cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics of UV254 inactivation of selected viral pathogens in a static system

Aims: The objective of this study was to estimate UV254 inactivation constants for four viral pathogens: influenza virus type A, porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus (PRRSV), bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) and reovirus. Methods and Results: Viruses in culture medium were exposed to one of nine doses of UV254 and then titrated for infectious virus. Analysis showed that viral inactivation by UV254 was more accurately described by a two-stage inactivation model vs a standard one-stage inactivation model. Conclusions: The results provided evidence for the existence of two heterogeneous viral subpopulations among the viruses tested, one highly susceptible to UV254 inactivation and the other more resistant. Importantly, inactivation constants based on the one-stage inactivation model would have underestimated the UV254 dose required for the inactivation of these viruses under the conditions of the experiment. Significance and Impact of the Study: To improve the accuracy of estimates, it is recommended that research involving the inactivation of micro-organisms evaluates inactivation kinetics using both one-stage and two-stage models. These results will be of interest to persons responsible for microbial agents under laboratory or field conditions.
Estudio descriptivo de los diferentes miedos en una población de adolescentes de zona rural

Este trabajo intenta estudiar los miedos evocados por 160 adolescentes de 12 y 14 anos, de ambos sexos, y de una zona rural de la provincia de Gerona, ante la pregunta abierta: ?de que tienes miedo? Siguiendo las investigaciones de H . RODRIGUEZ-TOME y F. BARIAUD (1975) en Francia, se codifican 640 referencias de miedo en categorias de significacion y se analizan las frecuencias de aparicion de las mismas y su relacion significativa con la edad y el sexo. El analisis de los resultados obtenidos indican una relacion mayor entre las variables de miedo y la edad de los sujetos, que el sexo.
The economics of information : a guide to economic and cost-benefit analysis for information professionals

Providing readers with an introduction to the economic issues associated with information, this book offers information managers and policymakers the opportunity for a better understanding of information markets and economic research on information topics. It should help them develop skills to complete basic cost-benefit analyses of information goods and services, and guide them in making better financial and management decisions. The book introduces readers to economic analysis, and describes the concept of market failure in which the information market fails to operate efficiently. It also introduces readers to the tools of cost-benefit analysis. Focusing on information goods and services and the application of economics to information markets, the book explains basic concepts - demand, supply, benefits, costs - offering examples that illustrate them. Designed as a text for classes on the economics of information, this book should be particularly useful to individuals who are, or hope to be, managers of information services in academic, public or special libraries. It may be used in courses on information resource management, information policy and library management. It should also of interest to academic librarians, library managers and directors, librarians in special libraries and interested academics.
Adaptive thermostat control in residential buildings through uniform clearing price mechanism

Demand response (DR) is potentially an effective tool in the smart grid that allows shifting electric load demand to less congested time slots. These peak-load shaving measures serve to alleviate grid congestion, minimize cost of electricity generation and help in reducing the electricity bills of retail customers. This work considers a demand response approach whereby the local electricity utility (aggregator or load serving entity) takes control of the thermostat of the buildings of participating customers and retains the right to regulate the temperature upto a user-defined amount when the grid is approaching overload conditions. A customers participating in this program declare its user discomfort index, which is a measure of the amount of money the customer expects in return from the utility for temporarily relinquishing its thermostat control. Based on these declared values and the thermal characteristics of the buildings (assumed to be known/estimated by utilities), the utility implements a selection algorithm to choose the least expensive buildings and controls their temperature in return for monetary compensation (or credits). We compare and study the properties of this DR mechanism under two different payment rules associated with: (a) the pay-as-you-bid mechanism, and (b) the uniform clearing price mechanism. Under a test scenario, we demonstrate that such mechanisms are able to bring down overall demand while ensuring the utility does not lose any money. It also ensures that participating customers get a discount on their monthly electricity bills while at the same time resulting in substantial peak-load shaving.
Increased expression of platelet P-selectin and formation of platelet-leukocyte aggregates in blood from patients treated with unfractionated heparin plus eptifibatide compared with bivalirudin.

Abstract Introduction Platelet–leukocyte aggregates have been implicated in atherogenesis. This study was designed to determine the influence in vivo of a direct thrombin inhibitor, bivalirudin, compared with unfractionated heparin (UFH) plus the GP IIb–IIIa inhibitor eptifibatide (E) on platelet reactivity, the formation of platelet–leukocyte aggregates, and leukocyte activation. Materials and methods Blood was taken before and after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from 60 patients randomized to UFH + E (n = 26) or bivalirudin (n = 34). Platelet function and the formation in vivo of platelet–monocyte aggregates (PMA) and platelet–neutrophil aggregates (PNA) were assessed with the use of flow cytometry. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) elaborated during leukocyte activation was measured by ELISA. Results Compared with those treated with bivalirudin, patients treated with UFH + E exhibited a 45% decrease in the capacity of platelets to bind fibrinogen (p = 0.006) but a 2-fold increase in platelet surface expression of P-selectin (p = 0.04) in samples taken from the coronary ostium before PCI. Platelet–leukocyte aggregation in vivo was greater (PMA = 2-fold, p = 0.04; PNA = 3-fold, p = 0.006) with UFH + E as was the concentration in blood of MPO (1.5-fold, p = 0.007). Conclusions Increased platelet surface expression of P-selectin, augmented platelet–leukocyte aggregation in vivo, and consequent activation of leukocytes was seen before PCI in blood from patients treated with UFH + E compared with bivalirudin. Benefits associated with decreased platelet aggregation when PCI is performed with UFH plus GP IIb–IIIa inhibition may be partially offset by increased platelet–leukocyte aggregation.
Two-Level Additive Schwarz Preconditioners for a Weakly Over-Penalized Symmetric Interior Penalty Method

We propose and analyze several two-level additive Schwarz preconditioners for a weakly over-penalized symmetric interior penalty method for second order elliptic boundary value problems. We also report numerical results that illustrate the parallel performance of these preconditioners.
Quantitative structure—activity relationships of psychotropic agents

The application of quantitative structure–activity relationships to the understanding of psychotropic activity is briefly reviewed.
Lactate dehydrogenase lsozymes of the penguin Pygoscelis adeliae

The complex isozyme patterns of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) tissues were examined at several successive stages in embryonic development by starch-gel electrophoresis. The relative quantities of the isozymes were measured by densitometry, and the subunit composition of each isozyme was analyzed by molecular hybridization. The complexity of the isozyme pattern varied greatly with the conditions of electrophoresis but maximum resolution was obtained with a neutral Tris-citric acid buffer of low ionic strength. When electrophoresis was carried out with this buffer at 4°C, as many as fifteen isozymes were resolved. Only five isozymes can be distinguished at high ionic strength. The fifteen isozymes can be classified into five groups, each group corresponding to one of the five major LDH isozymes found in mammals and birds. The validity of this classification was tested by molecular hybridization with beef and horse LDH, the subunit composition of which is known. The pattern of hybrid molecules produced suggests that penguin LDH contains three different subunits that may generate fifteen isozymes by random association as tetramers. To test the binomial proportions among the isozymes a quantitative photometric assay was developed for measuring enzyme activity in terms of formazan deposited on a starch gel during the staining reaction for LDH. Only at low enzyme concentrations is the deposited dye linearly proportional to the amount of enzyme. The relative abundance of the isozymes in most tissues approximated a binomial distribution. Tissue spcific patterns revealed that anodal isozymes predominate in heart, ovary and liver and cathodal isozymes in lung and muscle. However, in contrast to mammalian tissues, the penguin patterns are not sharply skewed. All isozymes are reasonably abundant in all adult tissues. In early embryonic stages of development all tissues contained greater proportions of LDH-1, but a shift in isozyme distribution gradually took place during the course of development to enrich enzyme activity at the LDH-5 end of the spectrum in late embryonic and adult tissues.
The effect of a five-step cognitive learning strategy on the acquisition of a complex motor task

Abstract Investigated was the effectiveness of the Five-Step Learning Strategy in facilitating the learning of a complex self-paced motor task. Thirty undergraduate students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions, after being stratified as to number and sex: (1) a strategy group, that was administered the Strategy, (2) a preview group, that previewed the location of the targets, and (3) a control group. All subjects performed 48 trials in an attempt to learn a task that required speed and accuracy in mastering a sequence of responses. ANOVA analyses indicated that the Strategy group performed significantly faster than the other two groups, and not at the expense of a greater number of errors. These findings indicate that cognitive processes involved in learning a complex skill are likely to benefit from the utilization of the Five-Step Strategy.
371 PERINATAL DEATH RELATED TO PREGNANCY HYPERTENSION AND PROTEINURIA

The study determined the frequency of placental and fetal disorders responsible for hypertension related fetal and neonatal deaths in a prospective study of 53,518 pregnancies. 3.2% of the pregnancies were placed in the hypertension-proteinuria category when one or more maternal diastolic blood pressures were recorded at 85 mm Hg or more with 1+ or greater proteinuria. The perinatal mortality rate for these pregnancies was 37.9/1000 births and 17.2/1000 for normotensive mothers without proteinuria(P<.01) 42% of the excess mortality associated with hypertension and proteinuria was due to large placental infarcts, 15% to placental growth retardation, 13% to abruptio placentae and the remaining 30% to other disorders. The perinatal mortality rate for pregnancies that were characterized by hypertension without proteinuria was 26.6/1000 births. 35% of their excess mortality was due to large placental infarcts, 15% to premature rupture of the fetal membranes, 12% to placental growth retardation, 4% to abruptio placentae and the remaining 34% to other disorders. Thus, overall about two thirds of the excess perinatal mortality associated with maternal hypertension during pregnancy was due to three disorders, placental infarcts, marked placental growth retardation and abruptio placentae. The study found hypertension related lesions in decidual and uterine arteries that appear responsible for these three disorders.
Neurons from fetal rat brain in a new cell culture system: a multidisciplinary analysis.

Abstract A new culture system for cells from the mammalian brain was developed by a modification of a previously established technique. This modification involved the use of fluorodeoxyuridine and adult horse serum. The cultures contained large, easily visualized neurons both isolated from other neurons and in networks of varying complexity. These cells were large enough to permit reliable intracellular electrophysiologic recording and were often sufficiently dispersed to allow examination of membrane responses to iontophoretically applied neurotransmitter candidates. Many responses characteristic of central neurons in situ were seen, including evoked and spontaneous action potentials, complex patterns of inhibitory and excitatory post-synaptic potentials, and neurotransmitter-induced membrane responses. These preparations were examined by phase contrast microscopy, by light microscopy after silver impregnation and by Nomarski interference optics. Total choline acetyltransferase (CAT) activity was little changed and specific activity was increased in the new culture system as compared with the earlier system. Conditions which gave the highest specific activity of CAT also provided the best cultures from the standpoint of electrophysiologic and morphologic analysis. This new approach will allow, in culture, detailed multidisciplinary analyses of individual neurons and small networks of neurons from the mammalian brain.
Constraints in one-to-many concretization for abstraction refinement

In one-to-many concretization for model checking based on abstraction refinement, constraints on input vectors that are pseudo-randomly generated are often essential to the success of the procedure. These constraints have to do with both primary inputs and invisible state variables. We discuss algorithms that address both types and we show their effectiveness through experiments.
Dynamic System Model to Predict Global Sea-Level Rise and Temperature Change

Climate-change-based global sea-level rise is of concern because it contributes to significant loss of coastal wetlands and mangroves and to increasing damage from coastal flooding in many regions of the world. Physical mechanisms that describe the dynamic global climate systems and the effect of this system behavior on sea-level rise are inherently complex. In this study, conducted using systematic analysis of historic data on temperature change and sea-level rise, a linear dynamic system model is proposed to predict global sea-level rise and mean surface temperatures. Unlike the semiempirical approaches proposed in the recent literature, this model incorporates the inherent interaction between temperature and sea-level rise into the model. The resulting model, recognized from the historic data, shows that the rate of sea-level rise is proportional to temperature, and this rise is also a function of the temporal state of the sea level. Similarly, the rate of temperature change is a function of the temporal state of the temperature and is also affected by the sea-level rise. The proposed model is also used to predict the sea-level rise during the 21st century. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0000447. © 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers. CE Database subject headings: Climate change; Sea level; Temperature effects; Dynamic models; Predictions. Author keywords: Climate change; Complex systems; Sea-level rise; Temperature change; Dynamic model.
An asymmetric version of the two car pursuit-evasion game

In this paper we consider a differential game of pursuit and evasion involving two players with constant, but different, speeds, and different maneuverability constraints. Specifically, the evader has limited maneuverability, while the pursuer is completely agile. This problem is an asymmetric version of the well-known Game of Two Cars. The aim of this paper is to derive the optimal strategies of the two players and characterize areas of initial conditions that lead to capture if the pursuer acts optimally, and areas that guarantee evasion regardless of the pursuer's strategy. It is shown that the problem reduces to a special version of Zermelo's Navigation Problem (ZNP) for the pursuer. Therefore, the well-known ZNP solution can be used to validate the results obtained through the differential game framework as well as to characterize the time-optimal trajectories. The results are directly applicable to collision avoidance problems.
Unicentric osteosarcoma of bone with subsequent skeletal metastases

Five cases of unicentric osteosarcoma with subsequent skeletal metastases are reviewed. Skeletal metastases may occur prior to pulmonary metastases in such patients. Initial and periodic bone scanning is therefore justified since early detection of distant bone lesions may have important therapeutic implications. A classification of multiple site osteosarcoma based upon clinical, pathologic, and radiologic characteristics is proposed.
Effects of velocity averaging on the shapes of absorption lines

The velocity averaging of collision cross sections produces non‐Lorentz line shapes, even at densities where Doppler broadening is not apparent. The magnitude of the effects will be described using a model in which the collision broadening depends on a simple velocity power law. The effect of the modified profile on experimental measures of linewidth, shift and amplitude will be examined and an improved approximate line shape will be derived.
Effects of alcohol ingestion on copulatory behavior of male rats.

Copulation was observed in each of 21 male rats on two tests following ingestion of alcohol and on two tests following ingestion of water. Latencies to the first mount, intromission, and ejaculation were all increased by alcohol, as were the mean interval between successive intromissions and the length of the post-ejaculatory refractory period. Mount frequencies were increased. Accompanying these retardation effects was a sensitization-like effect-a decrease in the number of intromissions preceding ejaculation. This effect of alcohol on intromission frequency was discussed in relation to the well-documented “enforced-interval effect”.
Space-Charge Effects on Electron Tunneling

The one-electron (Bethe-Sommerfeld) model of electron tunneling is formulated to describe tunneling when the curvature (electron mass) and centroid of the one-electron constant-energy surfaces vary across the junction. The conductance for an abrupt GaAs $p\ensuremath{-}n$ tunnel diode is calculated and shown to exhibit minima near zero bias for highly asymmetrical doping ratios. The conductance of metal-oxide-semimetal (M-O-SM) tunnel junctions is evaluated both with and without the inclusion of space-charge effects and of surface states. All calculations are performed using solvable models for which the WKBJ approximation is not imposed. Neither the removal of the WKBJ approximation nor the space-charge effects give rise to maxima in the conductance of the M-O-SM junctions near a band edge.
Alterations in Brainstem and Cortical Organization of Rats Sustaining Prenatal Vibrissa Follicle Lesions

Vibrissa follicles were cauterized in late fetal or newborn rats to determine whether the relationships between brainstem and cortical changes observed after neonatal peripheral damage would also be obtained when vibrissa follicles were cauterized earlier in development. Vibrissa follicles were cauterized between embryonic day 15 (E-15) and the day of birth (P-0). The vibrissa-related representation in the brainstem was examined with cytochrome oxidase histochemistry, and that in the cortex was evaluated with either serotonin immunocytochemistry or anterograde labeling with Di-I when animals reached 6–8 days of age.There was a significant relationship between the ages at which lesions were carried out and the extent to which the representations of undamaged vibrissa follicles were altered in the brainstem and cortex. Peripheral lesions carried out between E-15 and E-18 resulted in significant increases in the cross-sectional areas of the patches corresponding to the undamaged vibrissa follicles in both th...
Benzoxyl radical decomposition kinetics: formation of benzaldehyde + H, phenyl + CH2O, and benzene + HCO.

The kinetics of benzoxyl radical decomposition was studied using ab initio computational chemistry and RRKM rate theory. The benzoxyl radical is an important but short-lived intermediate in the combustion of toluene and other alkylated aromatic hydrocarbons. A theoretical study of the thermochemistry and kinetics to products over a range of temperatures and pressures for benzoxyl decomposition is reported. Ab initio calculations with the G3X theoretical method reveal low-energy pathways from the benzoxyl radical to benzaldehyde + H and the phenyl radical + formaldehyde (CH2O), as well as a novel mechanism to benzene + the formyl radical (HC•O). RRKM simulations were performed for benzoxyl decomposition as a function of temperature and pressure. Benzaldehyde formation constitutes more than 80% of the total reaction products at temperatures below 1000 K, decreasing to around 50% at 2000 K. Formation of benzene + HC•O and phenyl + CH2O is of similar importance, each accounting for 5−10% of the decomposition ...
Single-Cell Enzyme Concentrations, Kinetics, and Inhibition Analysis Using High-Density Hydrodynamic Cell Isolation Arrays

High-quality single-cell data are required for a quantitative systems biology description of cellular function. However, data of this type are difficult and time-consuming to collect using traditional techniques. We present a robust and simple microfluidic method for trapping single cells in large arrays to address this problem. Ordered single-cell isolation arrays allow for high-density microscopic analysis with simplified image processing. Moreover, for fluorescent assays, on-chip sample preparation (e.g., fluorescent labeling, washing) can be performed, as opposed to manual intensive operations of incubation, centrifugation, and resuspension in previous techniques-saving time and reagents. This technology was applied to determine novel single-cell enzyme kinetics for three different cell types (HeLa, 293T, Jurkat). A kinetic model of this process predicted this varied response was due to variation in the concentration of carboxylesterase between cell types. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) was also characterized as an inhibitor of carboxylesterases. For HeLa cells, 20 nM of the 50 nM total carboxylesterases was unaffected by NDGA. This type of analysis could be directly applied to quantify a variety of intracellular enzymes with available fluorogenic substrates.
The effects of food quality and temperature on the nutrition of the carnivorous sea urchin Eucidaris tribuloides (Lamarck)

Abstract Individuals of Eucidaris tribuloides (Lamarck) were held at 18 and 27°C and fed either a low or high quality diet (1 or 10% fish meal in agar) to ascertain the effects of food quality and temperature on rates of feeding, absorption of nutrients, and gut passage time. Sea urchins fed a low quality diet had significantly higher rates of feeding and fecal production than sea urchins fed a high quality diet at either temperature. Individuals fed a low quality diet had significantly higher nutritive absorption efficiencies (99.4% at 18°C, 95.2% at 27°C) than individuals fed a high quality diet (87.6% at 18°C, 89.5% at 27°C). The absorption of nutrients (mg) and energy (kJ) from the food were significantly higher for individuals fed a low quality diet than individuals fed a high quality diet. Gut passage times of individuals held under the four treatments were not significantly different. These results indicate that E. tribuloides responds to low quality food by increasing feeding rates and absorption efficiency, without adjusting gut passage time. Temperature does not affect this response to food quality.
Comparison of the Anthrone Reagent and a Copper-Reduction Method for Determining Blood Sugar in Calves

Summary Protein-free filtrates from 1,500 samples of blood from 12 calves were prepared according to Folin-Wu. An aliquot of each filtrate was analyzed for blood sugar by both the anthrone reagent and the Somogyi-Nelson technique. The anthrone procedure is as follows: Pipet 1ml. of sample filtrate, blank, or standard into a test tube and chill; add 10ml. of ice-cold 0.05% anthrone dissolved, in 72% sulfuric acid to each test tube while immersed in ice water and mix. After equalizing the temperature of the tubes in a tap-water bath, place them in a boiling water bath for 10min.; cool in a running tap-water bath. Pour the reactants into matched spectrophotometer cuvettes and read at a wavelength of 620 mµ after aging for one-half hour in the dark. Statistical analysis indicated that the difference between the two techniques was highly significant. The anthrone values were less than 5% greater. The correlation coefficient between the results of the two methods was 0.94. The inherent error in both methods was the same, as indicated by almost identical standard deviations.
Structural impediments to sustainable groundwater management in the High Plains Aquifer of western Kansas

Western Kansas is one of the most important agricultural regions in the world. Most agricultural production in this semi-arid region depends on the consumption of nonrenewable groundwater from the High Plains Aquifer, which will be 70 % depleted by 2070. The problem of depletion has drawn significant attention from local citizens and policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels for at least 40 years, resulting in a variety of policies and institutions to manage groundwater from the aquifer as a common pool resource. Yet depletion has persisted. We explain this conundrum as an outcome of a mismatch between the scale of resource management, which has become more intensively local, and the scale of resource exchange, which has rendered the High Plains Aquifer a global common pool resource. We then explain the deeper, structural origins of the management–exchange scale mismatch. Drawing on concepts from structural human ecology theory and empirical evidence from Southwest Kansas, we show that agriculture is predicated on local metabolic rift in the hydrological cycle that is exacerbated through ecological unequal exchange with higher-income, core areas beyond the region. We conclude by highlighting two key policies that, if implemented together, may lessen the deleterious effects of these structural dynamics and thus promote a more sustainable relationship between society and environment in this region and other water-scarce regions that are net-exporters of groundwater.
Technetium-99m sulfur colloid scanning and correlative magnetic resonance imaging in patients with hairy cell leukemia and hypocellular bone marrow biopsies after 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine.

It has been observed that some patients in complete remission (CR) after 2-chlorodeoxyade-nosine (2-CdA) for hairy cell leukemia (HCL) have hypocellular bone marrow biopsies despite normal peripheral blood cell counts. This discrepancy between bone marrow cellular-ity and peripheral blood cell counts suggests the possibility of abnormal sites of hematopoie-sis. To determine sites of hematopoieses, 11 radionuclide scans using technetium-99m (99mTc) sulfur colloid were performed in eight patients. Although no single, pattern was observed on the 99mTc sulfur colloid scans, two of the eight patients, both with virtually aplastic marrows, had multiple areas of increased uptake in the distal appendicular skeleton, suggesting abnormal sites of hematopoiesis. The same two patients had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which confirmed the abnormal sites of hematopoiesis.
Elucidating structural features of an entirely carbohydrate cancer vaccine construct employing circular dichroism and fluorescent labeling

The zwitterionic polysaccharide PS A1 from anaerobe Bacteroides fragilis ATCC 25285/NCTC 9343 is known to elicit a T-cell-dependent, major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) immune response through a correspondingly similar protein–antigen-based mechanism/pathway. The biological activity of PS A1 is known to arise from alternating charged motifs on adjacent monosaccharides comprising a tetrameric repeating oligomeric unit creating an alpha-helical secondary structure. However, we have learned that this alpha-helical structural characteristic may not play a role in immune activation. Paradoxically, our current knowledge of structure–activity relationships (SARs) with electrostatically charged polysaccharides has become more clearly defined, yet a lack of tools/probes for measuring dynamic structural changes hinders progress in carbohydrate-based vaccine development. Site- and region-specific structural modifications of PS A1, followed by conjugation with a known carbohydrate cancer antigen, the Thomsen-nouveau (Tn = alpha-D-GalNAc-OSer/Thr) antigen, does not alter antibody isotype switching ability and leads to specific IgG3 antibodies in C57BL/6 mice. Circular dichroism (CD) and studies using fluorescently labeled PS A1, described herein, reveal information pertaining to structure–activity relationships and the nature of Tn conjugation to chemically modified PS A1. The CD spectra of a Tn–PS A1 construct at 8.5 ≥ pH ≤ 3.5 illustrates complete loss of alpha-helical character while spectra obtained in the 3.6 ≤ pH ≥ 8.4 range denotes minimal alpha-helicity in comparison to naturally occurring PS A1. Temperatures exceeding 60 °C reveal complete loss of helical character. Two methods for Alexa Fluor488® fluorescent labeling studies of chemically oxidized PS A1 have given rise to percent conjugation values (% loading) calculated to be on average 35 Tn molecules bound. Combined, our results argue that altering the structure of PS A1, without chemically modifying the electrostatic charge character, does not alter immune response/recognition in mice. These findings have important implications for the design of entirely carbohydrate-based vaccine constructs.
Isolation and characterization of a 70 kDa protein from Mycobacterium avium

Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is an intracellular pathogen which causes disseminated bacterial infection in immunocompromised individuals. This organism predominantly infects macrophages. Attachment of MAC to macrophages is the first step prior to invasion. We have previously shown that a 70 kDa protein of M. avium (Ma) is one of nine monocyte-binding proteins. In the present study, we have purified this protein from sonic extracts of Ma and studied some of its properties. The N-terminal sequence of this protein was identified and found to exhibit a strong homology to the 70 kDa heat shock protein (hsp) of M. leprae (Ml) and M. tuberculosis (Mtb). This protein was found to be present on the surface of the organism and was able to inhibit the attachment of intact Ma to human monocyte derived macrophages (MDM) up to 49% in an in vitro attachment assay using intact fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labelled Ma. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and recombinant 70 kDa hsp from Mtb, which were used as controls, inhibited this attachment by 9.8 and 18%, respectively. These results suggest that the 70 kDa protein may have a role in the attachment of intact Ma to MDM. When tested in lymphocyte activation assays, this protein did not appear to significantly stimulate proliferation. However, it was found to stimulate the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha by MDM. This protein may be one of several Ma antigens that trigger host immune response by binding to MDM and stimulating the production of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha by these cells.
Design Consideration of Coupled Slow-Wave Microstrip-Line Circuits

The constant impedance type-C section made of a coupled slow-wave microstrip line is proposed and its characteristics discussed. In addition. the slow-wave microstrip line directional coupler is proposed and several design equations are derived.
Attitudes toward Mormons and Voter Behavior in the 2012 Presidential Election

Prior to the 2012 presidential election, some commentators speculated that Mitt Romney's status as a devout and active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would undermine his presidential aspirations. Using the 2012 American National Election Survey, this study examines the relationship between attitudes toward Mormons and voter behavior in the United States in that election year. It finds that attitudes toward Mormons had a statistically-significant effect on turnout — though these effects differed according to party identification. It additionally finds that these attitudes influenced vote choice. In both cases, the substantive effects were small, indicating that anti-Mormon feelings did play a role in the 2012 presidential election, but they did not determine the final outcome.
Measuring intrinsic motivation in everyday life

The question of motivation—of what makes people behave the way they do—has always been a primary concern. Since Thorndike’s Law of Effect was published in 1911, the reasons for and the prediction of human (and animal) behaviour has been extensively researched. The purpose of this paper is to expand motivational research by applying a newly developed research technology to an area of human behaviour that has so far not been studied systematically, namely, everyday experiences. Specifically, we are interested in exploring two basic questions about motivation: 1. how often do people describe their everyday experiences as being free and intrinsically motivating; and 2. what is the relationship between intrinsically rewarding experiences and psychological well-being, or the overall sense of satisfaction with one’s life?
Transient reduction in hippocampal serotonergic innervation after neonatal parachloroamphetamine treatment

This study examined the effects of parachloroamphetamine on neonatal forebrain serotonergic (5-HT) innervation. Rat pups were treated with PCA on P3 and P4. Significant reductions in 5-HT content were observed in the hippocampal formation, frontal cortex and entorhinal cortex on P5 and P7. By P14, neocortical 5-HT had returned to normal levels while hippocampal 5-HT values remained less than control. Hippocampal 5-HT content reached normal range by P21. High affinity 5-HT uptake in hippocampal synaptosomal preparations was similarly reduced on P5 and P7 suggesting that 5-HT terminals were being lesioned by PCA. 5-HT uptake recovered significantly by P14 perhaps reflecting the extraordinary plasticity of the 5-HT projections in the neonate. However, in contrast to the complete restoration of hippocampal 5-HT content, 5-HT uptake values remained significantly less than control. No change in 5-HT content was observed in either the hypothalamus or midbrain raphe at any age studied. Thus, the rapid onset of effects, regional selectivity and transient reduction of 5-HT levels recommend the use of PCA in studies of the role of 5-HT in hippocampal development.
Pope Benedict XVI on the Priesthood and Homosexuality.

Abstract In his recent interview published as the book Light of the World, Pope Benedict XVI noted that the Vatican has repeatedly stated that men with a homosexual orientation should not be admitted to the priesthood even if they performed no homosexual acts. He stated that he did not want celibacy to be an excuse to attract people with a homosexual orientation. There are several reasons for this stance. The priesthood is not a denial of the spousal meaning of the body which underlies marriage. This spousal meaning entails the fact that since man is a composite of body and spirit, the body is the physical self by which the gift of the soul which characterizes married love is finally ratified. The giving and receiving of sperm and ova expresses physically the prior giving and receiving of soul. This gift of self to another, for those who are called to it, can also be realized by the gift of self to God as is the case with virgins and religious. Though celibacy is a discipline, because of the...
Econometric modelling with non-normal disturbances

Abstract This paper analyzes a general class of non-normal density functions (dubbed Sargan densities) in the context of the ordinary regression model and the simple one-market disequilibrium model. Use of the normal density in disequilibrium models is unwieldy, especially for multimarket models, since the application of maximum likelihood methods requires numerical evaluation of multiple integrals. These difficulties are avoided with the Sargan densities, and based on both asymptotic results and limited sampling experiments, these densities appear to offer a promising alternative to the normal in disequilibrium models.
Understanding Internet usage: a social-cognitive approach to uses and gratifications

Several studies have applied uses and gratifications to explain Internet usage. Like Bandura’s social-cognitive theory, the uses and gratifications framework explains media use in terms of expected positive outcomes, or gratifications. However, previous uses and gratifications research accounted for little variance in Internet behavior, although there were conflicting results. This research identifies new variables from social-cognitive theory that might further explain Internet usage and resolve inconsistencies in prior research. Measures of self-efficacy and self-disparagement were developed for the domain of Internet behavior. Internet addiction was interpreted as a deficient self-regulation within the social-cognitive framework. Finally, the negative outcomes of online behavior were analyzed for their impact on Internet usage. In a survey of 171 college students, the social-cognitive model explained 60% of the available variance in Internet usage using multiple regression analysis, a significant impro...
Display control based on eye gaze estimation

Detecting and tracking eye gaze is an active research area and significant progress has been made in this area in the past decades. However, challenge remains due to the differences between individual's eyes, variability in light condition, scale and occlusion. Works on eye location and eye movements have a large number of applications and is an important part of biometrics, human-computer interaction and face detection. Based on the current works and applications on eye gaze detection, the author notice, however, applying eye gaze information on human-computer interaction still lacks of enough work on it. This paper proposes a novel pipeline of employing eye gaze information for display control based on the video captured by integrated camera. The proposed pipeline shows that, despite the low quality of the video and light condition, eye gaze can still be estimated and display of the screen can be controlled accordingly.
Starting School Early in Britain: A Model for Universal Preschool Education

This article offers an overview and analysis of recent early childhood education reforms in Great Britain. It examines the national mandates to grant Universal Preschool Education to all three and four year olds as well as recent strides to provide for infants and toddlers in model centers throughout the country. Attention is given to British practices and policies, research findings and international implications.
Determination of AB crystal structures from atomic properties

We use atomic pseudopotential s-orbital radii and Pauling electronegativity \ensuremath{\chi} to distinguish between four types of crystal structures (ZnS, NaCl, CsCl, and MnP or NiAs) for AB compounds. By relating \ensuremath{\chi} to the s-orbital radii, an even simpler scheme results, indicating the important role of pseudopotential s-orbital radii for structural determination.
Synergistic Action of Two Sources of Avian Growth Factors on Proliferative Differentiation of Chick Embryonic Hematopoietic Cells

Abstract During embryonic development, the components of the avian immune system undergo ontogeny in several distinct organs, including the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius. This process is regulated and controlled by the complex interactions of various cytokines and colony-stimulating factors (CSF). The objective was to examine the action of two different sources of hematopoietic growth factors, spleen-conditioned media (SCM) and chick embryo extract (CEE), on the proliferation of hematopoietic cells from various organs and on the differentiation of progenitor cells in semi-solid culture. Spleen and bone marrow cells obtained at Day 16 of incubation responded in a dose-dependent manner to the addition of SCM and CEE alone or in combination. No proliferative effect of SCM was observed on cells obtained from embryonic thymus or bursa. Clonal analysis of bone marrow and spleen cells suggested that CEE may contain the avian equivalents of stem cell factor, interleukin-3, granulocyte-macrophage CSF, granulocyte-CSF, and macrophage-CSF. Clonal analysis of SCM cultures suggested that in addition to myelomonocytic growth factor, which affects primarily macrophage-granulocyte lineages, a thrombocyte-CSF-like activity was also apparent. The SCM alone tended to act upon committed late progenitors. The combination of CEE and SCM amplified the size and the total number of colonies obtained and appeared to act synergistically upon progenitors with a high level of proliferative potential. This response on young progenitors was confirmed when cells were cultured in CEE and SCM prior to clonal analysis. These results document the presence of thrombocyte CSF in SCM and the effect of both CEE and SCM on the proliferative differentiation of avian embryonic hematopoietic progenitors.
Quantum theory of Thirring solitons

An analytical quantum theory of Thirring solitons is developed using a linearized perturbation analysis. This theory is used to study the vacuum-induced fluctuations of Thirring soliton propagation and collision. We show that squeezing occurs due to phase diffusion and wave packet spreading, as expected. It is also shown that Thirring soliton collisions can lead to a reduction in quantum phase and position noise. Due to similar phenomena that occur for solitons of the one- and two-component nonlinear Schr\"odinger model, this seems to point to a more general effect of quantum noise reduction in soliton collisions. These results may find relevance in optics, Bose-Einstein condensates, and other areas in which the observation of Thirring solitons is possible.
Plasmodium falciparum apicoplast transit peptides are unstructured in vitro and during apicoplast import

Trafficking of soluble proteins to the apicoplast in Plasmodium falciparum is determined by an N-terminal transit peptide (TP) which is necessary and sufficient for apicoplast import. Apicoplast precursor proteins are synthesized at the rough endoplasmic reticulum, but are then specifically sorted from other proteins in the secretory pathway. The mechanism of TP recognition is presently unknown. Apicoplast TPs do not contain a conserved sequence motif; therefore, we asked whether they contain an essential structural motif. Using nuclear magnetic resonance to study a model TP from acyl carrier protein, we found a short, low-occupancy helix, but the TP was otherwise disordered. Using an in vivo localization assay, we blocked TP secondary structure by proline mutagenesis, but found robust apicoplast localization. Alternatively, we increased the helical content of the TP through mutation while maintaining established TP characteristics. Apicoplast import was disrupted in a helical mutant TP, but import was then restored by the further addition of a single proline. We conclude that structure in the TP interferes with apicoplast import, and therefore TPs are functionally disordered. These results provide an explanation for the amino acid bias observed in apicoplast TPs.
On the Neural Connection

On the Neural Connection Discoveries concerning cardiac neural-electrical modulation and local neural remodeling provide powerful new approaches for the development of novel antiarrhythmic strategies. This “view” of developments in this emerging field highlights recent advances and suggests that additional neurally targeted investigations have considerable potential for prevention of arrhythmic diseases.
PlasmoDB v5: new looks, new genomes

Version 5.1 of PlasmoDB, a resource for malaria parasite genomic and functional genomics datasets, was released in August 2006. This new release includes additional Plasmodium genomes and a newly designed website. The new site reflects the status of PlasmoDB as a member of a linked family of Apicomplexan databases.
Evaluation of natural and man-made features using Landsat TM data

Landsat-5 TM data of a subscene of Washington, D.C. are utilized to distinguish man-made and natural surfaces through analysis of their spectral response. A quantitative measure of the separability and thus the ability to separate different surface features is calculated utilizing the quantity known as divergence, a measure of the dissimilarity between two distributions. The thermal band, TM band 6 (10.4-12.5 microns), was shown to improve the separability when replacing a visible band, but decreased the separability when included with the middle IR bands.
A second-order solution of the Ideal Resonance Problem by Lie series

A second-order libration solution of theIdeal Resonance Problem is construeted using a Lie-series perturbation technique. The Ideal Resonance Problem is characterized by the equations $$\begin{gathered} - F = B(x) + 2\mu ^2 A(x)sin^2 y, \hfill \\ \dot x = - Fy,\dot y = Fx, \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ together with the property thatB x vanishes for some value ofx. Explicit expressions forx andy are given in terms of the mean elements; and it is shown how the initial-value problem is solved. The solution is primarily intended for the libration region, but it is shown how, by means of a substitution device, the solution can be extended to the deep circulation regime. The method does not, however, admit a solution very close to the separatrix. Formulae for the mean value ofx and the period of libration are furnished.
User acceptance of information technology across cultures

The user acceptance of prepayment metering systems, an innovative information technology-based application, is examined with the help of a structural equation model in the two diverse cultures of the USA and India. The intention of consumers to use prepayment metering systems is measured along three dimensions: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence. The three factors, taken together, are found to have a significantly positive impact on consumers' intention to use the prepayment metering systems in both countries. Individually, not all dimensions are found to have significant impacts on consumers' behavioural intention in the two countries, however.
The Effect of Testosterone Levels on Mood in Men: A Review

Background The effects of both high and low levels of testosterone are wide ranging and can include changes in mood, often overlapping with symptoms of mood disorders. Objective We sought to review the literature on the correlation of high and low levels of testosterone on mood disorders in men. Results Based on limited studies, high levels of testosterone are related to increased rates of depression as well as hypomania, whereas low levels of testosterone are related to depressive disorders in certain subpopulations of patients. There is insufficient evidence to conclude that low testosterone level routinely leads to major depressive disorder in men. Conclusions Physicians should consider screening for low testosterone levels in certain subgroups of depressed men.