cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Development of protein mimics for intracellular delivery.

Designing delivery agents for therapeutics is an ongoing challenge. As treatments and desired cargoes become more complex, the need for improved delivery vehicles becomes critical. Excellent delivery vehicles must ensure the stability of the cargo, maintain the cargo's solubility, and promote efficient delivery and release. In order to address these issues, many research groups have looked to nature for design inspiration. Proteins, such as HIV-1 trans-activator of transcription (TAT) and Antennapedia homeodomain protein, are capable of crossing cellular membranes. However, due to the complexities of their structures, they are synthetically challenging to reproduce in the laboratory setting. Being able to incorporate the key features of these proteins that enable cell entry into simpler scaffolds opens up a wide range of opportunities for the development of new delivery reagents with improved performance. This review charts the development of protein mimics based on cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) and how structure-activity relationships (SARs) with these molecules and their protein counterparts ultimately led to the use of polymeric scaffolds. These scaffolds deviate from the normal peptide backbone, allowing for simpler, synthetic procedures to make carriers and tune chemical compositions for application specific needs. Successful design of polymeric protein mimics would allow researchers to further understand the key features in proteins and peptides necessary for efficient delivery and to design the next generation of more efficient delivery reagents. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 104: 265–280, 2015.
Some people just want to read: The roles of age, interactivity, and perceived usefulness of print in the consumption of digital information products

Abstract With the advent of digital technologies, both academic researchers and marketing practitioners alike continually seek a richer understanding of the way information is produced and consumed. Against this backdrop, this study explores the relationship between interactivity, consumer satisfaction and adoption intention in the context of digital information products. Drawing broadly on the services marketing literature, interactivity literature and diffusion theory, the results of our study suggest that in a utilitarian context, consumers are more likely to adopt interactive books than more traditional static e-books. However, satisfaction with interactivity is moderated by the age of the consumer, with older “digital immigrant” participants more satisfied by static e-books and younger “digital native” participants more satisfied by interactive e-books. Also, the less useful consumers find print products, the more likely they will be to adopt interactive digital books, and this effect is also moderated by the age of the consumer. Finally, with the proliferation of digital devices only expected to continue, these findings have important implications for both product development and marketing communication programs.
Catalytic Ring-Closing Metathesis of Doubly Armed, Bridged Bicyclic Sulfones. Evaluation of Chain Length and Possible Intramolecular SO2 Group Ligation to the Ruthenium Carbenoid

Disubstituted bicyclic sulfones 3a−3d, which were prepared by the 2-fold alkylation of 1,6-dilithio-9-thiabicyclo[4.2.1]nonane dioxide, undergo ring-closing metathesis to give a select few of the p...
Ganciclovir Treatment of Gastrointestinal Infections Caused by Cytomegalovirus in Patients with AIDS

Ganciclovir (DHPG) treatment of 69 AIDS patients with gastrointestinal infection due to cytomegalovirus (CMV) was studied. Sites of infection included the colon (46 patients, 67%), esophagus and stomach (15 patients, 22%), rectum (five patients, 7%), liver (two patients, 3o), and small bowel (one patient, 1.4%). Ganciclovir was given in a dose of 5 mg/kg intravenously every 12 hours for 14 days. Maintenance therapy consisted of 6 mg/kg daily. Positive clinical responses were seen in 52 (75%) of the 69 patients, stable responses in 9 (13%), and worsening in eight (11%). The virologic response was positive in 47 patients (68%), while virologic findings did not change in three patients (4%) and could not be evaluated in 19 patients (28%). Toxicity was mainly hematologic, with moderate leukopenia (1,000-1,900 leukocytes/mm3) in seven patients and severe leukopenia (<1,000 leukocytes/mm3) in three patients. The median survival time was 18 weeks (range, 1-68 weeks). Forty-seven patients survived for 4 weeks; of these, 22 (47%) relapsed. The median time to relapse was 9 weeks. Despite the uncontrolled nature of this study, ganciclovir is probably an effective and safe agent for the treatment of gastrointestinal CMV infections. The high probability of relapse (50%0) should be considered and maintenance therapy offered to most patients. Originally described in infants as a cause of cytomegalic inclusion disease, cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an especially important pathogen in immunocompromised hosts. Both transplant recipients and patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are especially susceptible to infections caused by this virus. In patients with AIDS, CMV causes
Auditory pattern recognition by untrained listeners

Earlier work with unpracticed Ss has indicated that identification (naming) of the temporal order of components within repeated sequences consisting of three or four unrelated sounds cannot be accomplished when the item durations are 200 msec or less. In the present experiment, separate groups of 30 unpracticed Ss were required to teil whether alternated sequences, each consisting of reiterated presentations of the same three or four successive items, were in identical or permuted order. Naming of the order within the sequences was not required. Accuracy of same/different judgments was significantly better than chance when all items lasted 200 msec. Changing the duration of each item in one of the two sequences above or below 200 msec made the task more difficult. These results, together with other evidence, suggest that: (1) identification of order and recognition of auditory temporal patterns may represent fundamentally different processes, and (2) recognition may involve matching of “temporal templates.”
Electron and photon excitation of nuclear isomers

Abstract Long-lived isomeric states in stable nuclei 87 Sr, 111 Cd, 113 In and 199 Hg are excited by photons and electrons at energies below 3 MeV. Excitation functions and absorption measurements give new information on energy levels, transition probabilities and multipolarities of excited states which decay to the isomeric states.
Dispersion of paramagnetic tracers in bead packs by T1 mapping: Experiments and simulations

NMR imaging was used to study dispersion in 6 mm bead pack. T1 maps were employed to measure the rate of axial spreading of paramagnetic tracers (GdCl3) inside the bead pack in the range of flow rate from 0.015 mL/s to 0.175 mL/s. From the T1 maps, tracer concentration profiles were obtained, which yielded dimensionless axial dispersion coefficient and mean transit time. Spatial variations in the dispersion coefficient were observed at flow rates above 0.08 mL/s. We hypothesized that the observed spatial oscillations in the dispersion coefficient arise from the spatial variations of the velocity distribution. To validate this mechanism we showed by simulation that similar dispersion coefficient variation occur in a layered network.
Wisdom about age [aging electricity infrastructure]

This paper discusses the aging US electricity infrastructure, including generation, transmission and distribution. From the analysis in this article, there is no doubt that the U.S. electricity infrastructure is aging. Aging infrastructure has higher cost to operate and maintain and, more importantly, lower reliability. The lower reliability of aging infrastructure makes the physical system less reliable and the electricity market more risky. The healthy operation of an electricity market should take into consideration the reliability of individual infrastructure components, and one way to do that is to make the reliability a cost driver
Reaction of lysyl oxidase with soluble protein substrates: effect of neutral salts.

Abstract Soluble proteins released into the medium of aortic tissues in culture behave as substrates for the enzyme lysyl oxidase. The reaction shows an unusual dependence on the concentration of neutral salts in the assay medium. Practically no enzyme activity was observed in Tris-HCl, 0.005 m , pH 7.6 buffer. However, supplementing the buffer with high concentrations of KCl, KBr, NaCl, and (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 (in decreasing order of effectiveness) accelerated velocities as much as 10-fold. CaCl 2 , KSCN, and KI at increasing concentrations became strongly inhibitory. β-Aminopropionitrile, a specific inhibitor of lysyl oxidase, effectively blocked the catalysis in low and high KCl. The salt-stimulated effects on lysyl oxidase activity were not as noticeable when insoluble proteins were used as substrates. Kinetic studies employing double reciprocal plots revealed that high KCl concentrations (2.0 m ) raised the maximum velocity of the reaction but did not alter the apparent K m . Thus high salt concentrations did not affect the binding of the soluble substrate to the enzyme. In high salts, however, more radioactive substrate proteins appeared to bind to the enzyme, suggesting that the high salt environment increases the fraction of the total enzyme potentially capable of binding to and catalyzing a reaction with the substrate.
Mutations in fibrillar collagens (types I, II, III, and XI), fibril‐associated collagen (type IX), and network‐forming collagen (type X) cause a spectrum of diseases of bone, cartilage, and blood vessels

This review summarizes the data on 278 different mutations found to date in the genes for types I, II, III, IX, X, and XI collagens from 317 apparently unrelated patients. A majority (217 mutations; 78% of the total) of the mutations are single-base and either change the codon of a critical amino acid (63%), or lead to abnormal RNA splicing (13%). Most of the amino acid substitutions are those of a bulkier amino acid for the obligatory glycine of the repeating-Gly-X-Y-sequence of the collagen triple helix (155; 56%). Altogether, 26 different mutations (9.4% of the mutations) occur in more than one unrelated individual. The 65 patients in whom the 26 mutations were characterized constitute almost one-fifth (20.5%) of the 317 patients analyzed. The mutations in types I, II, III, IX, X, and XI collagens cause a wide spectrum of diseases of bone, cartilage, and blood vessels, including osteogenesis imperfecta, a variety of chondrodysplasias, types IV and VII of the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and, rarely, some forms of osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and familial aneurysms. Hum Mutat 9:300–315, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Luteotropic complex of the mouse

Pregnant mice were hypophysectomized on day 6 and injected subcutaneously with various hormones from days 6 to 9 to establish the minimal requirements for the maintenance of functional corpora lutea. Luteal activity was assessed by the maintenance of pregnancy, weight of embryonic swellings, mean diameter and morphology of corpora lutea, and vaginal histology. Treatment with 2 mg progesterone maintained pregnancy but not corpora lutea in three of five animals. However, the embryonic swellings were significantly (P < 0.0005) smaller than those of pregnant control animals. Pregnancy was maintained in all animals when progesterone was combined with 1 μg of estrone. The weights of embryonic swellings and the degree of vaginal mucification in the combined steroid group were similar to those of intact control animals. Treatment with either ovine prolactin, bovine LH, ovine FSH or estrone failed to maintain corpora lutea or pregnancy. Combined injection of prolactin with LH or estrone did not maintain pregnancy or corpora lutea. On the other hand, treatment with 500 μg of prolactin and 200 μg of FSH maintained pregnancy in 12 of 14 animals. All of the aforementioned parameters of luteal activity were comparable to values in intact, control animals. The data indicate that luteal function in the mouse during the early post-implantation period requires a luteotropic complex rather than a single hormone. Prolactin and FSH constitute the minimal luteotropic complex in the pregnant mouse. The luteotropic activity of FSH was not due to its contamination with LH and the effect of FSH was apparently not mediated through estrogen secretion, since pregnancy was not maintained by prolactin and estrone.
Inbition of steroidogenic response to corticotropin in mouse adrenal tumor cells (Y-1 by the ionophore A23187 Role of protein biosynthesis

Abstract Addition of the ionophore A123187 to Y-1 mouse adrenal tumor cells in monolayer culture inhibits steroidogenesis and the steroidogenic response to corticotropin (50% inhibition at 1 · 10 −7 M). inhibition is rapid in onset and is not overcome by addition of external Ca 2+ . The ionophore also inhibits stimulation of steroid synthesis by cyclic AMP. A23187 inhibits incorporation of the amino acid lysine into protein by Y-1 cells and the dose dependence of this inhibition closely resembles that of the inhibition of the steroidogenic response to corticotropin. Addition of A23187 to a subcellular system for protein synthesis prepared from Y-1 cells, inhibits incorporation of the amino acid phenylalanine into protein and this effects and this effect is not overcome by high concentrations of Ca 2+ . The inhibitory effect of A23187 on the response to corticotropin, like that response itself, takes place at some part of steriod synthesis after entry of cholesteriol into the cells and before the side-chain cleavage of cholesterol. These studies confirm the importance of protein synthesis in the response to corticotropin and demonstrate that the effect of protein synthesized under the influence of corticotropin is exerted at some point in the events which bring substrate (cholesterol) to the mitochondrial side-chain cleavage enzyme system. It is also shown that A23187 inhibits protein synthesis, and hence the response to corticotropin, by a mechanism which is independent of the concentration of available Ca 2+ .
Improved visualization of apical vesicles in chloride cells of fish gills using an osmium quick-fix technique

Quick-fixation with buffered osmium is a well established technique for fixing rapid forms of cell motility, e.g., metachronal ciliary beat. One proposed mechanism of salt transport in the gills of saltwater fish is a vesicular shuttle in the apical tubulovesicular system of gill chloride cells. We decided to use the osmium quick-fix technique to see if rapid fixation causes modification of observed gill ultrastructure. Gill chloride cells from two species of fish, Fundulus heteroclitus and Poecilia reticulata, were examined ultrastructurally under two conditions of fixation: (1) Conventional fixation in glutaraldehyde followed by osmium or (2) quick-fixation for 20 seconds in osmium tetroxide buffered with Na cacodylate followed by conventional fixation. Following osmium quick-fixation, the ultrastructure of the apical tubulovesicular system is substantially different, such that more vesicles are seen in the cortical region and membrane fusion events between vesicles and the apical membrane are much more prevalent. The appearance of other portions of the chloride cell, e.g., mitochondria, tubular reticulum, cell junctions, was identical under the two conditions of fixation. These results suggest that a rapid vesicular shuttle is present in the chloride cell apex. A model indicating how such a shuttle might be instrumental in transepithelial ion transport is presented and evaluated. We currently lack sufficient information to accept or reject any of the current models of ion transport. It is anticipated that the osmium quick-fix technique will serve as a useful tool in further studies of the morphology, movements, and function of apical vesicles in fish chloride cells.
Regulation of sodium currents and acetylcholine responses in PC12 cells

Voltage-gated sodium currents and acetylcholine-elicited currents in clonal rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC12) were studied using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. After treatment of cultures with nerve growth factor (NGF, 2-4 nM) for 5 or more days, both Na currents and ACh responses increased by 5-7-fold. We tested the ability of a number of treatments reported to induce physiological differentiation in neuroblastoma or neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid cells. We found that no treatment was as effective as NGF, and mitotic inhibitors and 8-bromocyclic AMP reduced the efficacy of NGF at increasing both sodium currents and ACh responses. Some treatments were able to selectively reduce or enhance the ability of NGF to induce ACh responses or sodium currents. Dexamethasone, in particular, completely blocked the NGF-induced increase in ACh response, while leaving Na currents unaffected. Furthermore, in individual cells the Na current density and ACh current density are uncorrelated. These observations indicate that physiological differentiation in PC12 cells is regulated differently than in neuroblastoma cells and, further, in PC12 cells sodium currents and ACh responses are independently regulated.
Leveraging a better interface language to simplify adaptation

We describe an approach to building adaptive groupware systems. This approach encompasses a methodology that reduces the complexity of inferring user intent by identifying a domain-specific interface language that both supports the user's maintenance of common ground, and can be used to drive an adaptive component.Our approach can be framed as follows: 1) Users of same-time different-place collaborative systems must exchange certain types coordination specific information; 2) We can facilitate the exchange and management of this information by introducing special purpose interface components, which we call Coordinating Representations, that structure these communications; 3) Information that is collected through these interface components is particularly well suited to driving intent inferencing procedures; and 4) Intent inference can be used to drive adaptive components that support the collaborative activity.We discuss empirical results from two experiments that validate this methodology.
MRI techniques for cardiovascular imaging.

Over the last several years, cardiovascular MRI has benefited from a number of technical advances which have improved routine clinical imaging techniques. As a result, MRI is now well positioned to realize its longstanding promise of becoming the comprehensive cardiac imaging test of choice in many clinical settings. This may be achieved using a combination of basic advanced techniques. In this overview, the basic cardiac MRI techniques which are clinically useful are reviewed, and the recent technical advances which are clinically promising are described. These advances include routine black blood and cine bright blood techniques that are high speed (<10s per black blood image or cine slice), multislice whole heart perfusion imaging methods, and recently emerging real-time imaging methodologies. J Magn. Reson. Imaging 1999;10:590-601.
Guard cell apoplastic photosynthate accumulation corresponds to a phloem-loading mechanism.

Apoplastic phloem loaders have an apoplastic step in the movement of the translocated sugar, prototypically sucrose, from the mesophyll to the companion cell sieve tube element complex. In these plants, leaf apoplastic sucrose becomes concentrated in the guard cell wall to nominally 150 mM by transpiration during the photoperiod. This concentration of external sucrose is sufficient to diminish stomatal aperture size in an isolated system and to regulate expression of certain genes. In contrast to apoplastic phloem loaders and at the other extreme, strict symplastic phloem loaders lack an apoplastic step in phloem loading and mostly transport raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs), which are at low concentrations in the leaf apoplast. Here, the effects of the phloem-loading mechanism and associated phenomena on the imme diate environment of guard ceils are reported. As a first step, carbohydrate analyses of phloem exudates con firmed basil (Ocimum basilicum L. cv. Minimum) as a symplastic phloem-loading species. Then, aspects of stomatal physiology of basil were characterized to establish this plant as a symplastic phloem-loading model species for guard ceil research. [14C]Mannitol fed via the cut petiole accumulated around guard cells, indicating a continuous leaf apoplast. The (RFO+su crose+hexoses) concentrations in the leaf apoplast were low, 0.2) were detectable in the guard cell wall. Thus, differences in phloem-loading mecha nisms predict differences in the in planta regulatory environment of guard cells.
Chemical trends in the structural stability of binary crystals.

The role of chemical and pressure changes on the structural stability of simple binary crystals is examined. We have considered crystals of the form ${A}^{N}$${B}^{8\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}N}$ in three experimentally accessible structures: zinc blende, rocksalt, and \ensuremath{\beta}-Sn. The total energy of a reference crystal in these structures was calculated via a pseudopotential method as a function of charge transfer and pressure. We construct a phase diagram in pressure\char21{}charge-transfer space which enables us to predict the global behavior of this family of crystal structures. The structural boundaries of this phase diagram are in good agreement with experiment and the pressures predicted for structural transitions are in semiquantitative agreement with experiment. From our calculations we are able to define an ionicity scale based on charge transfer which predicts the critical ionicity for separating the zinc-blende and rocksalt structures. Our charge-transfer scale is consistent with the Phillips ionicity scale and provides a microscopic justification for the dielectric scale. Finally, for the case of the rocksalt structure, we can associate the band gap of this material with its structural stability relative to the zinc-blende structure. Specifically, as a function of charge transfer we find a metal-insulator transition occurs near the point when the rocksalt structure becomes stable versus a zinc-blende structure.
Modeling catchment-scale mixing in the near-stream zone—Implications for chemical and isotopic hydrograph separation

[1] The saturated region immediately surrounding the stream channel has been characterized as a zone of active mixing, but the dynamics of this process are not accounted for in conventional hydrograph separations. We employ a simple mixing model to explore the possible consequences. Chemically distinct “hillslope” and “groundwater” runoff components are routed through a “near-stream” reservoir, representing the channel and surrounding alluvium, to produce streamflow. For physically plausible near-stream zones, groundwater contributions estimated from hydrograph separation on streamflow ranged from 45 to 80 percent larger than the “true” inflow values on the rising limb, and 19 to 57 percent larger at peak flow. The overestimates resulted from a near-stream reservoir-induced lag in the hillslope chemical signature relative to increases in hillslope water flux, and were consistent for reservoir dynamics ranging from constant-volume to linear. The results suggest that caution be exercised when interpreting hydrograph separations without knowledge of the hydrology of the near-stream zone.
Mutational pattern of influenza B viruses adapted to high growth replication in embryonated eggs

Improved replication of influenza viruses in embryonated chicken eggs (CE) permits increased vaccine production and availability. We investigated the growth properties of influenza B viruses in relation to specific mutations occurring after serial passage in CE. In serial passage experiments yielding high growth variants of B/Victoria/504/2000, mutations predicted to alter amino acid (AA) composition occurred only near the receptor-binding pocket of the hemagglutinins (HA) and in no other genes. Two B/Victoria/504/2000 high growth variants had the same AA substitutions in HA (R162M and D196Y), but the higher yield variant had a third substitution (G141E), which also altered antigenic characteristics. In a serial passage experiment yielding a high growth variant of B/Hong Kong/330/2001, mutations predicted to alter AA composition occurred only in PB2 and NP in domains predicted to relate to RNP formation and function. Our results indicate that adaptation of influenza B viruses to high-yield replication by serial passage in CE requires few mutations either in internal or external genes. Specific modifications of genes or a combination of genes could be used to optimize or create influenza B viruses for specific growth substrates.
Endobronchial carcinoid in a child: depiction with three-dimensional volume rendering

Endobronchial carcinoid is an extremely rare neoplasm in children. We report a case in which this entity was prospectively diagnosed by 3-D CT bronchography with volume rendering techniques. The ability to prospectively implicate an endobronchial neoplasm in a child may help to guide subsequent therapy and management.
Longhurst-hardy Plankton recorders: their design and use to minimize bias

Abstract Field studies and tow basin experiments of Longhurst-Hardy Plankton Recorder (LHPR) biases were conducted by injecting various types of particles into an LHPR having a variety of net and recorder box configurations. Tow speed and clogging were also considered. The following factors contributed to biases: (1) low recorder gauze aperture area to throat area ratios, causing backing up of flow into the net cod end, (2) tunnel gauze slot design, allowing significant losses of particles; (3) steep side angles of the net at the recorder entrance due to bagging or radial stretching; (4) clogging of the neta head of the LHPR; (5) short nets; and (6) tow speeds greater than about 125 cm s−1. Experiments with an LHPR modified to minimize biases showed that resolution to 15 m in oligotrophic waters is possible. In eutrophic waters, we doubt it is feasible to use a net with the LHPR.
Extractable organics and hydrocarbons in the Mediterranean sea

Abstract The level of tanker shipments in the Mediterranean is relatively high, being approximately 8 million barrels per day in 1972 and 1975 (Lloyds, 1972, 1975). This represents an important proportion of world-wide shipments which in 1972–1975 were approximately 30 million barrels daily. Because of the tanker traffic and the Suez Canal opening in June 1975, there was particular interest in obtaining hydrocarbon baseline data prior to changed conditions caused by this event. In response, the present study was carried out in the latter half of 1975 when 0–1m and −5m samples were collected along the tanker routes; Augusta, Sicily/Gibraltar; Augusta/Alexandria, and Augusta/Tunis. Total dispersed extractable organics (lipids) and nonvolatile hydrocarbons (C 14+ ) were measured. Hydrocarbons were found to be complex mixtures of normal and isoparaffins, cycloparaffins and aromatics. Surface water showed a persistent pattern of n -paraffins of carbon numbers 16, 17, 18, and 19, with a preponderance of the C 17 and C 19 's. Presence of these compounds and low concentrations of aromatics indicate that an important proportion of the hydrocarbons were of biogenic origin.
Improvements to speaker adaptive training of deep neural networks

Speaker adaptive training (SAT) is a well studied technique for Gaussian mixture acoustic models (GMMs). Recently we proposed to perform SAT for deep neural networks (DNNs), with speaker i-vectors applied in feature learning. The resulting SAT-DNN models significantly outperform DNNs on word error rates (WERs). In this paper, we present different methods to further improve and extend SAT-DNN. First, we conduct detailed analysis to investigate i-vector extractor training and flexible feature fusion. Second, the SAT-DNN approach is extended to improve tasks including bottleneck feature (BNF) generation, convolutional neural network (CNN) acoustic modeling and multilingual DNN-based feature extraction. Third, for transcribing multimedia data, we enrich the i-vector representation with global speaker attributes (age, gender, etc.) obtained automatically from video signals. On a collection of instructional videos, incorporation of the additional visual features is observed to boost the recognition accuracy of SAT-DNN.
Critical factors in the chi-square test of independence: A technique for exploratory data analysis

The chi-square test of independence was reviewed, with concerns voiced for limitations traditionally imposed on the specificity of interpretation allowed given a significant chi square. Situations encouraging more exacting interpretation were noted, and a technique was proposed that would allow statistical consideration of factors, delineated by a row or column, that make appreciable contribution to a statistically significant chi-square value. Suggestions were offered as to the interpretation and utilitarian value of identified critical factors in a chi-square problem.
Consortia--A Viable Model and Medium for Distance Education in Developing Countries?

Consortia are increasingly popular mechanisms by which educational institutions may achieve organisational goals that might be especially challenging to accomplish individually. Such collaborations are intended to offer courses and services through combined resources and expertise. Consortia designed to develop and deliver distance education opportunities cost‐effectively to student populations that might not otherwise be served are now being established at regional, state, national and international levels. This study examines the viability of this model of distance education in developing areas, which are often resource challenged, where educational systems are tradition‐bound, where a culture for the application of technology for instructional purposes may not yet be common, and where institutions remain parochial in their interests and activities. In particular, one consortium is profiled – the Consorcio Clavijero, in Jalapa, Mexico, comprised of 64 public and private institutions in the state of Vera...
Purification and mass spectrometric analysis of ADP-ribosylation factor proteins from Xenopus egg cytosol.

The GTP analog GTPγS potently inhibits nuclear envelope assembly in cell-free Xenopus egg extracts. GTPγS does not affect vesicle binding to chromatin but blocks vesicle fusion. Fusion inhibition b...
Sedimentation of chemically modified chymotrypsin.

Abstract The self-association of chymotrypsin which has chemical derivatives on Ser-195, His-57, Met-192, or the 14 lysine sidechains has been studied between pH 2.5 and 6.2. The association is prevented at pH 4 by the attachment of large groups (phenylmethane sulfonyl- or cinnamoyl-) onto Ser-195 but is not affected by a small group (acetyl-). Modification of His-57 with TPCK also blocks the association at pH 4. Guanidination of ϵ-amino groups causes association to larger species than trimers. Association of a well-defined protein would appear to be quite sensitive to small structural changes.
Polymer Gate Dielectric Surface Viscoelasticity Modulates Pentacene Transistor Performance

Nanoscopically confined polymer films are known to exhibit substantially depressed glass transition temperatures (Lg's) as compared to the corresponding bulk materials. We report here that pentacene thin films grown on polymer gate dielectrics at temperatures well below their bulk Tg's exhibit distinctive and abrupt morphological and microstructural transitions and thin-film transistor (TFT) performance discontinuities at well-defined growth temperatures. The changes reflect the higher chain mobility of the dielectric in its rubbery state and are independent of dielectric film thickness. Optimization of organic TFT performance must recognize this fundamental buried interface viscoelasticity effect, which is detectable in the current-voltage response.
Poisoning in children--a statistical study of 1,057 cases.

A study was made of 1,057 cases of poisoning in children treated as inpatients atMilwaukee Children's Hospital from 1962 through 1968. Data on date of occurrence, age and sex of the child, and type of agent involved were recorded and analyzed by standard statistical methods. Poisoning was due to ingestion of aspirin in 35 per cent of the children studied and to the ingestion of hydrocarbon distillates in 18 per cent. A statistically significant male dominance was found for ingestion of hydrocarbons; age-specific peaks were found for some categories. Trends as to the relative and absolute frequencies of each specific poison from one year to the next were noted; possible reasons for increasing or decreasing trends are discussed.
Region-based scalable coding for interactive image/video communications over networks

In this paper, we present a region-based scalable coding technique that can be used in interactive image/video communications. This method has a capability of near lossless coding for a specific region of interest (ROI), while the rest of the region is coded with high quality lossy codec. There are many potential applications of the region-based scalable video coding method in the areas of interactive communications such as storm tracking, wild fire and air traffic monitoring using satellite still images and near real time video sequences. It enables the server/client system to reduce data traffic across the networks while the quality of a specific area of interest chosen for each client's needs is still satisfied. We tested this technique by applying it to still images and traffic monitoring image sequences. The results consistently show high level of performance.
Structured materials syntheses in a self-assembled surfactant mesophase

Abstract A self-assembled surfactant mesophase containing AOT/lecithin/isooctane/water has been exploited as a template for the syntheses of nanostructured materials. The system is a gel sustaining equal volumes of an aqueous phase and an organic hydrocarbon phase. We have explored the synthesis of extended ceramic and polymer structures in this gel phase. Iron nanoparticles synthesized in the microaqueous phase have chain-like structures, while porous silica structures are obtained using precursors soluble in the organic microphase. The retention of catalytic activity of an oxidative enzyme in the microaqueous phase allows synthesis of structured polymers at the oil–water interface.
PERCEIVED SPERM COMPETITION INTENSITY INFLUENCES SEMINAL FLUID PROTEIN PRODUCTION PRIOR TO COURTSHIP AND MATING

Sperm competition is a potent postcopulatory selective force where sperm from rival males compete to fertilize a limited set of ova. Considering that sperm production is costly, we expect males to strategically allocate sperm in accordance with the level of competition. Accordingly, previous work has examined a male's strategic allocation in terms of sperm number. However, the seminal fluid proteins (Sfps) transferred along with sperm may also play a crucial role in competition. Surprisingly, the strategic allocation of Sfps has remained largely unexplored. Using Drosophila melanogaster, we examined the expression of three seminal fluid and four spermatogenesis genes in response to perceived sperm competition intensity by manipulating male density in a pre-mating and courtship environment. In the pre-mating environment, we found that males modified Sfp ratios by reducing the production of two spfs when potential rivals were present, while one Sfp and all spermatogenesis genes remained unaltered. In the courtship environment, males did not modify spermatogenesis or Sfp production in response to either rival males or female presence. Our data suggest that perceived competition in the pre-mating environment places a significant influence on Sfp allocation, which may be a general trend in promiscuous animal systems with internal fertilization.
Urban Link Travel Time Estimation Using Large-scale Taxi Data with Partial Information

Taxicabs equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) devices can serve as useful probes for monitoring the traffic state in an urban area. This paper presents a new descriptive model for estimating hourly average of urban link travel times using taxicab origin–destination (OD) trip data. The focus of this study is to develop a methodology to estimate link travel times from OD trip data and demonstrate the feasibility of estimating network condition using large-scale geo-location data with partial information. The data, collected from the taxicabs in New York City, provides the locations of origins and destinations, travel times, fares and other information of taxi trips. The new model infers the possible paths for each trip and then estimates the link travel times by minimizing the error between the expected path travel times and the observed path travel times. The model is evaluated using a test network from Midtown Manhattan. Results indicate that the proposed method can efficiently estimate hourly average link travel times. This research provides new possibilities for fully utilizing the partial information obtained from urban taxicab data for estimating network condition, which is not only very useful but also is inexpensive and has much better coverage than traditional sensor data.
The nucleon-nucleus second-order optical potential

Abstract The optical model potential for the scattering of high-energy nucleons by nuclei is evaluated in terms of nucleon pair-correlations in nuclei, using phase shifts from nucleon-nucleon scattering to give the relevant scattering amplitudes. Some effects due to the non-local nature of the potential are discussed.
Analytical studies of large closed-loop arrays

35The resonant properties of large circular arrays of parallel, nonstaggered dipoles have been analyzed specifically when only one element is driven. The approach involves using tubular cylindrical dipoles and the integral equations of antenna theory. The parameters that are involved in the adjustment to any one of many possible resonant distributions of current around the array include the length and radius of the (Nu) identical tubular dipoles and the distance between them as fractions of the operating wavelength. Extremely sharp resonances have been obtained at properly selected values of the parameters. The very large resonant amplitudes of the currents in the elements can have any one of a variety of different symmetrical distributions of phase around the array including 180 degree(s) shifts from element to adjacent element. Typical field patterns consist of many extremely sharp peaks. The study of the circular array has been carried out using the method of symmetrical components. In order to study closed loops of dipoles other than the circle, e.g., ellipses, egg-shaped curves, etc., the analysis is being generalized.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Health and safety effects of coal transportation: Reassessing the risks

Abstract Many early risk studies suggest that one of the major contributors to the risks of using coal is the risk of transporting it from the mine to the point of use. Considerable occupational and public health and safety risks arise from each of the principal methods of coal transportation: railroads, barges, and trucks. In this paper, we reassess the hazards of transporting coal using new health and safety statistics and a methodology that identifies the most dangerous transportation modes and the most likely areas for successful mitigation of the risks. Unit trains, devoted solely to the transportation of coal, offer significant safety advantages to the public, although both unit trains and mixed-freight trains appear to be more hazardous than the transportation of coal by barges. A significant fraction of the public risk from rail transportation of coal results from grade-crossing accidents. Programs to install safety equipment at such crossings or a program to educate the public about the dangers of railroad crossings might successfully reduce this risk.
Laparoscopic esophagomyotomy for achalasia: does anterior hemifundoplication affect clinical outcome?

Achalasia is an idiopathic esophageal motor disorder characterized by incomplete lower esophageal sphincter relaxation and aperistalsis of the smooth muscle lined esophageal body.1 It is thought to be caused by immune-mediated destruction of the ganglion cells in Auerbach's myenteric plexus, but it is unclear why or how.1,2 Treatment is palliative and consists of temporary inhibition of excitatory cholinergic input to the LES smooth muscle (botulinum toxin),3 forceful tearing of the LES smooth muscle (pneumatic dilation),4 or surgical esophagomyotomy. Over the last decade, laparoscopic esophagomyotomy has become the treatment of choice for most patients with symptomatic achalasia, certainly among surgeons5 and even among gastroenterologists.6 The results with the laparoscopic approach are at least as good as those obtained with open esophagomyotomy, and the morbidity is less.7 Many surgeons add a hemifundoplication to the laparoscopic esophagomyotomy for protection against problematic postoperative reflux. This problem can be difficult to diagnose clinically in achalasia patients because heartburn symptoms correlate poorly with measured esophageal acid exposure8,9 and because the patient with achalasia may not perceive abnormal reflux if it is present.10 Although hemifundoplication may prevent gastroesophageal reflux after esophagomyotomy, it may also lead to persistent dysphagia in this group of patients with esophageal aperistalsis. These issues have been well described by Patti et al in their large series.11 Recently, Sharp et al9 presented a series of 100 patients with achalasia treated with laparoscopic esophagomyotomy. The results were very good, and most of the patients were treated without the addition of hemifundoplication. Thus the routine addition of hemifundoplication to laparoscopic esophagomyotomy for achalasia remains somewhat controversial. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate whether esophagomyotomy with anterior hemifundoplication yields better clinical outcomes than esophagomyotomy alone in patients with achalasia.
Riverton Press: An Exercise in Principled Negotiation

Negotiation is coming into increased use as a topic in business schools, with an emphasis on new approaches such as principled negotiation (Fisher, Ury, & Patton, 2011). This provides an alternative to the “position-based” negotiations of the labor–management tradition that used primarily distributive bargaining. While the literature has expanded, there seems to be a shortage of experiential exercises that work well. I present the “Riverton Press,” which is a two-person role-play that asks participants to negotiate using the ideas of principled negotiation. A short summary of the theory of principled negotiation, teaching notes, examples of classroom use and student responses, and complete materials for the exercise are provided. Students show evidence of increased understanding of principled negotiations and ability to use the method more effectively after doing the role-play and classroom debrief.
The Association of Therapist Empathy and Synchrony in Vocally Encoded Arousal

Empathy is an interpersonal process typically defined as the ability to both understand and experience the feelings of another person (Preston & De Waal, 2002). Within the field of psychotherapy, empathy is thought to be important across treatments but has been specifically emphasized within motivational interviewing (MI). MI refers to a class of evidence-based psychotherapies that specifies a particular linguistic approach to treatment wherein the therapist promotes client “change talk” while maintaining a non-judgmental and empathic stance. In MI, empathy is hypothesized to have both direct effects on treatment outcomes and indirect effects via the facilitation of client change talk (Miller & Rose, 2009). These predictions are consistent with evidence that ratings of therapist empathy are related to client outcomes in MI (Miller & Rose, 2009; Moyers & Miller, 2013) and across psychotherapies (Elliott, Bohart, Watson, & Greenberg, 2011). However, the empirical study of empathy has proved challenging, beginning with its definition. In clinical research, empathy is treated as a felt sense construct that relies on human perceptual skill for evaluation. Although there is no single definition, there is some consensus that empathy is composed of three processes: (a) emotional simulation—mirroring of the others experience, (b) perspective taking—understanding the client, and (c) emotion regulation—soothing interpersonal distress (Eisenberg & Eggum, 2009). Most clinical research has emphasized perspective-taking processes (Elliot et al., 2011), and corresponding definitions can be abstract and difficult to operationalize—“entering the private perceptual world of the other” (Rogers, 1980, p. 142). The Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Scale (MITI), a standard MI behavioral coding manual, defines empathy as whether the therapist is able “to ‘try on’ what the client feels or thinks.” A low rating (1) indicates that the therapist showed no interest in the client's perspective, and a high rating (7) indicates that the therapist demonstrated “a deep understanding of client's point of view” (Moyers, Martin, & Manuel, 2005, p. 14). Moreover, in MI, empathy is most often quantified through behavioral coding systems, which can be extremely time-consuming (e.g., Moyers, Martin, Manuel, Hendrickson, & Miller, 2005), and reliability estimates can often be quite low (ICCs of approximately .40; Moyers, Miller, & Hendrickson, 2005; Vader, Walters, Prabhu, Houck, & Field, 2010; see also Moyers, Martin, Catley, Harris, & Ahluwalia, 2003, for an exception, ICC = .77). Low and variable estimates of reliability are consistent with the idea that empathy is not well defined operationally. It may be that there is a shared, intuitive understanding of what empathy is, but a lack of behavioral specificity and practical problems inherent in the behavioral coding make it challenging to evaluate. Methods for evaluating therapist empathy are needed to provide more specific information about what happens in therapy dyads.
Outsourcing Student Housing in American Community Colleges: Problems and Prospects

Today's community colleges are experiencing tremendous growth at a time when higher education is experiencing little success in the fierce battle for public funding. Administrators believe that providing housing on college campuses increases enrollment and improves access, but they are having difficulty meeting students' demands for both quantity and quality of student housing. Community college leaders are challenged to find alternative ways to achieve new housing on their campuses. With resources already stretched, institutions sometimes struggle to find funding sources for these projects due to their impact on institutional debt service. Many colleges are turning to private foundations and corporations for their financing, construction, and management needs. This practice has increased dramatically over the past 10 years. To date, there have been over 214 privatized, nonrecourse-financed student housing projects on college and university campuses in the United States, with at least 11 occurring on comm...
Interpretation of red blood cell values.

These comments concern the paper by Weigle et al. ([5][1]) describing the wonderful opportunity that allowed university students to experience how various altitudes affect the human body. I would like to address their investigations of hematological measurements, among which were reticulocyte