cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ionic requirements for membrane oscillations and their dependence on the calcium concentration in a molluscan pace-maker neurone.

1. Membrane currents from the bursting pace-maker neurone R-15 of Aplysia were measured under conditions designed to simulate membrane oscillations. Changes in the absorbance of the Ca2+-sensitive dye arsenazo III were used to monitor changes in the free intracellular Ca2+ concentration, [Ca]i, under these conditions. In addition, changes in the extracellular K+, concentration [K]o were measured with K+-sensitive electrodes. 2. In normal external ionic conditions the depolarizing phase of pace-maker activity was associated with a slow inward current and the hyperpolarizing phase with a slow outward current. 3. In cells where the early inward Na+ current was blocked by tetrodotoxin and outward K+ currents were suppressed by intracellular EGTA and extracellular tetraethylammonium and 4-aminopyridine, the slow inward current was significantly larger in amplitude and was suppressed by removal of external Ca2+ or the addition of external La3+, but not by the removal of external Na+. 4. The slow inward current was increased when [Ca]o was raised and decreased when it was reduced in the manner expected for current flow through a Ca2+ channel. The selectivity of the slow inward current for divalent cations was [Formula: see text]. 5. The slow inward current was only slightly reduced by a 10 °C reduction in temperature. 6. In normal external and internal ionic conditions changes in dye absorbance occurred when the membrane was depolarized with slow triangular voltage ramps or long depolarizing steps within the pace-maker oscillation range. The obsorbance change, and thus the increase in Ca2+, [Ca]i, was well correlated with the appearance of the slow inward current. Moreover, the magnitude of the slow outward current was dependent upon the change in [Ca]i. 7. The slow inward current and a substantial fraction of the outward current, as well as the change in [Ca]i, were reduced appreciably by the addition of La3+ ions (3 mM) to the external medium. 8. The increase in [Ca]i during prolonged depolarization was not affected by external tetrodotoxin or by the removal of external Na+, but was abolished by a Ca2+-free external medium containing EGTA. Nevertheless, significant changes occurred in [Ca]i during depolarization in 0·1 mM-external Ca2+. 9. In normal external and internal ionic conditions extracellular K+, [K]o, increased during the depolarizing phase of the pace-maker cycle and decayed during the hyperpolarizing phase. 10. There was a measurable increase in [K]o during small prolonged depolarizing steps which produced a net inward current, indicating that inward and outward currents overlap under normal conditions. 11. In the absence of action potential discharge, [Ca]i increased during the depolarizing phase and decreased during the hyperpolarizing phase of the membrane oscillation. 12. It is proposed that pace-maker oscillations depend upon three separate but linked systems which include a voltage-dependent Ca2+ current, the free intracellular Ca2+ concentration and the Ca2+-activated K+ current.
Early results of the extracardiac conduit Fontan operation.

Abstract Background: Among the modifications of the Fontan operation, the extracardiac approach may offer the greatest potential for optimizing early postoperative ventricular and pulmonary vascular function, insofar as it can be performed with short periods of normothermic partial cardiopulmonary bypass and without cardioplegic arrest in most cases. In this study, we reviewed our experience with the extracardiac conduit Fontan operation, with a focus on early postoperative outcomes. Methods and results: Between July 1992 and April 1997, 51 patients (median age 4.9 years) underwent an extracardiac conduit Fontan operation. Median cardiopulmonary bypass time was 92 minutes and has decreased significantly over the course of our experience. Intracardiac procedures were performed in only 5 patients (10%), and the aorta was crossclamped in only 11 (22%). Intraoperative fenestration was performed in 24 patients (47%). There were no early deaths. Fontan failure occurred in 1 patient who was a poor candidate for the Fontan procedure. Transient supraventricular tachyarrhythmias occurred in 5 patients (10%). Median duration of chest tube drainage was 8 days. Factors significantly associated with prolonged resource use (mechanical ventilation, inotropic support, intensive care unit stay, and hospital stay) included longer bypass time and higher Fontan pressure. At a median follow-up of 1.9 years, there was 1 death from bleeding at reoperation. Conclusions: The extracardiac conduit Fontan procedure can be performed with minimal mortality and morbidity. Improved results may be related to advantages of the extracardiac approach and improved preservation of ventricular and pulmonary vascular function. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1999;117:688-96)
IN SITU MEASUREMENT OF DAMPING RATIO USING SURFACE WAVES

Measurements of surface wave attenuation provide a means to determine the in situ material damping ratio profile of near-surface soils. Frequency-dependent surface wave attenuation coefficients are determined from measurements of seismic wave amplitudes at various offsets from a swept-sine source. The accuracy of the measured attenuation coefficients is improved by properly accounting for the geometric attenuation of multimode Rayleigh waves. Once the frequency-dependent attenuation coefficients are determined, the shear damping ratio profile is calculated using a constrained inversion analysis. Application of the method is illustrated at the Treasure Island National Geotechnical Experimentation Site. Values of shear damping ratio, obtained using surface wave measurements, were less than those measured using cross hole tests, possibly because the higher frequencies used in cross hole tests result in more apparent attenuation due to scattering and because fluid losses contribute to damping at higher freque...
Direct inactivation of herpes simplex virus type-2 by rat epidermal protein.

Abstract Proteins were extracted from corneocytes of skin of 2-day-old rats and fractionated by gel filtration and cation exchange column chromatography. The different protein fractions were tested for direct inactivation of herpes simplex virus infectivity as determined by reduction of plaque formation. The most effective protein fractions against herpes simplex virus were a neutral pH buffer soluble and mol. wts. ranging from 20 K to 30 K. Amino acid composition of the proteins were virtually identical to epidermal histidine-rich proteins. The activity was significantly (P
Residual heavy metal removal by an algae-intermittent sand filtration system

Abstract A laboratory scale study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of using algae growing in wastewater lagoons to absorb residual heavy metals for subsequent complete removal by intermittent sand filtration of the metal laden algae. In semi-continuous cultures the mixed algal flora native to wastewater lagoons absorbed 70–90% of the cadmium and copper from the wastewater media. Chromium absorption was less by ratio (20% was absorbed), but the mass of chromium removed was much greater as high levels of chromium were added. Only one alga (Oscillatoria sp.) which was extremely resistant to chromium grew in the chromium exposed cultures. Nearly total removal of the cadmium and copper was achieved by the algae-intermittent sand filter system. The net chromium removal agreed with the accumulation analyses. The technical feasibility of removing certain heavy metals from wastewater with such a system was established. However, in depth laboratory and field studies must be conducted to maximize system efficiency, demonstrate tactical limitations, and establish design specifications.
Chiral Indoline Synthesis Via Enantioselective Intramolecular Copper-Catalyzed Alkene Hydroamination.

An enantioselective copper-catalyzed hydroamination/cyclization of N-sulfonyl-2-allylanilines for the synthesis of chiral 2-methylindolines is reported. Chiral 2-methylindolines are important subunits in drugs and bioactive compounds. This method provides chiral N-sulfonyl-2-methylindolines in up to 90% ee.
Colored filter glasses: an intercomparison of glasses made by different manufacturers

Specifications of about eight-hundred colored glasses made by thirteen manufacturers are examined and intercompared. The internal spectral transmittances of typical glasses are plotted in a series of forty-four diagrams. A log (internal density) vs wavelength representation is used. Curves with similar characteristics are grouped together in the same diagram. The internal spectral transmittances for a number of different thicknesses of each glass type can be read directly from the diagram. The curves are identified in a table, which lists the equivalent thicknesses of glasses yielding approximately the same transmittance. Such information facilitates the choice of filter components of reasonable thickness.
A POLYSACCHARIDE RESEMBLING ALGINIC ACID FROM A PSEUDOMONAS MICRO-ORGANISM.

A Pseudomonas micro-organism isolated from the sputum of a patient with cystic fibrosis produced unusually large mucoid colonies on agar culture media. This Pseudomonas, identified as No. 8906 by us, tended to revert to a less mucoid form and occasionally demonstrated phage plaques. The mucoid Pseudomonas was grown on Oxoid sensitivity test media. The bacterial growth was scraped from the surface of the media, and a yield of 664 mg of crude polysaccharide was obtained by initial precipitation with ethanol, followed by extraction with 0.01 N potassium hydroxide at pH 10 and repeated precipitation from aqueous solution with 68 per cent ethanol containing 1 per cent sodium acetate.
Recent advances in ion and electron spectroscopy of polymer surfaces

Abstract The structure of microdomains and bonding at multicomponent polymer material interfaces has been studied using a variety of surface sensitive spectroscopic techniques. In our laboratory, low energy ion scattering spectroscopy (ISS) and static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) serve to complement results from angular dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS or ESCA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) with attenuated total reflectance (ATR) sampling and SEM techniques to provide a quantitative picture of the relationships between structure, bonding, morphology and microdomain formation in near surface regions of polymeric systems. The added surface sensitivity of ISS can yield quantitative information at a sampling depth of 3–5 A, which, with ESCA and FTIR analysis yields a “non-destructive” depth profile of domain formation in copolymer and blend systems. These studies will be illustrated with results from siloxane and siloxane/polycarbonate copolymer systems, where a complete picture of surface domain formation and morphology as a function of composition and polymer crystallinity has been developed. ISS can also yield information regarding the orientation of surface functional groups which ESCA and FTIR do not have either sensitivity and/or sufficient detection limits to analyze. These studies will be illustrated by the analysis of plasma hydrolysis/oxidation of stereoregular poly(methyl-methacrylate). The effects of functional group orientation on reactivity will be explored using results from ISS, ESCA and FTIR for stereoregular (isotatic, syndiotactic) and random (atactic) PMMA. Electron energy loss spectroscopy at high resolution (HREELS) has recently been extended to the examination of polymer and organic surfaces. Vibrational information from this experiment can yield very precise results about surface functional groups (1–20 A) but at much lower resolution than is typical from IR and Raman techniques. However, the promise of evaluating surface functionality in the presence of a vibrational active bulk makes HREELS investigations of polycrystalline, polymeric and organic systems extremely exciting. Recent results from Langmuir-Blodgett prepared monomeric and polymeric mono and multilayer systems will be contrasted with other recent reports of HREELS applications to this important field of emerging materials science.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Food Insufficiency: Evidence from a Statewide Probability Sample

AbstractObjective: This study examines racial/ethnic disparities in the experience of food insufficiency among families with infants, focusing on the roles of socioeconomic characteristics. Method: We examine the SEED for Oklahoma Kids experiment data collected from a probability sample of White, African American, American Indian, and Hispanic caregivers of infants randomly selected from Oklahoma’s birth certificates (N = 2,652). Data are analyzed using Fairlie’s extension of the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition. Results: Whites experience food insufficiency at a statistically significantly lower rate than do the 3 minority groups. Estimates suggest most of the racial/ethnic disparity in food insufficiency is explained by compositional differences in economic and noneconomic resources between Whites and minority groups. In particular, lower levels of asset ownership and access to credit among minority groups are estimated to contribute to higher levels of food insufficiency in comparison with Whites. Conclusi...
NASA/General Electric broad-specification fuels combustion technology program - Phase I results and status

A program is being conducted to develop the technology required to utilize fuels with broadened properties in aircraft gas turbine engines. The first phase of this program consisted of the experimental evaluation of three different combustor concepts to determine their potential for meeting several specific emissions and performance goals, when operated on broadened property fuels. The three concepts were a single annular combustor; a double annular combustor; and a short single annular combustor with variable geometry. All of these concepts were sized for the General Electric CF6-80 engine. A total of 24 different configurations of these concepts were evaluated in a high pressure test facility, using four test fuels having hydrogen contents between 11.8 and 14%. Fuel effects on combustor performance, durability and emissions, and combustor design features to offset these effects were demonstrated.
Resonance Raman Spectroscopic Studies of Cellobiose Dehydrogenase fromPhanerochaete chrysosporium

Abstract Cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH), an extracellular hemoflavoenzyme produced by cellulose-degrading cultures ofPhanerochaete chrysosporium,oxidizes cellobiose to cellobionolactone. The enzyme contains one 6-coordinate, low-spinb-type heme and one FAD cofactor per monomeric protein. In this work, resonance Raman (RR) spectra are reported for the oxidized, reduced, and deflavo forms of CDH as well as the individual flavin and heme domains of the enzyme obtained by peptide proteolysis. The RR spectra of the flavin and heme groups of CDH were assigned by comparison to the spectra of other hemoflavoenzymes and model compounds. Proteolytic cleavage of the CDH domains had only a minimal spectroscopic effect on the vibrational modes of the heme and FAD cofactors. Excitation of the oxidized CDH holoenzyme at 413 or 442 nm resulted in photoreduction of the heme. However, the same excitation wavelength used on the deflavo form of the enzyme or on the heme domain alone did not cause photoreduction, indicating that photoinitiated electron transfer requires the FAD cofactor. These observations suggest an enzymatic mechanism whereby reducing equivalents obtained from the oxidation of cellobiose are transferred from the FAD to the heme. A similar mechanism has been proposed for flavocytochrome b2ofSaccharomyces cerevisiaewhich oxidizes lactate to pyruvate (A. Desboiset al.,1989,Biochemistry28, 8011–8022).
Influence of Age on Hepatic Response to Choline and Cystine Deficiency in the Rat.

SummaryA study has been made of the variation with age of the response of rats to low casein, cholesterol supplemented diets deficient in cystine and/or choline. Young rats succumb much more readily than do older rats to the effects of dietary deficiencies in cystine or choline. While choline deficiency almost invariably results in hepatic fibrosis in young rats, in older rats it frequently causes nothing but fatty livers even after 8 months. The incidence of hepatic necrosis due to cystine deficiency in young rats was about the same as that observed in older rats but the young rats developed such lesions in 1/3 the time required in older rats. Many rats of all ages have been observed to die of cystine deficiency with no detectable histological abnormalities in any of 19 organs examined. Young rats, fed a diet deficient in both choline and cystine live somewhat longer than simply cystine deficient anihials but show no hepatic damage. Older rats on such rations develop livers which are necrotic, fibrotic, ...
Diabetes mellitus in pregnancy: Implication in developmental abnormalities

An uncontrolled diabetic state during pregnancy results in serious medical complications to the fetus, occurring both in late gestation (ie hyaline membrane disease, hypoglycaemia) and in early gestation (ie abnormal organogenesis leading to malformations). Whether there are also deleterious effects of diabetes mellitus seen preconceptually, such as anovulation, or in early pregnancy, such as an increased rate of early fetal loss, is controversial. This report examines evidence that the diabetes may contribute to abnormalities in development beginning at these earlier stages of the developmental process.
Multi-log/sub 2/N networks and their applications in high-speed electronic and photonic switching systems

A class of switching networks is proposed to remove the time and space bottlenecks of conventional RAM-controlled switching architectures. The advantages of these networks, such as tolerance of faults O(log/sub 2/N) stages between each inlet-outlet pair, self-routing capability, easy path hunt, and easy fault diagnosis, and their implementation are discussed. Graph theory is used to construct strictly nonblocking or rearrangeable nonblocking networks that are based on the new architecture. >
Polymerization of Isoprene with Organomagnesium Compound-Titanium Tetrachloride Catalyst System

Magnesium metal was found to react fairly rapidly with halogenobenzenes under sufficiently anhydrous conditions to give soluble organomagnesium compounds in good yields. The organomagnesium compounds so obtained showed empirical formulas whose halogen contents decreased in the order of Cl>Br>I.Isoprene was polymerized using the catalyst system composed of the above organomagnesium compounds and titanium tetrachloride. When the molar ratio of organomagnesium compound to titanium tetrachloride (Ar-Mg/Ti) was above 2, high cis-1, 4-polyisoprenes were obtained. At the Ar-Mg/Ti ratio below 2, however, powderly polymers containing cyclic structures were formed in low yields.The extent of reduction of titanium tetrachloride with the magnesium components was also determined in relation to the Ar-Mg/Ti ratio.
The emerging landscape of bioinformatics software systems

Fusing computing and biology expertise, bioinformatics software provides a powerful tool for organizing and mining the vast amounts of data genetics researchers are accumulating. As life scientists and computational scientists interact to create useful bioinformatics software systems, several themes or lessons recur. We identify seven themes: the nature of biological data; data storage, analysis and retrieval; computational modeling and simulation; biologically meaningful information integration; data mining; image processing and visualization; and closing the loop.
On Pooling Data

Abstract On the basis of samples from normally distributed variates X 1 and X 2, how should one estimate the mean of X1? Should one pool or not pool the means on the basis of a significance test, or should one pool continuously, or not at all? It turns out that if the difference between the true means can be thought of as normally distributed from sample to sample, pooling with unequal weights is preferable.
Characterization of antennas for personal wireless communications applications

The advancement of antenna technology in personal wireless communication systems has been encouraged by the increasingly stringent demands placed upon these systems to provide low-power and highly reliable information transfer. The antenna designer must not only consider the cost, manufacturability, compactness, and system integrability of the radiator but also generate a product which satisfies rigid specifications concerning return loss, bandwidth, and gain while operating in a complex radiating environment. Successful, cost-effective approaches to the design of antennas for communication devices rely upon the implementation of sophisticated analysis tools, such as the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, capable of predicting the electromagnetic behavior of complicated topologies. In this work, the behavior of planar inverted F, monopole, and loop antennas is investigated using tools based upon the FDTD approach. Such factors as the effects of the conducting chassis, plastic casing, and biological tissue on the antenna performance are investigated. Experimental measurements are used to validate the results obtained from computations and to provide further insight into the behavior of the different geometries. The use of antenna diversity to reduce the effects of multipath fading is discussed, and several examples of antenna diversity configurations are provided.
Reductive Activation of Carbon−Fluorine Bonds in Perfluoroalkyl Ligands: An Unexpected Route to the Only Known Tetrafluorobutatriene Transition Metal Complex: Ir(η5-C5Me5)(PMe3)(2,3-η2-CF2CCCF2)

Six-electron reduction of the perfluoro-sec-butyl ligand in Cp*Ir(PMe3)I(C4F9) with sodium naphthalenide affords the first known example of a transition metal complex of tetrafluorobutatriene, Cp*Ir(PMe3)(C4F4). The free ligand is a highly unstable compound. The compound has been completely characterized by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study; the center coordinated double bond shows significant elongation, and the flanking fluoroalkenes show significant shortening, as compared to the dimensions in the free ligand.
An Alternative Test for Use with Likert-Type Scales.

Cooper recently described tests for use in determining whether or not one "pole" of an attitude scale is characteristic of a population. An alternative test is proposed that requires less restrictive assumptions and appears to offer better control over the Type I error rate for a wide variety of circumstances. Situations in which this test would be expected to be more powerful are also described.
Initial study of breast tissue retraction toward image guided breast surgery

Image-guided surgery may reduce the re-excision rate in breast-conserving tumor-resection surgery, but image guidance is difficult since the breast undergoes significant deformation during the procedure. In addition, any imaging performed preoperatively is usually conducted in a very different presentation to that in surgery. Biomechanical models combined with low-cost ultrasound imaging and laser range scanning may provide an inexpensive way to provide intraoperative guidance information while also compensating for soft tissue deformations that occur during breast-conserving surgery. One major cause of deformation occurs after an incision into the tissue is made and the skin flap is pulled back with the use of retractors. Since the next step in the surgery would be to start building a surgical plane around the tumor to remove cancerous tissue, in an image-guidance environment, it would be necessary to have a model that corrects for the deformation caused by the surgeon to properly guide the application of resection tools. In this preliminary study, two anthropomorphic breast phantoms were made, and retractions were performed on both with improvised retractors. One phantom underwent a deeper retraction that the other. A laser range scanner (LRS) was used to monitor phantom tissue change before and after retraction. The surface data acquired with the LRS and retractors were then used to drive the solution of a finite element model. The results indicate an encouraging level of agreement between model predictions and data. The surface target error for the phantom with the deep retraction was 2.2 +/- 1.2 mm (n=47 targets) with the average deformation of the surface targets at 4.2 +/- 1.6mm. For the phantom with the shallow retraction, the surface target error was 2.1 +/- 1.0 mm (n=70 targets) with the average deformation of the surface targets at 4.0 +/- 2.0 mm.
Rapid extension of axons into the CA3 region by adult-generated granule cells.

The dentate gyrus continues to produce granule neurons throughout adulthood. The present study examined the extension of axons by adult-generated granule neurons into hippocampal area CA3. We injected the fluorescent retrograde tracers Fast blue (FB) and FluoroRuby (FR) into area CA3 of adult male rats at various times after the administration of 5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU), a marker of proliferating cells and their progeny. We report that immature granule cells extend axons into CA3 as rapidly as 4-10 days after mitosis. A significant increase in the percentage of BrdU-labeled cells that were labeled with FB or FR was observed by 2 weeks after BrdU administration. This proportion remained roughly constant up to 3 weeks after BrdU-labeling, a time at which markers of a mature neuronal phenotype are expressed. BrdU-labeled cells that contained either FB or FR often were located far from the tracer injection site, indicating that these cells had extended relatively long axons. Collectively these results suggest that adult-generated granule neurons may influence normal hippocampal function, even at a very early stage after their production.
Delineation of a Negative Feedback Regulatory Loop That Controls Protein Translation during Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Transient protein synthesis inhibition is an important protective mechanism used by cells during various stress conditions including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. This response centers on the phosphorylation state of eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)-2 alpha, which is induced by kinases like protein kinase R-like ER kinase (PERK) and GCN2 to suppress translation and is later reversed so translation resumes. GADD34 was recently identified as the factor that activates the type 1 protein serine/threonine phosphatase (PP1), which dephosphorylates eIF-2 alpha during cellular stresses. Our study delineates a negative feedback regulatory loop in which the eIF-2 alpha-controlled inhibition of protein translation leads to GADD34 induction, which promotes translational recovery. We show that activating transcription factor-4 (ATF4), which is paradoxically translated during the eIF-2 alpha-mediated translational block, is required for the transactivation of the GADD34 promoter in response to ER stress and amino acid deprivation. ATF4 directly binds to and trans-activates a conserved ATF site in the GADD34 promoter during ER stress. Examination of ATF4-/- MEFs revealed an absence of GADD34 induction, prolonged eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation, delayed protein synthesis recovery, and diminished translational up-regulation of BiP during ER stress. These studies demonstrate the essential role of GADD34 in the resumption of protein synthesis, define the pathway for its induction, and reveal that cytoprotective unfolded protein response targets like BiP are sensitive to the eIF-2 alpha-mediated block in translation.
A longitudinal view of an office system failure

A large eastern US university recently installed components of a so-called "Administrative Information System" (AIS), which will eventually encompass most office functions in the entire university. Part of this system includes an electronic mail function, which appeared to fail miserably in both long- and short-term points of view. This is a short description of the system, the data collection procedures, and the results. A more complete description can be found in Galletta (1985).Although the original study focused on performance of subjects following certain training approaches, other measures were also taken. In particular, attitudes of users were measured before training, after the system was installed for one month, and again after one year. Extent of system usage was also measured in both post-installation cases.
FlexiWay: A cache energy saving technique using fine-grained cache reconfiguration

Recent trends of CMOS scaling and use of large last level caches (LLCs) have led to significant increase in the leakage energy consumption of LLCs and hence, managing their energy consumption has become extremely important in modern processor design. The conventional cache energy saving techniques require offline profiling or provide only coarse granularity of cache allocation. We present FlexiWay, a cache energy saving technique which uses dynamic cache reconfiguration. FlexiWay logically divides the cache sets into multiple (e.g. 16) modules and dynamically turns off suitable and possibly different number of cache ways in each module. FlexiWay has very small implementation overhead and it provides fine-grain cache allocation even with caches of typical associativity, e.g. an 8-way cache. Microarchitectural simulations have been performed using an x86-64 simulator and workloads from SPEC2006 suite. Also, FlexiWay has been compared with two conventional energy saving techniques. The results show that FlexiWay provides largest energy saving and incurs only small loss in performance. For single, dual and quad core systems, the average energy saving using FlexiWay are 26.2%, 25.7% and 22.4%, respectively.
Sequence specificity and fidelity of prion transmission in yeast.

Abstract Amyloid formation is a widespread feature of various proteins. It is associated with both important diseases (including infectious mammalian prions) and biologically positive functions, and provides a basis for structural “templating” and protein-based epigenetic inheritance (for example, in the case of yeast prions). Amyloid templating is characterized by a high level of sequence specificity and conformational fidelity. Even slight variations in sequence may produce a strong barrier for prion transmission. Yeast models provide useful insight into a mechanism of amyloid specificity and fidelity. Accumulating evidence indicates that cross-species prion transmission is controlled by the identity of short sequences (specificity stretches) rather than by the overall level of sequence identity. Location of the specificity stretches determines the location and/or size of the cross-β amyloid region that controls patterns of prion variants. In some cases of cross-species prion transmission, fidelity of variant reproduction is impaired, leading to the formation of new structural variants. We propose that such a variant switch may occur due to choice of the alternatively located secondary specificity stretches, when interaction between the primary stretches is impaired due to sequence divergence.
Corn germ protein in frankfurters: textural, color, and sensory characteristics and storage stability

Textural properties, water holding capacity, color, sensory characteristics, and storage stability of frankfurters containing hexane-defatted corn germ protein (CGP) as a meat extender were studied. CGP was incorporated at 2 and 3% levels as a powder or a preswelled slurry. Batter viscosity and shear force values of frankfurters were increased by the preswelled CGP. The redness values of the experimental samples with 2 and 3% CGP added as a powder were less than those of controls. There were no significant effects of CGP incorporation or its preswelling on the initial sensory properties of frankfurters. Meaty flavor and aroma and off-flavor acceptability decreased during 45 days of storage. Off-flavor and off-aroma of frankfurters showed a slight increase with time in storage. Total volatile nitrogen and nonammonia amino nitrogen of experimental and control frankfurters were not significantly different.
Tyrosinase: a developmentally specific major determinant of peripheral dopamine

L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, the immediate precursor of dopamine, can be formed by two enzymes: tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in catecholamine-producing neurons and chromaffin cells and tyrosinase in melanocytes. In this study we examined whether tyrosinase contributes to production of dopamine. Deficiency of TH caused marked reductions in norepinephrine in albino and pigmented 15-day-old mice. In contrast, peripheral levels of dopamine were reduced only in albino TH-deficient mice and were higher in pigmented than in albino mice, regardless of the presence or absence of TH. We next examined age-related changes in dopamine and cutaneous expression of tyrosinase and melanin in albino and pigmented TH wild-type mice. We found that the differences in peripheral dopamine between pigmented and albino mice disappeared with advancing age following changes in expression and function of tyrosinase. In young animals, tyrosinase was present in epidermis but did not produce detectable melanin. With advancing age, tyrosinase was localized only around hair follicles, melanin synthesis became more pronounced, and dopamine synthesis decreased. The data reveal a previously unrecognized TH-independent major pathway of peripheral dopamine synthesis in young, but not adult, mice. The transient nature of this source of dopamine reflects a developmental switch in tyrosinase-dependent production of dopamine to production of melanin.
Differential usage of alternative pathways of double-strand break repair in Drosophila.

Double-strand DNA breaks can be repaired by any of several alternative mechanisms that differ greatly in the nature of the final repaired products. We used a reporter construct, designated “Repair reporter 3” (Rr3), to measure the relative usage of these pathways in Drosophila germ cells. The method works by creating a double-strand break at a specific location such that expression of the red fluorescent protein, DsRed, in the next generation can be used to infer the frequency at which each pathway was used. A key feature of this approach is that most data come from phenotypic scoring, thus allowing large sample sizes and considerable precision in measurements. Specifically, we measured the proportion of breaks repaired by (1) conversion repair, (2) nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), or (3) single-strand annealing (SSA). For conversion repair, the frequency of mitotic crossing over in the germ line indicates the relative prevalence of repair by double Holliday junction (DHJ) formation vs. the synthesis-dependent strand annealing (SDSA) pathway. We used this method to show that breaks occurring early in germ-line development were much more frequently repaired via single-strand annealing and much less likely to be repaired by end joining compared with identical breaks occurring later in development. Conversion repair was relatively rare when breaks were made either very early or very late in development, but was much more frequent in between. Significantly, the changes in relative usage occurred in a compensatory fashion, such that an increase in one pathway was accompanied by decreases in others. This negative correlation is interpreted to mean that the pathways for double-strand break repair compete with each other to handle a given breakage event.
Preparation of magnetic immobilized metal affinity separation media and its use in the isolation of proteins

A new method of pseudobiospecific protein isolation is developed and tested, which employs both metal affinity and magnetism as the basis for isolation. The chelating group iminodiacetic acid (IDA) has been coupled to the surface of magnetic agarose, and when charged with metal ions (Cu2+ or Zn2+) is capable of binding model proteins which display metal affinity, and of separating protein mixtures. Magnetic properties of the medium facilitated the batch recovery of the adsorbent, as losses are minimized by concentrating and retaining the separation medium with the aid of a magnet. Model proteins were used to characterize protein adsorption, capacity, and stability of IDA magnetic agarose. Recovery from a cell lysate was demonstrated by protein isolation from extracts of E. coli containing a target protein. Overall, this study effectively illustrates the engineering of separation media which combine several desired properties for the development of a new branch of metal affinity-based bioseparation.
Allan Octavian Hume 'Father of the Indian National Congress' 1829-1912: A Biography

This is a critical rendition of the well-known memoir of Allan Octavian Hume, written by William Wedderburn, a close pro-India compatriot of Hume. The new introduction by Edward Moulton, an authority on Hume, throws light on the early stages of nationalism in India and the origins and development of the Indian National Congress up to 1912.
HCl secretion and [Ca2+]i in cultured parietal cells.

. Gastric parietal cells in primary culture have been tested to determine their utility as a model for the study of the role of intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) in the control of HCl secretion. Changes in [Ca2+]i were measured in single cells on a microscope stage using the cell-permeant form of the fluorescent calcium probe, fura-2. Simultaneous images of cell fluorescence and morphology were acquired using a digitized video image analysis system and two video cameras, one for low-light level fluorescence detection and one for high resolution DIC/transmitted light images. Both histamine and carbachol, which are known stimulants of HCl secretion, increased [Ca2+]i and stimulated dramatic changes in morphology in these cultured cells. Changes in morphology were accompanied by an increased uptake of the weak base, [14C]-aminopyrine (AP), and a shift from green to red fluorescence of another weak base, acridine orange. These results indicate that cultured parietal cells, maintained under controlled conditions on a microscope stage, retain viability and secretagogue responsiveness. Thus, this cellular model appears to be suitable for correlation of changes in [Ca2+]i and activation of HCl secretion.
User interface models for the cloud

The current desktop metaphor is unsuitable for the coming age of cloud-based applications. The desktop was developed in an era that was focused on local resources, and consequently its gestures, semantics, and security model reflect heavy reliance on hierarchy and physical locations. This paper proposes a new user interface model that accounts for cloud applications, incorporating representations of people and new gestures for sharing and access, while minimizing the prominence of location. The model's key feature is a lightweight mechanism to group objects for resource organization, sharing, and access control, towards the goal of providing simple semantics for a wide range of tasks, while also achieving security through greater usability.
OPERABILITY IMPACTS ON SPACE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURES

Until very recently, performance has governed the design of space transportation systems. This emphasis has been at the expense of cost and operability considerations. As a consequence of this approach, U.S. launch vehicles, while having the highest performance and best precision, often encounter difficulties in meeting schedule and cost goals. This paper reviews work accomplished in identifying and defining cost and operability goals for new space transportation systems. The different facets of operability are explored and the effects of their application as design criteria are discussed in relation to a space transportation infrastructure as a whole, as well as the individual elements. This is followed by a discussion of the traditional practice of only examining nominal operations versus including the analysis of system perturbations in an effort to meet operability goals. Finally, methods of measuring operability and tools that General Dynamics has developed to apply these methods in a TQM environment to the complete life cycle of a program are discussed. In summation, the areas in which currcnt knowledge and tools should be applied in order to best reach an operable and cost effective space transportation infrastructure are identified.
Protection from Cardiac Arrhythmia Through Ryanodine Receptor- Stabilizing Protein Calstabin2

Ventricular arrhythmias can cause sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients with normal hearts and in those with underlying disease such as heart failure. In animals with heart failure and in patients with inherited forms of exercise-induced SCD, depletion of the channel-stabilizing protein calstabin2 (FKBP12.6) from the ryanodine receptor–calcium release channel (RyR2) complex causes an intracellular Ca 2+ leak that can trigger fatal cardiac arrhythmias. A derivative of 1,4-benzothiazepine (JTV519) increased the affinity of calstabin2 for RyR2, which stabilized the closed state of RyR2 and prevented the Ca 2+ leak that triggers arrhythmias. Thus, enhancing the binding of calstabin2 to RyR2 may be a therapeutic strategy for common ventricular arrhythmias.
THE STOCHASTIC WAVE EQUATION DRIVEN BY FRACTIONAL BROWNIAN NOISE AND TEMPORALLY CORRELATED SMOOTH NOISE

The stochastic wave equation in one spatial dimension driven by a class of fractional noises or, alternately, by a class of smooth noises with arbitrary temporal covariance is studied. In either case, the wave equation is explicitly solved and the upper and lower bounds on both the large and small deviations of several sup norms associated with the solution are given. Finally the energy of a system governed by such an equation is calculated and its expected value is found.
Engineering education in Japan: my experience

While attending a Japanese National University I observed many unique aspects of engineering education in Japan. Most of these unique aspects point toward three interesting themes: Preparation, Fraternity, and Mentorship. The effects of these characteristics are discussed and compared to engineering education in the United States.
Concurrent Validity and Reliability of the Alberta Infant Motor Scale in Infants at Dual Risk for Motor Delays

Concurrent validity of scores for the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS) and the Peabody Developmental Gross Motor Scale-2 (PDGMS-2) was examined with a sample of 35 infants at dual risk for motor delays or disabilities. Dual risk was defined as low birthweight (≤ 1,500 g at birth) and environmental risk (children from low-income families). Measures were administered to participants during one visit to a high-risk, follow-up program. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were high (r = .90 to .97), with the highest correlation between PDGMS-2 locomotion subscale and AIMS total score. Correlation coefficients were lower for infants > 9 months of age. Novice examiners' scores on both measures closely approximated those of experienced examiners (ICC range = .98 to .99). The results support concurrent validity of the AIMS and PDGMS-2 for infants at dual risk and have implications for using the AIMS in high-risk follow-up programs, particularly in relation to evaluating functional components of motor ...
Patient and spouse expectations of and reactions to continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) therapy: case report.

Six insulin-dependent women with diabetes and their spouses were assessed (1) prior to continuous subcutaneous insulin infu sion (CSII) therapy, and (2) three months after implementation of CSII therapy. The pre-CSII interviews revealed that both patient and spouse were interested in the positive emotional conse quences of improved metabolic control. How ever, patients were most interested in the personal benefits of metabolic stabilization, whereas spouses were more con cerned about potential improvement of the marital relationship. Post- CSII interviews showed that most fears regarding CSII therapy expressed in the pre-CSII interview were not realized, but many unanticipated negative and positive responses to treatment were experienced.
Bacterial utilization of algal extracellular products. 1. The kinetic approach

Equations based on the kinetic model for estimating heterotrophic potential are derived which permit a linear kinetic analysis of the utilization of algal extracellular products by bacteria. Laboratory studies with a specific algal-bacterial system suggest that the analysis will show changes in heterotrophic population size and in concentrations of extracellular products. Deviations from linear predictions of the model may also reveal aspects of the degree of specificity of algal-bacterial interactions mediated by extracellular products. Application of the mixed substrate model may permit the detection and qualitative evaluation of the ecological significance of a phycosphere effect generated by algal blooms. In natural waters, peaks in heterotrophic bacterial activity are localized phenomena related to conditions of enrichment (Sieburth 1976). In open waters such activity tends to accompany or follow seasonal peaks in primary production (Hobbie and Rublee 1977). The ecological role of algal extracellular products in this connection continues to attract speculation (Nalewajko et al. 1976; Saunders 1976) and the term “phycosphere” has been used to focus attention on the possible responses of bacteria to an alga-mediated environment (Bell and Mitchell 1972).
A fast ternary CAM design for IP networking applications

In this paper we describe a VLSI implementation and complete circuit design of a fast ternary CAM (TCAM). TCAMs are commonly used to perform routing lookups in the backbone of IP networks and small gateways. Our TCAM is designed to have a greater capacity and speed than any commercial offering at this time. In contrast with existing TCAM approaches, our TCAM allows complete flexibility in the location where any new entry is inserted. This is achieved by a novel longest prefix match (LPM) determination circuit, whose delay increases logarithmically with the number of bits to be looked up. We have implemented our TCAM with 512 bits of prefix entry with 512 bits of destination information, allowing it to implement large address lookups as well as quality of service mechanisms. This would make our TCAM design particularly suitable for IPv6 routing lookup applications. The speed improvement of our TCAM over currently available TCAMs results from various carefully selected VLSI architectural and implementation choices. The TCAM size is 21 Mb and is broken up into a regular grid of 13x13 smaller TCAM blocks for improved speed characteristics. Routing lookup operations use a heavily pipelined approach for maximum throughput, while ensuring a lookup latency of 3 clock cycles. Individual match lines in these blocks are split into 4 sections to reduce RC delay in the lookup process. Our LPM determination circuit is implemented using an efficient wired-NOR circuit for further reduced delay. Sense amplifiers are utilized in the LPM and SRAM sections of the TCAM and are located in the center of each TCAM subblock in order to improve lookup speed. We have implemented and validated our design using state-of-the-art circuit analysis and design tools. We have also generated mask layouts of the entire TCAM design using current layout tools. The complete TCAM circuit design is approximately 18mm on a side, with a total capacity of 21Mb. Our TCAM has an ability to perform routing lookups at a line rate of 76.8Gb/s which is twice as fast as the fastest commercially available TCAM today.