The difference in EWL was more pronounced in super-obese patients than in those with BMI P = .003; among those with BMI P = .406]. There was no difference in early (19.4% versus 19.4%) or late complications (10.4% versus 13.4%, P = .451) between banded and nonbanded LRYGB patients. Conclusion Banding the pouch during LRYGB can be performed safely and may provide better weight loss, particularly in super-obese patients. Further prospective and long-term comparative studies of this technique are warranted.
Elementary Rossby waves

The linearized shallow water equations, when applied to a rotating annulus of homogeneous fluid with a free surface, and depth proportional to radius squared, have solutions expressible in elementary functions. The low frequency “second-class” part of the spectrum obeys an equation similar to Haurwitz's formula for Rossby waves on the earth. An approximate analysis shows that the second class oscillations correspond to inertia waves of low frequency in an annulus with a sloping rigid top surface. The frequency formula is verified by an experiment in which the waves are created by an oscillating paddle. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1965.tb01421.x
Sex differences in amino acid release from rostral trigeminal subnucleus caudalis after acute injury to the TMJ region

The neurological basis for painful temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and the higher prevalence of TMD pain in women than men is not known. To better define the circuitry and neurochemical mechanisms in the lower brainstem associated with noxious sensory inputs from the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) region a microdialysis method was used to measure the release of amino acid transmitters from the ventral trigeminal subnucleus interpolaris/caudalis transition region (Vi/Vc-vl). The irritant chemical, mustard oil, was injected into the TMJ region (TMJ-MO) under barbiturate anesthesia in males and normal cycling female rats. Males displayed significant increases in glutamate, serine, and glycine within 15 min after TMJ-MO and increases in citrulline occurred after a delay of 15-30 min. TMJ-MO did not enhance amino acid release in diestrus or proestrus females. GABA release was not affected by TMJ-MO in males or females. Pretreatment with morphine (3 mg/kg, i.v.) prevented the increase in amino acid release seen after TMJ-MO in males. Amino acid release at the Vi/Vc-vl transition region evoked by TMJ-MO also was prevented by prior microinjection of the GABA(A) receptor agonist, muscimol, into the most caudal portion of Vc suggesting this region acted as a critical relay for nociceptive inputs from the TMJ region. These results suggest that glutamatergic mechanisms acting at the Vi/Vc-vl transition region contribute to processing of nociceptive signals that arise from the TMJ region. These results also are consistent with the hypothesis that central neural mechanisms that integrate nociceptive inputs from deep craniofacial tissues are different in males and females.
Non-invasive in vivo spectrophotometric monitoring of brain cytochrome aa3 revisited

Cytochrome aa3 (cyt aa3) is the main catalyst of cellular oxygen consumption. The properties of cyt aa3 will define the tissue oxygen requirements and provide an insight into energy supply and demand. Currently dual-wavelength (605-590 or 605–620 nm) reflectance spectrophotometry is used to monitor cyt aa3 redox state in vivo. We have experimentally demonstrated that the compensation for blood contamination in the surveyed tissue by these wavelength pairs is less than optimal. An alternative approach, similar to spectrophotometric analysis of multicomponent systems used in vitro, is presented in the triple wavelength equation as follows: Δcyt aa3 = 1.000 (ΔA605) - 0.662 (ΔA586.1) + 0.316 (ΔA580) Based on a series of experiments performed in cuvette in vitro, isolated perfused rat head in situ, and living rat head in vivo, we have demonstrated that the cyt aa3 equation fully compensates for changes in cerebral blood volume and saturation. This non-invasive method of in vivo monitoring of cyt aa3 can provide the means to reliably and accurately determine tissue oxygen delivery under physiological conditions.
A method for the bedside application of first-order pharmacokinetics in therapeutic management

First-order pharmacokinetics have been shown to be useful in individualizing therapy for many drugs. The application and interpretation of such analyses require complex mathematical manipulations, however, and therefore kinetics are seldom used by clinicians in the management of individual patients. This report describes a practical method based on the use of a conventional, hand-held programmable calculator to derive first-order kinetic constants from serum drug level data obtained after intermittent intravenous doses of the agent and explains how to apply these data to design more optimal dosage regimens. This method will allow professionals involved in therapeutic drug monitoring to (a) apply pharmacokinetics to individualize drug therapy in selected patients and (b) conveniently test the wider applicability of first-order pharmacokinetics in drug monitoring.
Simultaneous identification of 2-carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol, tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabinol and cannabidiol in oral fluid

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is an important psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, which is the most widely used illegal recreational drug in the USA. Since it is generally smoked, the constituents of the plant material, as well as THC may be present in oral fluid specimens collected for the purposes of drug testing. We present an analytical procedure for the simultaneous determination of the pyrolytic precursor Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A, tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabinol and cannabidiol in human oral fluid specimens using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Solid phase extraction and GC/MS/EI with selected ion monitoring were used, and the linearity of the method ranged from 0-16 ng/mL of neat oral fluid. The recovery of the cannabinoids from the collection pad into the transportation buffer was greater than 70% for all cannabinoids tested at 4 ng/mL, and the intra- and inter-day precision was less than 10.3 and 15.2% for all analytes. The stability of the drugs in oral fluid and of the extracted derivatives was investigated. The procedure was applied to oral fluid specimens taken from habitual marijuana smokers. We have previously reported the presence of the metabolite 11-nor-Delta(9)-tetra-hydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid in oral fluid, but this is the first report of the plant constituent 2-carboxy-THC being detected in saliva.
A Prototype Ground-Remote Telerobot Control System

A local-remote telerobot control system is described which is being developed for time-delayed ground remote control of space telerobot systems.
The importance of diastolic blood pressure in predicting cardiovascular risk

Brachial systolic blood pressure (SBP) is the overall best predictor of future cardiovascular risk for the entire hypertensive population; however, there is much that can be learned from assessing diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in relation to simultaneous levels of SBP, because the former is not distorted by pressure amplification. Low DBP in very young adults (mean age 20 years), presenting as isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), results from elevation in stroke volume and/or arterial stiffness. This subtype of hypertension has a marked male predominance, occurs twice as frequently as essential hypertension, and is potentially not a benign condition. In contrast, isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH) in young adults (mean age of 40 years) with IDH occurs predominantly in men with a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Indeed, persons with IDH frequently evolve into systolic-diastolic hypertension and are potentially at increased risk for future diabetes and cardiovascular complications. The older age population with ISH and low DBP (mean age >/=60 years of age) has a high prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy, increased ventricular-arterial stiffness, and a tendency for diastolic dysfunction and heart failure. Finally, concordant very high DBP, especially in older persons, defines potential hypertensive urgencies, emergencies, secondary forms of hypertension, and other high peripheral resistance states.
An examination of the factors influencing the flux of mercury, methylmercury and other constituents from estuarine sediment

The flux of mercury (Hg), methylmercury (MeHg), other metals (zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb)), arsenic (As), nutrients, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and sulfide from sediments collected in Baltimore Harbor, Maryland, USA were measured over the period of approximately 5 days. Fluxes of the various constituents changed over time and the magnitude and direction of the fluxes of the major metals (Fe and Mn) correlated with the extent of oxygen depletion and the presence or absence of sulfide in the water column. It appeared that the heavy metals, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Hg, were taken up into the sediment under hypoxic/anoxic conditions but were released under more oxic conditions. The fluxes of As and phosphate followed that of Fe. Overall, the fluxes of these constituents confirmed expectation based on thermodynamic considerations. For Hg and MeHg, there appeared to be little relationship between their flux and that of the major metals, or sulfide, or DOC. For MeHg, there is a suggestion that processes occurring at the sediment/water interface, including methylation, may play a major role in determining the extent of the MeHg flux to the water column.
An RNA-dependent ATPase from Chlamydomonas reinhardii

An RNA-dependent ATPase has been isolated from extracts of Chlamydomonas reinhardii. The enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of ATP, dATP, CTP and dCTP to the corresponding nucleoside diphosphate and Pi in the presence of Mg2+ or Mn2+ and an RNA cofactor. In 1 mM MgCl2 it displays the greatest activity with poly(A), poly(I) and poly(U); and somewhat lower activity with poly(C) and T7 RNA. Although the enzyme is active with single-stranded DNA, all the single-stranded RNAs tested were significantly more effective cofactors than any of the single or double-stranded DNAs tested. A comparison of this ATPase with other RNA-dependent ATPases indicates that is has more in common with the ATPase isolated from the nuclei of animal cells than with the RNA synthesis termination protein rho, the major RNA-dependent ATPase from Escherichia coli. Although chloroplasts of C. reinhardii are known to contain many bacterial-like gene expression components, the presence of an enzyme with close homology to the E. coli rho protein was not detected.
Regime collapse in the peaceful East German revolution: The role of middle‐level officials

During the autumn of 1989, the Communist regime in East Germany lost its will to continue using repression to stay in power. Rather than in Berlin, peaceful dialogue with street demonstrators came in the regional capitals. The reason is that although the regime did collapse, it began collapsing in the regions and the leading initiatives were taken by surprisingly low‐ranking officials who no longer believed in their own legitimacy. After spreading from the periphery to the centre, regime collapse made possible not just the peacefulness of the revolution but also the rapidity of German reunification.
Role of protein kinase C in light adaptation of molluscan microvillar photoreceptors.

The mechanisms by which Ca2+ regulates light adaptation in microvillar photoreceptors remain poorly understood. Protein kinase C (PKC) is a likely candidate, both because some sub-types are activated by Ca2+ and because of its association with the macromolecular ‘light-transduction complex’ in Drosophila. We investigated the possible role of PKC in the modulation of the light response in molluscan photoreceptors. Western blot analysis with isoform-specific antibodies revealed the presence of PKCα in retinal homogenates. Immunocytochemistry in isolated cell preparations confirmed PKCα localization in microvillar photoreceptors, preferentially confined to the light-sensing lobe. Light stimulation induced translocation of PKCα immunofluorescence to the photosensitive membrane, an effect that provides independent evidence for PKC activation by illumination; a similar outcome was observed after incubation with the phorbol ester PMA. Several chemically distinct activators of PKC, such as phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), (-)indolactam V and 1,2,-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (DOG) inhibited the light response of voltage-clamped microvillar photoreceptors, but were ineffective in ciliary photoreceptors, in which light does not activate the Gq/PLC cascade, nor elevates intracellular Ca2+. Pharmacological inhibition of PKC antagonized the desensitization produced by adapting lights and also caused a small, but consistent enhancement of basal sensitivity. These results strongly support the involvement of PKC activation in the light-dependent regulation of response sensitivity. However, unlike adapting background light or elevation of [Ca2+]i, PKC activators did not speed up the photoresponse, nor did PKC inhibitors antagonize the accelerating effects of background adaptation, suggesting that modulation of photoresponse time course may involve a separate Ca2+-dependent signal.
Decoding Strategies of Hawaiian Islands Dialect Speakers in Grades Four, Five, and Six.

Abstract The decoding strategies of 50 Hawaiian Islands Dialect speakers in grades four, five, and six were analyzed and compared using the Reading Miscue Inventory (Y. Goodman and Burke, 1972). Students were identified as average and below average readers based on standardized tests confirmed by teacher ratings, and the Hawaiian Dialect Proficiency Assessment (Young, 1974) was used to identify proficient dialect speakers. The first 50 miscues were coded and analyzed for each subject. Multivariate analyses revealed statistically significant (p<.05) differences in the decoding strategies employed by average and below average readers in each grade and across succeeding grade levels.
Extraluminal helicoidal stretch (Helixtretch): A novel method of intestinal lengthening

Abstract Purpose We sought to test a novel, extraluminal method of intestinal lengthening that precludes violation of the intestinal wall. Methods Sprague–Dawley rats (n=45) with size-matched bowel segments isolated by Roux-en-Y reconstruction were divided into three groups. Group 1 (n=14) had no further manipulations. In Groups 2 (n=12) and 3 (n=19), the isolated segment was wrapped around a length-matched device in a helicoidal fashion. In Group 2, the device consisted of plain polyurethane tubing. In Group 3, it consisted of a gradually expanding hygroscopic hydrogel (12.5mm final diameter). Euthanasia was performed at 8–21days. Statistical analysis was by two-way ANOVA ( P Results Overall survival was 87% (39/45). There was a statistically significant increase in bowel length in Group 3 compared to the other two groups ( P P =0.018), but not with post-operative time ( P >0.50). There were no significant differences in total DNA/protein ratio across the groups ( P =0.65). Histologically, there was an apparent increase in the goblet cell density in Group 3. Conclusions Measured extraluminal helicoidal stretch (Helixtretch) is tolerated by the intestine. Helixtretch induces bowel lengthening in a rodent model. Further analysis of this novel, minimally invasive alternative for intestinal augmentation is warranted.
Influence of environmental factors upon sagebrush and grass production in wyoming

Abstract Of 42 environmental factors considered, the six most important for annual herbage production on 17 sagebrush-grass range communities in Wyoming were identified and quantified by multiple stepwise regression. The factors were fall precipitation, spring precipitation, summer potential evapotranspiration, percentage coarse soil fragments (> 2 mm), percentage very fine sands (0.10-0.05 mm), and percentage grass and forb composition. Collectively, these six factors are all related to water storage, availability and use. These results should aid in better understanding the interrelationship of environment and the vegetative communities of sagebrush-grass areas.
Ultraviolet Absorption-Line Studies of the Gaseous Component in Planetary Nebulae

The physical and abundance properties of the gaseous components of planetary nebulae have traditionally been studied using their rich, pan-chromatic emission line spectra. However, absorption lines produced within the column of nebular gas in front of the central star can provide complementary information, giving access to ions and energy levels that cannot be studied via emission lines and yielding new evidence on the presence and nature of internal inhomogeneities. The far ultraviolet (UV) spectral region, as studied with HST and FUSE , is particularly useful for probing species in the photodissociation region (PDR), such as H $_2$ and O I . Comparison of absorption-line and emission line results within the same nebula indicates strong spatial segregation of the molecular material – and possibly of the dust as well – globally and/or on small physical scales. Measurements of UV absorption lines from excited fine-structure levels of O I reveal that non-thermal (e.g. fluorescent) processes can have an important influence on the level populations, affecting common interpretations of the important infrared cooling lines at 63 and 145 $\mu$ m. Unsaturated absorption lines usable for deriving column densities and their ratios can be seen from excited fine-structure levels of some ions abundant in the ionized zone, and in some cases from ions of rarer elements such as the neutron-capture element Ge, which can be self-enriched due to nuclear processing in the PN progenitor star.
Genome-wide enzyme annotation with precision control: catalytic families (CatFam) databases.

In this article, we present a new method termed CatFam (Catalytic Families) to automatically infer the functions of catalytic proteins, which account for 20–40% of all proteins in living organisms and play a critical role in a variety of biological processes. CatFam is a sequence-based method that generates sequence profiles to represent and infer protein catalytic functions. CatFam generates profiles through a stepwise procedure that carefully controls profile quality and employs nonenzymes as negative samples to establish profile-specific thresholds associated with a predefined nominal false-positive rate (FPR) of predictions. The adjustable FPR allows for fine precision control of each profile and enables the generation of profile databases that meet different needs: function annotation with high precision and hypothesis generation with moderate precision but better recall. Multiple tests of CatFam databases (generated with distinct nominal FPRs) against enzyme and nonenzyme datasets show that the method's predictions have consistently high precision and recall. For example, a 1% FPR database predicts protein catalytic functions for a dataset of enzymes and nonenzymes with 98.6% precision and 95.0% recall. Comparisons of CatFam databases against other established profile-based methods for the functional annotation of 13 bacterial genomes indicate that CatFam consistently achieves higher precision and (in most cases) higher recall, and that (on average) CatFam provides 21.9% additional catalytic functions not inferred by the other similarly reliable methods. These results strongly suggest that the proposed method provides a valuable contribution to the automated prediction of protein catalytic functions. The CatFam databases and the database search program are freely available at http://www.bhsai.org/downloads/catfam.tar.gz. Proteins 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Mueller Matrix Ellipsometry Revisited

The object of ellipsometry is to determine the complex ratio ρ (ρ=tanifi exp(i&) ) of the reflected or transmitted polarization state parameters. Ellipsometry has traditionally been used as a tool for measuring the optical constants (n,k) of a surface, or when given the optical constants of the substrate, to determine some property such as the thickness of a thin film. The operation of a Photo Elastic Modulator (PEM) type ellipsometer is described in Mueller matrix terms. The phase shift (6) between orthogonal polarization components and the relative amplitude ratio (tan b) is contained in the Mueller matrix elements and can be obtained via combinations of measlired matrix elements using no mechanical motion. Polarization modulation ellipsometry offers a fast automatic means for obtaining the Mueller matrix for an optical component or system. A computer controlled implementation is described along with simple algorithms to extract the ellipsometric constants. Experimental results for a low phase shift "standard" reflector are given.
The Relationship Between Anger and Pain

Anger is defined with reference to a cognitive-motivational perspective. This forms the basis for identifying the variety of reasons why pain sufferers are angry and the many ways in which they react when angry. Statistics are provided for the comorbidity of anger in chronic pain and headache. Going beyond such statistics, five dynamic interactions between anger and pain are emphasized and empirical evidence is provided for each of these interactions.
In vitro motility analysis of smooth muscle caldesmon control of actin-tropomyosin filament movement.

We have used the in vitro motility assay to investigate the effect of caldesmon on the movement of actin-tropomyosin filaments over thiophosphorylated smooth muscle myosin and skeletal muscle heavy meromyosin. Using either motor, incorporation of up to 8 nM caldesmon inhibited filament movement by decreasing the proportion of filaments motile from >85% to 10 nM). In the absence of tropomyosin, addition of an excess of caldesmon caused a similar decrease in the filament density, but there was no effect on the proportion of filaments that were motile. Our results demonstrate that caldesmon can switch actin-tropomyosin from motile to non-motile states without controlling velocity of movement or weak binding affinity and show the inhibitory action of caldesmon in the motility assay to be functionally indistinguishable from that reported for troponin.
Rationality or Legitimacy: Analysis of the Controversy over Reasonable Returns for China's Privately Run Schools.

Logical analyses of legislative texts show that the root cause for the huge controversy elicited by the issue of reasonable returns for China's privately run schools lies in the fact that legislators have confused public benefit versus non—public benefit and profit making versus non—profit making, concepts that pertain, respectively, to two different legal domains—public law (jus publicum) and private law (jus privatum). The Promotion of Privately Run Schools attempted to establish a balance between legal logic and social reality by using the ambiguous expression "reasonable returns" but succeeded only in miring "reasonable returns" in an awkward scenario of being neither reasonable nor lawful in social reality and large numbers of privately run schools are obliged to play a game of "cat-and-mouse" with the government. Hence, the current practice of differentiating publicly run and privately run schools by means of the ownership system should be changed and replaced by differentiating between profit-makin...
The Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) ORF9 Protein Interacts with the IE62 Major VZV Transactivator

The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) ORF9 protein is a member of the herpesvirus UL49 gene family but shares limited identity and similarity with the UL49 prototype, herpes simplex virus type 1 VP22. ORF9 mRNA is the most abundantly expressed message during VZV infection; however, little is known concerning the functions of the ORF9 protein. We have found that the VZV major transactivator IE62 and the ORF9 protein can be coprecipitated from infected cells. Yeast two-hybrid analysis localized the region of the ORF9 protein required for interaction with IE62 to the middle third of the protein encompassing amino acids 117 to 186. Protein pull-down assays with GST-IE62 fusion proteins containing N-terminal IE62 sequences showed that amino acids 1 to 43 of the acidic transcriptional activation domain of IE62 can bind recombinant ORF9 protein. Confocal microscopy of transiently transfected cells showed that in the absence of other viral proteins, the ORF9 protein was localized in the cytoplasm while IE62 was localized in the nucleus. In VZV-infected cells, the ORF9 protein was localized to the cytoplasm whereas IE62 exhibited both nuclear and cytoplasmic localization. Cotransfection of plasmids expressing ORF9, IE62, and the viral ORF66 kinase resulted in significant colocalization of ORF9 and IE62 in the cytoplasm. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments with antitubulin antibodies indicate the presence of ORF9-IE62-tubulin complexes in infected cells. Colocalization of ORF9 and tubulin in transfected cells was visualized by confocal microscopy. These data suggest a model for ORF9 protein function involving complex formation with IE62 and possibly other tegument proteins in the cytoplasm at late times in infection.
Thermal studies on the phase transitions in sodium nitrite

Abstract The phase transitions in sodium nitrite have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry. Two reversible phase transitions were observed at 436.1 ±1.1 and 437.3 ± 1.3 K having Δ H values upon heating of about 249 ± 5 and 27 ± 3 J mol −1 and Δ S values of 0.60 ±0.01 and 0.06 ± 0.01 J mol −1 ' K −1 , respectively. Both transitions exhibit thermal hysteresis.
In-vivo outcome study of HPPH mediated PDT using singlet oxygen explicit dosimetry (SOED)

Type II photodynamic therapy (PDT) is based on the use of photochemical reactions mediated through an interaction between a tumor-selective photosensitizer, photoexcitation with a specific wavelength of light, and production of reactive singlet oxygen. However, the medical application of this technique has been limited due to inaccurate PDT dosimetric methods. The goal of this study is to examine the relationship between outcome (in terms of tumor growth rate) and calculated reacted singlet oxygen concentration [1O2]rx after HPPH-mediated PDT to compare with other PDT dose metrics, such as PDT dose or total light fluence. Mice with radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF) tumors were treated with different light fluence and fluence rate conditions. Explicit measurements of photosensitizer drug concentration and tissue optical properties via fluorescence and absorption measurement with a contact probe before and after PDT were taken to then quantify total light fluence, PDT dose, and [1O2]rx based on a macroscopic model of singlet oxygen. In addition, photobleaching of photosenitizer were measured during PDT as a second check of the model. Changes in tumor volume were tracked following treatment and compared to the three calculated dose metrics. The correlations between total light fluence, PDT dose, reacted [1O2]rx and tumor growth demonstrate that [1O2]rx serves as a better dosimetric quantity for predicting treatment outcome and a clinically relevant tumor growth endpoint.
Distorted-waves analysis of quasi-elastic (p, n) and (He3, t) reactions

Experimental evidence has shown that the (p,n) and (He/sup 3/,t) reactions on medium-weight nuclei excite relatively strongly a state in the residual nucleus that is the isobaric analog of the target ground-state. A distorted-wave Born approximation analysis was made for V/sup 51/(p,n) at 12.1 Mev and Fe/sup 56/(He/sup 3/,t) at 25 Mev. The resulting cross sections for transitions to excited states show this method to be a very good approximation and to have the advantage that Coulomb effects can be included easily; so the theory can be applied at relatively low energies. (H.D.R.)
The Influence of Subject-Experimenter Sexual Congruence on the Frequency of Task-Unrelated Imagery and Thought: Further Evidence

Four experiments (n = 105, 189, 26, 10, respectively) were carried out which permitted an investigation into the reliability of a previously reported increase in task-unrelated imagery and thought likelihood when experimenter and subject are opposite sexes [1]. All experiments found more task-unrelated images and thoughts when the experimenter and subject were of the opposite sex than when they were of the same sex. However, only one experiment found a significant relationship. The consistency of the outcomes of the four experiments along with the original significant finding of Algom and Singer led to the conclusion that interpersonal interaction of subject and experimenter of the opposite sex is a sufficiently salient event to influence task-unrelated imagery and thought during a vigilance task.
TWO VERSIONS OF QUASI-NEWTON METHOD FOR MULTIDIMENSIONAL INVERSE SCATTERING PROBLEM

Suppose that a medium with slowly changing spatial properties is enclosed in a bounded 3-dimensional domain and is subjected to a scattering by plane waves of a fixed frequency. Let measurements of the wave scattering field induced by this medium be available in the region outside of this domain. We study how to extract the properties of the medium from the information contained in the measurements. We are concerned with the weak scattering case of the above inverse scattering problem (ISP), that is, the unknown. spatial variations of the medium are assumed to be close to a constant. Examples can be found in the studies of the wave propagation in oceans, in the atmosphere, and in some biological media. Since the problems are nonlinear, the methods for their linearization (the Born approximation) have been developed. However, such an approach often does not produce good results. In our method, the Born approximation is just the first iteration and further iterations improve the identification by an order of magnitude. The iterative sequence is defined in the framework of a Quasi-Newton method. Using the measurements of the scattering field from a carefully chosen set of directions we are able to recover (finitely many) Fourier coefficients of the sought parameters of the model. Numerical experiments for the scattering from coaxial circular cylinders as well as for simulated data are presented.
Information Security Education and Research at Nova Southeastern University

Abstract In the last few years Nova Southeastern University (NSU) has embarked on the development of a comprehensive education and research program in information security. The university offers traditional and distance-learning graduate educational opportunities to information security professionals and those interested in pursuing careers in this critical field. In addition to a variety of educational programs, NSU faculty and students are also pursuing a variety of research efforts in information security which are addressing the current and emerging problems in securing critical information infrastructures. This article provides an overview of the educational programs and research initiatives in information security at NSU.
Parallel-plate coaxial sensor for dielectric measurements — Further analysis

Further discussion and analysis of a lumped-capacitance, parallel-plate, coaxial sensor for measurements of the permittivity and conductivity of materials in the radio and microwave frequency ranges are presented. The parameters of the equivalent circuit were determined using the method of moments and were found to be different (particularly for fringing field capacitance) from those obtained from the simplified theory used so far. New results contribute to the improved accuracy of the dielectric measurements.
Thermal decomposition of t-amyl methyl ether (TAME) studied by flash pyrolysis/supersonic expansion/vacuum ultraviolet photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Abstract Thermal decomposition of the oxygenated fuel component tert -amyl methyl ether (TAME) has been studied by flash pyrolysis up to 1250 K in a 20–100 μs time scale. Pyrolysis was followed by supersonic expansion to isolate intermediates and products, which are monitored by vacuum ultraviolet single-photon ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (VUV-SPI-TOFMS). The species detected, such as CH 3 , C 2 H 4 , C 2 H 5 , C 4 H 8 , C 5 H 10 , C 3 H 6 O, and C 4 H 8 O, show competition between molecular elimination and bond fission pathways. The alkenes 2-methyl-1-butene ( 1 ) and 2-methyl-2-butene ( 2 ), the primary molecular elimination products of TAME, were separately pyrolyzed to evaluate the extent of secondary decompositions, as were the ketones (acetone and 2-butanone) produced by losses of two alkyl radicals. While vicinal elimination of methanol from TAME to form 1 and 2 in an approximate 3:1 ratio begins around 600 K and continues to dominate at higher temperatures, homolysis of TAME to form radicals onsets >825 K, yielding more acetone than 2-butanone. Contributions from secondary dissociations of the ketone and alkene products are evaluated.
MEDIAL TIBIAL STRESS SYNDROME: EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT

Abstract Medial tibial stress syndrome is actually several distinct syndromes that cause pain along the posteromedialaspect of the tibia. Type I injuries are medial stress reactions or fractures of the posteromedial tibial cortex. Type II injuries represent periosteal injuries, whereas type III injuries are chronic deep posterior compartment syndromes. A complete evaluation is required to categorize the patients, including careful history and physical examination, plain radiographs, technicium bone scan, and dynamic compartment pressure measurements. Treatment for all of these entities is rest, but fasciotomies can be performed for recalcitrant symptoms with the proper indications.
Genome organization of mouse adenovirus type 1 early region 1: A novel transcription map

Abstract Mouse adenovirus type 1 (MAV-1) genomic DNA from 8.9 to 13.7 map units was sequenced and the early region 1 (E1) transcription map was determined by S1 nuclease, primer extension, and Northern analyses, and cDNA sequencing. The E1 transcription map of MAV-1 had marked dissimilarities from the conserved transcription maps of primate adenovirus E1 s. One major EiA and two E1 B mRNAs were identified in overlapping transcription units. The single E1A mRNA was composed of three exons; the last exon was coincident with the last exon of the E1 B mRNAs. While human adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) utilizes alternate splice donors for the first ElA mRNA exon, MAV-1 does not. Thus, no protein is predicted that would correspond to the Ad2 243 amino acid protein, although MAV-1 can encode a protein similar to the Ad2 289 amino acid protein ( A. 0. Ball, M. E. Williams, and K. R. Spindler, 1988 , J. Virol. 62, 3947–3957). Two spliced E1 B mRNAs differed from each other in an intron near the 5′ end of the smaller E1 B mRNA. This smaller mRNA could encode only the 55K E1 B protein, while the larger mRNA could encode both the 21 K and 55K E1 B proteins.
Optimization Models for Configuring Distributed Computer Systems

This paper develops models for designing the architecture of distributed computing systems of the type used to support corporate management and control activities. The data for the design process consist of two major data sets describing the inputs and outputs to the information system and the relationships between them. The model accepts a listing of the relevant data sources in the organization, their physical locations, the number and rate of transactions originating from those locations and the amount of data that have to be transferred before the transactions can be updated, the list of reports that have to be generated by the system, their generation frequency and their physical distribution of those reports to end users. For each report type, the sources of data needed to generate it and the volume of data that have to be transferred for each run.