cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of nonisothermal tensile tests using measured temperature distributions

Abstract Finite element modeling (FEM) of nonisothermal sheet tensile tests has been performed. The effect of deformation-induced heating was incorporated into an isothermal FEM program in two ways: (1) an experimentally measured temperature distribution was used to modify the plastic response of each element and (2) adiabatic heating was enforced by setting net heat production in each element equal to the work of deformation. For a specimen with a 1% taper, these models predict up to a 7% reduction in ultimate elongation for adiabatic tests relative to isothermal ones. These heat transfer conditions were approached at strain rates greater than 10−2/s and less than 10−4/s respectively. Comparison of these models with experiment suggests that the two extreme approximations can be used, except for a relatively narrow range of rates, to provide good first-order estimates of the heating effect on ductility without the need for cumbersome self-consistent heat transfer calculations. For mild steel sheet specimens tested in still air, the critical strain rate range is near the typical testing rate, making interpretation of standard tests difficult.
Automated measurement of quality of mucosa inspection for colonoscopy

Abstract Colonoscopy is currently the preferred screening modality for prevention of colorectal cancer. However, the effectiveness of colonoscopy depends on the quality of the procedure, which depends on several factors. In this paper, we present new methods that derive a new quality metric for automated scoring of quality of mucosa inspection performed by the endoscopist. We conducted Pearsons’ Correlation analysis of the computerized metric scores against the averages of the manual scores given by four domain experts on twenty-one colonoscopy videos. Our metric shows a relatively strong positive correlation (Pearson’s correlation coefficient of 0.72) between the computer-generated score and the ground truth. Hence, the proposed work is very promising to be used for quality control/assurance in routine colonoscopy screening.
P-Glycoprotein Shows Strong Catalytic Cooperativity between the Two Nucleotide Sites†

P-Glycoprotein (Pgp) (also known as multidrug-resistance protein) contains two nucleotide binding sites, both of which are catalytic ATPase sites. The covalent reagent 7-chloro-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl) reacts in catalytic sites, and full inactivation of ATPase activity occurs at a reaction stoichiometry of 1 mol of NBD-Cl/mol of Pgp. We show that, at reaction stoichiometry of < or = 1 mol/mol, both nucleotide sites become labeled in relatively nonselective fashion. There is therefore strong interaction between the two nucleotide sites because (a) reaction of one site with NBD-Cl severely impedes reaction of reagent with the other site, and (b) reaction of one site inhibits steady-state ATPase, i.e. both sites are inhibited. Vanadate-trapping experiments revealed that when one nucleotide site was reacted with NBD-Cl, not even a single ATPase turnover event could occur in the other, intact, nucleotide site. The data demonstrate therefore that catalytic cooperativity between the two nucleotide sites in Pgp is extremely strong and mandatory for catalysis.
Two Bayesian methods for estimating parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth equation

The von Bertalanffy growth equation (VBGE) is commonly used in ecology and fisheries management to model individual growth of an organism. Generally, a nonlinear regression is used with length-at-age data to recover key life history parameters: L ∞ (asymptotic size), k (the growth coefficient), and t 0 (a time used to calculate size at age 0). However, age data are often unavailable for many species of interest, which makes the regression impossible. To confront this problem, we have developed a Bayesian model to find L ∞ using only length data. We use length-at- age data for female blue shark, Prionace glauca, to test our hypothesis. Preliminary comparisons of the model output and the results of a nonlinear regression using the VBGE show similar estimates of L ∞. We also developed a full Bayesian model that fits the VBGE to the same data used in the classical regression and the length-based Bayesian model. Classical regression methods are highly sensitive to missing data points, and our analysis shows that fitting the VBGE in a Bayesian framework is more robust. We investigate the assumptions made with the traditional curve fitting methods, and argue that either the full Bayesian or the length-based Bayesian models are preferable to classical nonlinear regressions. These methods clarify and address assumptions made in classical regressions using von Bertalanffy growth and facilitate more detailed stock assessments of species for which data are sparse.
Shear‐wave splitting at central Tien Shan: Evidence for rapid variation of anisotropic patterns

At active collisional belts, the fast polarization axis of shear-wave splitting is generally aligned parallel to the strike of the belt, which has been proposed to indicate mantle strain that is coherent with crustal deformation. A notable exception is central Tien Shan, where anomalous patterns of splitting have previously been observed. We here analyze shear-wave splitting of SKS phases across north central Tien Shan using digital data from the Kyrgyzstan Broadband Seismic Network (KNET). We find a pattern of short-wavelength anisotropic heterogeneity that supports complex mantle flow due to small-scale convection. The along-strike variations in mantle structure contrast with the coherent pattern of crustal shortening, and indicate that mantle flow is not directly coupled to crustal deformation in this region.
Development of high-load, soluble oligomeric sulfonate esters via ROM polymerization: application to the benzylation of amines.

The development of high-load, soluble oligomeric sulfonate esters, generated via ROM polymerization, and their utility in the facile benzylation of an array of amines is reported. These polymeric sulfonate esters exist as free-flowing powders, are stable at refrigerated temperatures, and are readily dissolved in CH2Cl2. Following the benzylation event, purification is attained via simple filtration, followed by solvent removal to deliver the desired benzylated product in good to excellent yield and high purity.
GPU-accelerated multi-scoring functions protein loop structure sampling

Accurate protein loop structure models are important to understand functions of many proteins. One of the main problems in correctly modeling protein loop structures is sampling the large loop backbone conformation space, particularly when the loop is long. In this paper, we present a GPU-accelerated loop backbone structure modeling approach by sampling multiple scoring functions based on pair-wise atom distance, torsion angles of triplet residues, or soft-sphere van der Waals potential. The sampling program implemented on a heterogeneous CPU-GPU platform has observed a speedup of ∼40 in sampling long loops, which enables the sampling process to carry out computation with large population size. The GPU-accelerated multi-scoring functions loop structure sampling allows fast generation of decoy sets composed of structurally-diversified backbone decoys with various compromises of multiple scoring functions. In the 53 long loop benchmark targets we tested, our computational results show that in more than 90% of the targets, the decoy sets we generated include decoys within 1.5A RMSD (Root Mean Square Deviation) from native while in 77% of the targets, decoys in 1.0A RMSD are reached.
Design and testing of PCR primers for the construction of scFv libraries representing the immunoglobulin repertoire of rats.

Rats are widely used as a model in the study of many important diseases, yet their utility in research is limited by the lack of robust technology for the production of rat recombinant antibodies. Here we have identified and compiled putative rat immunoglobulin sequences by bioinformatic analysis of recently available genomic and EST databases, and used this information to design PCR primers to amplify rat VH and VL domain coding DNA representing the expressed repertoire of the animal. These primer sets were successfully tested and used to produce a scFv phage display library from rats that had been infected by the blood fluke, Schistosoma mansoni. The library was selected for scFvs that bind to extracellular loop epitopes on either of two known immunogenic S. mansoni membrane proteins, Sm23 and SmTsp2, both of the tetraspanin protein family. Two unique scFvs were identified that bind to each tetraspanin and shown to have excellent specificity for the target, including recognition of the native tetraspanins produced by the fluke. The primers and methods developed for rat scFvs should be of use to others seeking to characterize the antibody repertoire and/or prepare recombinant antibodies from this model.
Effects of a codend mesh size increase on size selectivity and catch rates in a small-mesh bottom trawl fishery for longfin inshore squid, Loligo pealeii

Abstract Loligo pealeii (longfin inshore squid) co-occurs with Atlantic butterfish ( Peprilus triacanthus ) throughout the year and discarding in the L. pealeii bottom trawl fishery is the primary source of fishing mortality on the butterfish stock. Consequently, a codend mesh size increase in the Loligo fishery has been proposed as a management measure to minimize discarding of butterfish and other bycatch species. A paired-tow study was conducted using a Loligo twin trawl to assess the effects of a codend mesh size increase, from 50 mm to 65 mm (inside stretched mesh), on catch rates and size selection of the target and bycatch species. Relative mesh selection factors estimated from a SELECT model were: 1.7, 1.5, 2.2, and 3.0 for L. pealeii ; P. triacanthus ; Illex illecebrosus (Northern shortfin squid); and Merluccius bilinearis (silver hake), respectively. Catches of butterfish and silver hake in the 65 mm codend were reduced by 58% and 41% in terms of numbers, respectively. However, a larger mesh size would be necessary to allow 50% escapement of the median sizes of mature silver hake and butterfish. A trade-off associated with the bycatch reductions is a 29% loss in the catch weight of the target species. However, the reduction in ex-vessel value of Loligo catch is probably not proportional to the percent loss in Loligo catch because most of the loss consisted of squid from the smallest market size categories which have the least value and are primarily discarded. In addition, a greater percentage of large, more valuable squid was caught in the 65 mm codend. The September study results likely represent a worst-case scenario with respect to Loligo catch loss because the monthly mean body size of Loligo tends to be smallest during September. Most catches of the three bycatch species evaluated herein and Loligo smaller than 10 cm are discarded, most likely dead, in the Loligo fishery. Therefore, a codend mesh size increase to 65 mm should provide some conservation benefits to these stocks if a portion survive escapement. On a fleet-wide basis, the magnitude of bycatch reductions and Loligo catch loss will vary depending on seasonal changes in mean body size, vessel-specific gear characteristics and fishing practices.
Fast tree-structured vector quantization method for medical image compression

This paper presents a tree-based search method to speed up the encoding process for vector quantization. The method is especially designed for very large codebooks and is based on a local search rather than on a global search including the whole feature space. The relations between the proposed method and several existing fast algorithms are discussed. Simulation results demonstrate that with little preprocessing and memory cost, the encoding time of the new algorithm has been reduced significantly while encoding quality remains the same with respect to other existing fast algorithms.
Walking Cadence and Mortality Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

BACKGROUND Older adults are encouraged to walk ≥100 steps∙minute−1 for moderate-intensity physical activity (i.e., brisk walking). It is unknown if the ability to walk ≥100 steps∙minute−1 predicts mortality.
New Algorithms for Filtering and Imputation of Real-Time and Archived Dual-Loop Detector Data in I-4 Data Warehouse

Loop detectors have been used to gather traffic data for over four decades. Loop data diagnostics have been extensively researched for single loops. Loop data diagnostics for the dual loops laid along 63 km (39 mi) of I-4 in Orlando, Florida, are specifically addressed here. In the I-4 data warehouse, dual-loop detectors provide flow, speed, and occupancy every 30 s. The mathematical relationships among flow, speed, occupancy, and average length of vehicles were used to flag bad data samples provided by a loop detector. A value called the entropy statistic is defined and used to determine the detectors that are stuck. Regression techniques were applied to fill the holes formed by the bad or missing samples. Various pairwise regression models were developed and described, and their performance on the loop data from January and February 2003 was analyzed. The best model was identified as the pairwise quadratic regression model with selective median, which is currently being used to impute missing data in re...
Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery.

Hypothesis: Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) provides the potential for performance of incisionless operations. This would break the physical barrier between bodily trauma and surgery, representing an epical revolution in surgery. Our group at IRCAD-EITS (Institut de Recherche contre les Cancers de l'Appareil Digestif [Institute of Digestive Cancer Research]-European Institute of TeleSurgery) has been actively involved in the development of NOTES since 2004 with a dedicated project created to develop feasibility and survival studies and new endoscopic technology. Design: NOTES cholecystectomy in a woman via a transvaginal approach. Setting: University hospital. Patient: The patient was a 30-year-old woman with symptomatic cholelithiasis. Intervention: The procedure was carried out by a multidisciplinary team using a standard double-channel flexible videogastroscope and standard endoscopic instruments. The placement of a 2-mm needle port, mandatory to insufflate carbon dioxide and to monitor the pneumoperitoneum, was helpful for further retraction of the gallbladder. At no stage of the procedure was there need for laparoscopic assistance. All of the principles of cholecystectomy were strictly adhered to. Results: The postoperative course was uneventful. The patient had no postoperative pain and no scars, and was discharged on the second postoperative day. Conclusions: Transluminal surgery is feasible and safe. NOTES, a radical shift in the practice and philosophy of interventional treatment, is becoming established and is enormously advantageous to the patient. With its invisible mending and tremendous potential, NOTES might be the next surgical evolution.
Silencing of human fetal globin expression is impaired in the absence of the adult beta-globin gene activator protein EKLF.

Globin genes are subject to tissue-specific and developmental stage-specific regulation. A switch from human fetal (gamma)-to adult (beta)-globin expression occurs within erythroid precursor cells of the adult lineage. Previously we and others showed by targeted gene disruption that the zinc finger gene, erythroid Kruppel-like factor (EKLF), is required for expression of the beta-globin gene in mice, presumably through interaction with a high-affinity binding site in the proximal promoter. To examine the role of EKLF in the developmental regulation of the human gamma-globin gene we interbred EKLF heterozygotes (+/-) with mice harboring a human beta-globin yeast artificial chromosome transgene. We find that in the absence of EKLF, while human beta-globin expression is dramatically reduced, gamma-globin transcripts are elevated approximately 5-fold. Impaired silencing of gamma-globin expression identifies EKLF as the first transcription factor participating quantitatively in the gamma-globin to beta-globin switch. Our findings are compatible with a competitive model of switching in which EKLF mediates an adult stage-specific interaction between the beta-globin gene promoter and the locus control region that excludes the gamma-globin gene.
Left Upper Lobe Torsion Following Lower Lobe Resection: Early Recognition of a Rare Complication

Left upper lobe torsion occurred in a woman during the first 24 hours following left lower lobectomy for bronchogenic carcinoma resection. To our knowledge, this is the first report of left upper lobe torsion. When atypical chest pain or opacification of the remaining lung develops following resectional surgery, torsion of the remaining lung must be suspected. Prompt diagnosis and treatment may prevent the morbidity and mortality associated with pulmonary infarction from torsion.
Engaging with an emergent metanarrative: A critical exploration of the BOP proposition

Recently, market-based strategies for poverty alleviation have emerged central to discourses on global poverty. One of the main proponents of market oriented strategy for poverty eradication was C. K. Prahalad whose publication Fortunes at the Bottom of the Pyramid paved the way for future work on business and poverty. It is curious that despite widespread discussions on the validity and relevance of the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) proposition by supporters and critics, there has been little sustained analysis of the foundational ideas, concepts and themes as outlined in the original BOP proposal. While by no means representative of the entire BOP field, Prahalad�s ideas deserve close attention because they provides the enabling conditions for the emergence of what I identify as the BOP �metanarrative�. In this article, I engage critically with Prahalad�s BOP proposition to highlight some of the theoretical and conceptual issues at stake in the BOP arguments. Specifically, I look at how globalization, partnerships, informality and enterprise, among others, are mobilized to accommodate and legitimize market development at the bottom of the pyramid. I conclude the article by emphasizing that the BOP project would be well served if it engaged in critical self-reflection as it may help to orient future iterations of the BOP strategy in ways that are less celebratory and more circumspect about the possibilities and potentials of linking the pursuit of profit with the goals of poverty relief and empowerment.
Comparison of Ground-Based and Airborne Function Allocation Concepts for NextGen Using Human-In-The-Loop Simulations

Investigation of function allocation for the Next Generation Air Transportation System is being conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). To provide insight on comparability of different function allocations for separation assurance, two human-in-the-loop simulation experiments were conducted on homogeneous airborne and ground-based approaches to four-dimensional trajectory-based operations, one referred to as ground-based automated separation assurance (groundbased) and the other as airborne trajectory management with self-separation (airborne). In the coordinated simulations at NASA s Ames and Langley Research Centers, controllers for the ground-based concept at Ames and pilots for the airborne concept at Langley managed the same traffic scenarios using the two different concepts. The common scenarios represented a significant increase in airspace demand over current operations. Using common independent variables, the simulations varied traffic density, scheduling constraints, and the timing of trajectory change events. Common metrics were collected to enable a comparison of relevant results. Where comparisons were possible, no substantial differences in performance or operator acceptability were observed. Mean schedule conformance and flight path deviation were considered adequate for both approaches. Conflict detection warning times and resolution times were mostly adequate, but certain conflict situations were detected too late to be resolved in a timely manner. This led to some situations in which safety was compromised and/or workload was rated as being unacceptable in both experiments. Operators acknowledged these issues in their responses and ratings but gave generally positive assessments of the respective concept and operations they experienced. Future studies will evaluate technical improvements and procedural enhancements to achieve the required level of safety and acceptability and will investigate the integration of airborne and ground-based capabilities within the same airspace to leverage the benefits of each concept.
Statistical comparison of fatigue data

Etude experimentale sur des echantillons en alliage d'aluminium 2024 soumis a des essais de torsion a differents taux d'humidite et de niveaux de contraintes, dans l'etat anodise et non revetu
Adhesive Dynamics Simulations of Sialyl-Lewisx/E-selectin-Mediated Rolling in a Cell-Free System

Selectin-mediated leukocyte rolling is crucial for the proper function of the immune response. Recently, selectin-mediated rolling was recreated in a cell-free system (Biophysical Journal 71:2902-2907 (1996)); it was shown that sialyl Lewis(x) (sLe(x))-coated microspheres roll over E-selectin-coated surfaces under hydrodynamic flow. The cell-free system removes many confounding cellular features, such as cell deformability and signaling, allowing us to focus on the role of carbohydrate/selectin physical chemistry in mediating rolling. In this paper, we use adhesive dynamics, a computational method that allows us to simulate adhesion, to analyze the experimental data produced in the cell-free system. We simulate the effects of shear rate, ligand density, and number of receptors per particle on rolling velocity and compare them with experimental results obtained with the cell-free system. If we assume the population of particles is homogeneous in receptor density, we predict that particle rolling velocity calculated in simulations is more sensitive to shear rate than found in experiments. Also, the calculated rolling velocity is more sensitive to the number of receptors on the microspheres than to the ligand density on the surface, again in contrast to experiment. We argue that heterogeneity in the distribution of receptors throughout the particle population causes these discrepancies. We improve the agreement between experiment and simulation by calculating the average rolling velocity of a population whose receptors follow a normal distribution, suggesting heterogeneity among particles significantly affects the experimental results. Further comparison between theory and experiment yields an estimate of the reactive compliance of sLe(x)/E-selectin interactions of 0.25 A, close to that reported in the literature for E-selectin and its natural ligand (0.3 A). We also provide an estimate of the value of the intrinsic association rate (between 10(4) and 10(5) s(-1)) for the formation of sLe(x)/E-selectin bonds.
Three-dimensional spectral-domain optical coherence tomography data analysis for glaucoma detection.

Purpose: To develop a new three-dimensional (3D) spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) data analysis method using a machine learning technique based on variable-size super pixel segmentation that efficiently utilizes full 3D dataset to improve the discrimination between early glaucomatous and healthy eyes. Methods: 192 eyes of 96 subjects (44 healthy, 59 glaucoma suspect and 89 glaucomatous eyes) were scanned with SD-OCT. Each SD-OCT cube dataset was first converted into 2D feature map based on retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) segmentation and then divided into various number of super pixels. Unlike the conventional super pixel having a fixed number of points, this newly developed variable-size super pixel is defined as a cluster of homogeneous adjacent pixels with variable size, shape and number. Features of super pixel map were extracted and used as inputs to machine classifier (LogitBoost adaptive boosting) to automatically identify diseased eyes. For discriminating performance assessment, area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics of the machine classifier outputs were compared with the conventional circumpapillary RNFL (cpRNFL) thickness measurements. Results: The super pixel analysis showed statistically significantly higher AUC than the cpRNFL (0.855 vs. 0.707, respectively, p = 0.031, Jackknife test) when glaucoma suspects were discriminated from healthy, while no significant difference was found when confirmed glaucoma eyes were discriminated from healthy eyes. Conclusions: A novel 3D OCT analysis technique performed at least as well as the cpRNFL in glaucoma discrimination and even better at glaucoma suspect discrimination. This new method has the potential to improve early detection of glaucomatous damage. © 2013 Xu et al.
Auditory feedback control is involved at even sub-phonemic levels of speech production

In the target article, Hickok asserts that auditory and somatosensory feedback control operate at different levels in the speech production hierarchy, with somatosensory feedback control involved in lower-level phonemic processing and auditory feedback control involved in higher-level syllabic processing. This assertion is based in part on a characterization of phonemes as timeless feature bundles. In this commentary I argue that the linguistic conception of phonemes as timeless feature bundles is insufficient for characterizing the production of phonemes by the motor system, and I review evidence that auditory feedback control is used even at the sub-phonemic level of speech production, contrary to its role in the hierarchical state feedback control model.
Evaluation of elemental carbon as a marker for diesel particulate matter

Elemental carbon (EC) in atmospheric particulate matter originates from a broad range of sources in many urban locations. As health and air quality studies are using elemental carbon measurements to better understand the impact of diesel engines and other combustion sources, there is a great need to clearly understand the relative source contributions to EC concentrations in the atmosphere. However, the different analytical techniques currently used to measure EC do not show good agreement for many particulate matter samples. To this end, studies that use EC as a tracer and integrate different analytical techniques for EC can significantly bias estimates of source contributions to atmospheric particulate matter. In addition, source attribution studies that do not properly address all sources of EC in the atmosphere can also lead to inaccuracies and biases. To better understand the use of EC as a tracer, a review of the distribution of EC in the primary particulate matter emissions from air pollution sources using different analytical methods is discussed. A review of previous apportionment studies of particulate matter is presented to elucidate the fraction of EC that results from emissions from diesel engines in urban locations. These results demonstrate that EC is not a unique tracer for diesel exhaust and efforts to utilize EC as an indicator of diesel exhaust must properly address other sources of EC as well as utilize a consistent measurement technique for EC when comparing source and ambient EC measurements to avoid significant biases.
Wave motion in a viscous fluid of variable depth

The linearized equations for wave motion of frequency ω in a shallow, viscous liquid of variable depth h are reduced to a partial differential equation. [Lscr ] Z = 0, for the complex amplitude Z of the free-surface displacement on the assumptions of no slip at the bottom and Kh , K δ * [Lt ] 1, where K = ω 2 / g , and δ * = (ν/2ω) ½ is a viscous lengthscale. It is shown that capillarity must be included in order to avoid an irregular singular point (which would imply the total absorption of an incoming wave) at h = 0. [Lscr ] Z then is fourth-order and has a regular singular point of exponents 2, 1, 0, 0 for h ∼ σ x ↓ 0. The requirements that the free-surface displacement and the shear force be bounded as h ↓ 0 rule out the solutions of exponent 0 and imply a stationary contact line. This last prediction is supported by laboratory observation but is not consistent with the observed runup of long, non-breaking waves on real beaches (for which the condition of no slip presumably must be relaxed). The dissipation for sufficiently small capillarity and viscosity is equal to that calculated from a boundary-layer approximation (despite the violation of the assumption h [Gt ] δ * on which that approximation is based). The viscous modification of the Stokes edge wave on a uniform, gentle slope is calculated through matched asymptotic approximations to the solution of [Lscr ] Z = 0.
A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF SERUM PROTEINS DURING TREATMENT WITH ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE STEROIDS

Abstract Twenty women were studied to determine the effect of low dosage estrogens and progestogens upon quantitative serum proteins. Sera were obtained on days 7, 14 and 21 of the menstrual cycle. Before drug administration, there was no difference in protein level attributable to cycle day, age or parity. Subjects were then divided randomly into four groups of five women and received either 1) lactose 1 mg, 2) mestranol 0.1 mg and norethindrone 2.0 mg, 3) mestranol 0.1 mg or 4) medroxyprogesterone acetate 10 mg for 20 days of each cycle for three months. Significant decrease in albumin and increases in alpha-2- and beta globulins occurred with mestranol 0.1 mg (p
A 10-bit linear monolithic D/A converter

The design for a fully monolithic thin-film-on silicon D/A converter which includes a unique zero TC reference will be described. Reference is adjusted for minimum TC when gain is adjusted externally to design value.
Reflections on the Inter-American Principle of Nonintervention: A Search for Meaning in Ambiguity

In its present formulation in the Charter of the Organization of American States, the principle stands as a monument to generations of Latin American statesmen and jurists who labored for its adoption. This nonintervention norm goes far beyond the rule often attributed to general international law, as well as the prohibition in Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter of "the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations," and perhaps also beyond Article 2(7) of the UN Charter which (with the sole exception of enforcement measures under Chapter VII) requires the world organization to abstain from intervening in matters that are "essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state." Article 15 of the OAS Charter provides:
Multiple Regression with a Qualitative Dependent Variable

Abstract This paper describes several methods by which a single set of scores for a qualitative (usually ordinal) dependent variable can be estimated simultaneously with the coefficients of the explanatory variables of a model. The canonical correlations and multiple discriminant analysis approaches are well known in the statistics literature. However, the paper goes on to show an iterative least-squares multiple regression technique can provide a useful approximation to these more general procedures. The techniques are illustrated with labor force participation and voter turnout examples.
Uremic Serum and Ubiquitylation of Tissue Factor

Stent thrombosis is a major clinical problem associated with a high rate of mortality.1,2 The development of drug-eluting stents has significantly reduced restenosis compared with bare metal stents as a result of the antiproliferative agents inhibiting vascular smooth muscle (VSMC) proliferation. However, the rate of stent thrombosis associated with drug-eluting stents continues to be a major concern, with rates between 0.3 and 1.1% within 3 years.1 Thrombosis is likely in part attributable to the fact that the antiproliferative drugs also inhibit re-endothelization of the vessel. Furthermore, patients with chronic renal failure have worse outcomes after stenting and have as much as an 8-fold increase in 1-year cardiac mortality after coronary intervention.3 Article see p 365 Tissue factor (TF) is a transmembrane protein that triggers blood coagulation.4 It has been proposed that TF plays a role in stent thrombosis, although there is no direct evidence for this assumption in patients. Platelet binding to the damaged vessel with or without exposure of TF is equally likely to trigger thrombosis. In this issue of Circulation , Chitalia et al5 have made the interesting observation that uremic serum increases TF protein stability in VSMCs. They suggest that this may explain the increase in cardiac mortality in chronic renal failure patients receiving stents. In healthy vessels, TF is separated from its ligand factor VII/VIIa in the blood by the endothelium, and this prevents inadvertent activation of …
Structural Insights into Membrane Targeting by the Flagellar Calcium-binding Protein (FCaBP), a Myristoylated and Palmitoylated Calcium Sensor in Trypanosoma cruzi

The flagellar calcium-binding protein (FCaBP) of the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi is targeted to the flagellar membrane where it regulates flagellar function and assembly. As a first step toward understanding the Ca2+-induced conformational changes important for membrane-targeting, we report here the x-ray crystal structure of FCaBP in the Ca2+-free state determined at 2.2A resolution. The first 17 residues from the N terminus appear unstructured and solvent-exposed. Residues implicated in membrane targeting (Lys-19, Lys-22, and Lys-25) are flanked by an exposed N-terminal helix (residues 26-37), forming a patch of positive charge on the protein surface that may interact electrostatically with flagellar membrane targets. The four EF-hands in FCaBP each adopt a “closed conformation” similar to that seen in Ca2+-free calmodulin. The overall fold of FCaBP is closest to that of grancalcin and other members of the penta EF-hand superfamily. Unlike the dimeric penta EF-hand proteins, FCaBP lacks a fifth EF-hand and is monomeric. The unstructured N-terminal region of FCaBP suggests that its covalently attached myristoyl group at the N terminus may be solvent-exposed, in contrast to the highly sequestered myristoyl group seen in recoverin and GCAP1. NMR analysis demonstrates that the myristoyl group attached to FCaBP is indeed solvent-exposed in both the Ca2+-free and Ca2+-bound states, and myristoylation has no effect on protein structure and folding stability. We propose that exposed acyl groups at the N terminus may anchor FCaBP to the flagellar membrane and that Ca2+-induced conformational changes may control its binding to membrane-bound protein targets.
Reconstruction of the deficient acetabulum with an Oblong prosthesis three-to seven-year results

Abstract A retrospective review was conducted to determine the intermediate-term results of a noncustomized, oblong, porous-coated, cementless, acetabular component designed to obtain stability on host bone while maintaining an anatomic hip center. The clinical and radiographic results were reviewed in 18 patients (3 primary, 15 revision). All patients had substantial acetabular rim defects before reconstruction with the Johnson and Johnson E-15 or E-25 oblong components. The average follow-up was 4.5 years (range, 3.4–6.9 years), with an average postoperative Harris Hip Score of 91 points. Radiographic analysis revealed no prosthetic migration and near anatomic restoration of the hip center.
Sequences Flanking Arg336 in Factor VIIIa Modulate Factor Xa-catalyzed Cleavage Rates at this Site and Cofactor Function

Factor (F)VIII can be activated to FVIIIa by FXa following cleavages at Arg372, Arg740, and Arg1689. FXa also cleaves FVIII/FVIIIa at Arg336 and Arg562 resulting in inactivation of the cofactor. These inactivating cleavages occur on a slower time scale than the activating ones. We assessed the contributions to cleavage rate and cofactor function of residues flanking Arg336, the primary site yielding FVIII(a) inactivation, following replacement of these residues with those flanking the faster-reacting Arg740 and Arg372 sites and the slower-reacting Arg562 site. Replacing P4-P3′ residues flanking Arg336 with those from Arg372 or Arg740 resulted in ∼4–6-fold increases in rates of FXa-catalyzed inactivation of FVIIIa, which paralleled the rates of proteolysis at Arg336. Examination of partial sequence replacements showed a predominant contribution of prime residues flanking the scissile bonds to the enhanced rates. Conversely, replacement of this sequence with residues flanking the slow-reacting Arg562 site yielded inactivation and cleavage rates that were ∼40% that of the WT values. The capacity for FXa to activate FVIII variants where cleavage at Arg336 was accelerated due to flanking sequence replacement showed marked reductions in peak activity, whereas reducing the cleavage rate at this site enhanced peak activity. Furthermore, plasma-based thrombin generation assays employing the variants revealed significant reductions in multiple parameter values with acceleration of Arg336 cleavage suggesting increased down-regulation of FXase. Overall, these results are consistent with a model of competition for activating and inactivating cleavages catalyzed by FXa that is modulated in large part by sequences flanking the scissile bonds.
Robust MIMO Underwater Acoustic Communications Using Turbo Block Decision-Feedback Equalization

In this paper, a robust detection scheme is proposed for high data rate single-carrier multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) underwater acoustic communications. The new scheme adopts turbo block decision-feedback equalization, where the soft-decision equalizer performs successive soft interference cancellation of both the intersymbol interference in the time domain, and the multiplexing interference in the space domain. Attributed to the inherent advantage of the block decision-feedback equalizer (BDFE) over other conventional equalizers, the MIMO turbo detection algorithm provides high performance with fast convergence speed. With the interblock interference properly removed, the MIMO BDFE is performed with overlapped information blocks without guard intervals, thus a high transmission efficiency is guaranteed and the performance degradation at the tail of each block is prevented. The MIMO channel is treated as time invariant over each small block, and is estimated with either the pilot symbols in the training mode or the previously detected symbols in the decision-directed mode. The proposed detection scheme has been tested by extensive experimental data and proved to be robust to different transmission environments. The experimental results for the undersea 2008 Surface Processes and Acoustic Communications Experiment (SPACE08) and the 2008 Gulf of Mexico Experiment (GOMEX08) are both reported.
Is visual short-term memory object based? Rejection of the “strong-object” hypothesis

Is the capacity of visual short-term memory (VSTM) limited by the number of objects or by the number of features? VSTM for objects with either one feature or two color features was tested. Results show that capacity was limited primarily by the number of colors to be memorized, not by the number of objects. This result held up with variations in color saturation, blocked or mixed conditions, duration of memory image, and absence or presence of verbal load. However, conjoining features into objects improved VSTM capacity when size-orientation and color-orientation conjunctions were tested. Nevertheless, the number of features still mattered. When feature heterogeneity was controlled, VSTM for conjoined objects was worse than VSTM for objects made of single features. Our results support a weak-object hypothesis of VSTM capacity that suggests that VSTM is limited by both the number of objects and the feature composition of those objects.
A non-cell-autonomous role for Ras signaling in C. elegans neuroblast delamination

Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling through Ras influences many aspects of normal cell behavior, including epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and aberrant signaling promotes both tumorigenesis and metastasis. Although many such effects are cell-autonomous, here we show a non-cell-autonomous role for RTK-Ras signaling in the delamination of a neuroblast from an epithelial organ. The C. elegans renal-like excretory organ is initially composed of three unicellular epithelial tubes, namely the canal, duct and G1 pore cells; however, the G1 cell later delaminates from the excretory system to become a neuroblast and is replaced by the G2 cell. G1 delamination and G2 intercalation involve cytoskeletal remodeling, interconversion of autocellular and intercellular junctions and migration over a luminal extracellular matrix, followed by G1 junction loss. LET-23/EGFR and SOS-1, an exchange factor for Ras, are required for G1 junction loss but not for initial cytoskeletal or junction remodeling. Surprisingly, expression of activated LET-60/Ras in the neighboring duct cell, but not in the G1 or G2 cells, is sufficient to rescue sos-1 delamination defects, revealing that Ras acts non-cell-autonomously to permit G1 delamination. We suggest that, similarly, oncogenic mutations in cells within a tumor might help create a microenvironment that is permissive for other cells to detach and ultimately metastasize.
Impact of Lean Tools on energy consumption

Lean principles are mainly used for increasing productivity, reducing lead time, and eliminating waste. Energy impacts can also be assessed by using the lean principles. The objective of this paper is to measure the impact of Lean Manufacturing tools on energy consumption, with the base assumption that they should help decrease it. The methodology assesses and documents the energy utilization as a part of VSM. A pilot application in an industrial setting is presented.
Subsets of sialylated, sulfated mucins of diverse origins are recognized by L-selectin. Lack of evidence for unique oligosaccharide sequences mediating binding

Previous studies have shown that the mucin-type polypeptides GlyCAM-1, CD34, and MAdCAM-1 can function as ligands for L-selectin only when they are synthesized by the specialized high-endothelial venules (HEV) of lymph modes. Since sialylation, sulfation, and possibly fucosylation are required for generating recognition, we reasoned that other mucins known to have such components might also bind L-selectin. We show here that soluble mucins secreted by human colon carcinoma cells, as well as those derived from human bronchial mucus can bind to human L-selectin in a calcium-dependent manner. As with Gly-CAM-1 synthesized by lymph node HEV, alpha 2-3 linked sialic acids and sulfation seem to play a critical role in generating this L-selectin binding. In each case, only a subset of the mucin molecules is recognized by L-selectin. Binding is not destroyed by boiling, suggesting that recognition may be based primarily upon carbohydrate structures. Despite this, O-linked oligosaccharide chains released from these ligands by beta-elimination do not show any detectable binding to L-selectin. Following protease treatment of the ligands, binding persists in a subset of the resulting fragments, indicating that specific recognition is determined by certain regions of the original mucins. However, O-linked oligosaccharides released from the subset of non-binding mucin fragments do not show very different size and charge profiles compared to those that do bind. Furthermore, studies with polylactosamine-degrading endoglycosidases suggest that the core structures involved in generating binding can vary among the different ligands. Taken together, these data indicate that a single unique oligosaccharide structure may not be responsible for high-affinity binding. Rather, diverse mucins with sialylated, sulfated, fucosylated lactosamine-type O-linked oligosaccharides can generate high-affinity L-selectin ligands, but only when they present these chains in unique spacing and/or clustered combinations, presumably dictated by the polypeptide backbone.
Application and Properties of a Durable Wash-and- Wear Finish for Cotton:

A report is presented on a new cellulose cross-linking agent that is completely resistant to chlorine and durable to all types of laundering.A comparison of the performance of this compound, bis(β-hydroxyethyl) sulfone, with the more conventional type cross-linker is made.The problems posed by various conditions of laundering are also discussed as they affect fabric performance.
Dispersal ecology versus host specialization as determinants of ectoparasite distribution in brood parasitic indigobirds and their estrildid finch hosts

Brood parasitic birds offer a unique opportunity to examine the ecological and evolutionary determinants of host associations in avian feather lice (Phthiraptera). Brood parasitic behaviour effectively eliminates vertical transfer of lice between parasitic parents and offspring at the nest, while at the same time providing an opportunity for lice associated with the hosts of brood parasites to colonize the brood parasites as well. Thus, the biology of brood parasitism allows a test of the relative roles of host specialization and dispersal ecology in determining the host–parasite associations of birds and lice. If the opportunity for dispersal is the primary determinant of louse distributions, then brood parasites and their hosts should have similar louse faunas. In contrast, if host-specific adaptations limit colonization ability, lice associated with the hosts of brood parasites may be unable to persist on the brood parasites despite having an opportunity for colonization. We surveyed lice on four brood parasitic finch species (genus Vidua ), their estrildid finch host species, and a few ploceid finches. While Brueelia lice were found on both parasitic and estrildid finches, a molecular phylogeny showed that lice infesting the two avian groups belong to two distinct clades within Brueelia . Likewise, distinct louse lineages within the amblyceran genus Myrsidea were found on estrildid finches and the parasitic pin-tailed whydah ( Vidua macroura ), respectively. Although common on estrildid finches, Myrsidea lice were entirely absent from the brood parasitic indigobirds. The distribution and relationships of louse species on brood parasitic finches and their hosts suggest that host-specific adaptations constrain the ability of lice to colonize new hosts, at least those that are distantly related.